How to get more retreat leads and clients
There is ONE THING that ensures you are set up to sell out your retreats, and that is an email list full of potential retreat clients.
And the best way to get more of your ideal clients into your email list to grow your business and your retreats is to have a "lead generation strategy," - a system that attracts more of your ideal clients to sign up for your email list.
A lead generation strategy can look like many things, such as a free nutrition e-book or a yoga or meditation video, in exchange for people's names and email addresses.
You probably signed up for many of these yourself over the years, as this is a standard practice to generate new leads for businesses across all industries.
A lead gen strategy is often called a "lead magnet" or "freebie" in the online business world.
If you don't have an email list full of potential retreat clients, filling your retreats is nearly impossible. You may get lucky and get a few people through your peers, family, and friends network, but I assure you this will not get you a sold-out retreat. The same applies to selling any of your offerings and services. It all starts with a good-quality email list.
Keep in mind that this type of lead generation strategy should be implemented many months before you plan to sell your retreat or offering. This is not something you can put into place to sell your spots last minute.
When done right, it is a solid long-term strategy that will relieve the pressure and stress of selling your retreat.
So what are the components of a lead generation strategy?
1) You need an email marketing List
The first component of a lead generation strategy is to have an email list. That usually looks like an email marketing platform that holds your database of students and potential clients and which you can send emails and newsletters from.
Some examples of these platforms are Mailchimp, Flodesk, and Convertkit.
There are thousands of software companies like that, and they vary significantly in price and features. Choosing the right one for your unique business is very important. I have cycled through at least five different ones in my business over the years.
If you are just getting started, keep it simple and start with the more affordable one that will provide you with the basic needed features. You can always change email marketing platforms in the future.
2) You need a freebie or a lead magnet
Next on the list is to understand what type of "freebie" or "lead magnet" you want to create. Your lead magnet should provide people with some type of value in exchange for their name and email address.
You need to think about the following things before you decide on what type of lead magnet you want to offer people:
Who is your ideal customer or retreat client?
What problems or desires can you (your business) help them solve or fulfill?
Based on this, what type of "quick win" freebie can you offer them? You don't want to give it ALL away - that's what your retreat or paid offering is for. This is just to get them curious and help them see that you are qualified to help them. You are qualifying them as potential clients, and they are qualifying you as a potential teacher or guide.
What is the best format to deliver this value? Is it a video, audio, or in written form?
Really take the time to create a quality and high-value lead magnet based on all of these requirements. The number of quality leads you get will depend on what freebie you are offering your potential clients. If it's not appealing to them, you have to go back to the drawing board.
3) You need a website or a landing page
Now that you have your freebie, you will need a place to capture people’s names and emails and a way to deliver the lead magnet you are offering in exchange. Here are the steps to get this set up:
Create a page or visible section with an "opt-in form" on your website to capture names and email addresses. Make sure you are effectively promoting the lead magnet with a good blurb/description and visuals to really entice people to sign up for it.
Connect your email marketing software to the opt-in. Sometimes you can embed this form from your email marketing platform as well. It will all depend on the software you are using.
Set up the lead magnet delivery by triggering an automated email once someone signs up for that specific opt-in form on your website. This piece can feel a little overwhelming, but I assure you that there are many tutorials out there to help you set this up, and the steps will vary depending on the email marketing platform you are using. Just put your learning hat on. You've got this!
Test the process before you make it all "live" to make sure there are no snags along the way and your lead magnet is getting delivered as promised.
4) You need a visibility plan for your lead magnet
The final step of this process is ongoing.
Once you have your lead generation system all set up, you need to make sure people know about it. There are many different ways you can do this. Here are some examples:
Create a pop-up on your website that directs people to get the lead magnet.
Place a "hello bar" across the top of your homepage with a link to sign up for your lead magnet.
Have a link to your lead magnet on all your social media platforms and consistently promote it there.
Mention your lead magnet on your IG and FB lives, podcast interviews, group classes, blog posts, FB groups, etc.
Advanced: Create targeted FB ads to direct people to your lead magnet.
With a lead generation strategy, you are playing the long game.
Another important step in this process is to ensure you are "nurturing" those new leads and potential clients once they start coming into your email list.
Continue to build a relationship with your email subscribers by sending them valuable emails on the topics they care about and showing them how you are qualified to help them with your retreats, offerings, and services.
Your lead magnet is the introduction to you, and now you want them to get to know you and your business more so that they feel confident and ready to sign up for your retreats and offerings.
If you want to learn more about email marketing, I wrote a more specific blog post on how to use it to sell your retreats.
As you can see, creating a lead generation strategy requires some thought and some tech, but it can help you grow your business and retreats immensely.
Once your lead gen strategy works for you, you can grow your retreat leads/potential clients on autopilot.
Over the years, I've created dozens of lead magnets in my business, including more advanced lead gen strategies such as my Retreat Leader Quiz and Free Resource Vault. This strategy has been instrumental in growing my list with thousands of people over the years and filling my one-on-one retreat coaching and retreat programs.
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Do you need help creating a lead generation strategy? I have helped dozens of people grow their retreat client databases with qualified leads using simple yet powerful strategies like this one. Sign up for a free 15-minute call to learn more about it.