Tap your phone and flick over to your “Contacts” section.

You’ve probably got a couple hundred names + numbers in there, right?

And outta that list, there are probably about 30 or 40 people that you’d consider to be “true friends.” You know, the kind of people you’d want to invite to your wedding — or salacious birthday bash.

But if you never do anything to nurture those relationships … never throw any dinner parties … never invite anyone out for coffee … never text to say “happy anniversary!” … never send any Christmas gifts, or even a “thank you” note … never do anything helpful, sweet or surprising … well? Eventually, those “friendships” are going to fade away.

And one day, when you need something? They won’t exactly be falling over themselves to support you.

Sad, but true.

It’s exactly the same with your newsletter list, blog readers + business community.

You’ve got to keep people tuned in + engaged — by dishing out a little sugar, on the regular.

And one of the BEST ways to do that … is to create a super-exciting Free Challenge.

What do I mean by “Free Challenge”?

I’m talking about …

:: A one-hour “business challenge” designed to help you pour more FUN into your life coaching practice — like sexypants Susan Hyatt did, at the start of this year.

:: A one-day “sleep challenge” dedicated to helping you get the best zzz’s of your life — like Dr. Susan Mathison led, last December.

:: A ten-day “email challenge” to help you write better emails (and GET fewer emails) — like Alexandra Franzen recently did. (Hers wasn’t actually “free” — it was a pay-what-you-can fundraiser for charity. But, same dif.)

Earlier this year, as you might remember, I did a 3-day Better Bio Challenge to help you craft a sizzling, sensational bio for your business — three different versions, for three different scenarios.

I’ve done a TON of Free Challenges over the years. And every single time I lead one, the results are off the chain. Happy readers. A spike in product sales. My inbox, flooded with “thank you” notes. It’s a GREAT time, for everyone.

And lots of people have asked me how it’s done.

Today, I’m giving you my best advice on how to run a Challenge that’s SIMPLE for you … and that people will actually wanna DO.

Tip #1. Simplify + shorten-ify.

A 30-day fitness challenge seems like a great idea … until you realize that you’ve got to record 30 high-def videos (… and your fans are losing steam after day 6, anyway).

Keep it short. Keep it simple. Make it easy on yourself. This is a freebie, remember?

Tip #2. Skip the (technical) bells and whistles.

Got a one-day writing challenge? Or maybe a three-day video series? Sweet. Post the material on your blog — or blast it out to your mailing list — and be DONE with it!

There’s no need to create a “private Facebook group” or a “separate mailing list” or a “membership community” or a whole new section of your website just to describe the Challenge + deliver the content … unless you really want to.

Did I mention … keep it simple?

Tip #3. Add a HUGE dose of FUN.

Challenges are challenging! And people tend to lose focus, even if your content is freaking amazing. So, weave in LOTS of juicy rewards to keep the motivation alive.

During my last Challenge, I handed out all kinds of guilty-pleasure-prizes … like marshmallow-chocolate-caramel-toffee-pecan truffles, lacy panties and homemade ice cream.

Nothing inspires people to complete a Challenge … like the promise of a sugar rush! 🙂

Tip #4. Create a “next step.”

Once your Challenge is complete, you’re going to have a lot of people who are revved up + ridiculously excited about your work … and they’re all going to be wondering one thing: Now what?

Give them a “next step” — a program that will take ‘em deeper into your process, a service package to help polish up their work even more, an invite to a hot workshop, or even just another freebie to keep the love flowing (like a collection of blog posts + book recs to check out).

I know that your first — or next! — Challenge is going to be hot, hot, hot. 🙂