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Have Your Online Course Launch Strategy Ready?
I’m going to keep this short and sweet because today’s episode is too juicy to keep you waiting. On episode 103 of the Chasing Simple podcast (hi! I’m your host Amanda Warfield, if we haven’t met yet!) I’m walking you through my 5 tips for cultivating your next online course launch strategy. This strategy is the one I’ve used to grow my membership, Club Content Batching, to over 100 members, and it’s also the one I use for all of my 1:1 content marketing strategy clients and their launches as well. It’s a lot of information, so please DM me with whatever follow up questions you have after you listen! And without further adieu … let’s dive in
Links and Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
- Grab your FREE Ticket to Chasing Simple: The Summit!
- Want to learn more about Club Content Batching?
- Apply to work with me 1:1 and have me strategize your launch for you!
- This week’s action step: Put a date on the calendar for your next launch, and remember to give yourself plenty of breathing room!
- This week’s book recommendation: The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren
- Find me on Instagram and tell me you completed this week’s action step: @mrsamandawarfield
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Have a comment about today’s episode, or a topic you’d like to suggest for a future episode? Shoot me an email over at hello@amandawarfield.com!
Rather Read? – Here’s the Transcript!
*Just a heads up – the provided transcript is likely to not be 100% accurate.
I’m going to keep this short and sweet because today’s episode is too juicy to keep you waiting on episode 103 of the Chasing Simple Podcast.
Hi, I’m your host, Amanda Warfield. If we haven’t met yet, I’m walking you through my five tips for cultivating your launch strategy for your next course launch. The strategy is the one that I’ve used to grow my membership Club Content Batching to over 100 members.
And it’s also the one I use for all of my one-to-one content, marketing strategy clients and their launches as well. It’s a lot of information. So please DM me with whatever follow up questions you have after you listen. But without further ado, let’s dive in.
So the number one mistake that I see people make when they’re getting ready to launch something, is that they don’t prepare their audience for the launch. They’re so busy doing all the things behind the scenes that they need to do in order to launch their new offer. Of course, product. And they forget about their audience and they forget how important it is and what an important step it is to prep their audience.
Because I get it. There are so many things to do behind the scenes. You’ve got to create the offer or revamp the offer. You’ve got to make sure all the systems, the funnels, the emails, all this stuff is set up so that you can just launch that thing out there. I get it. But you have to prepare your audience for the launch or else not going to have the launch you want.
You’re not going to have success that you’re hoping for, because if you just launch something and they’re not ready for it, they’re not going to buy. So the first tip I have for you tip number one is to make sure that you’re planning your launch out months in advance. I’m talking at least three months, if not four, so that you have time to not only do all of the behind the scenes work, but also spend three or four months preparing your audience for the launch, because the more prepared they are, the more likely they are to buy the caveat here is that if you are currently preparing for launch and you have not set aside that time, I do not want you to put off the launch that you are in the middle of planning because of this launch, that thing, do that thing. Understand that you haven’t given your audience as much runway as they probably need, and that it may not be exactly to your hopes, but it’s better to go ahead and get it out there than to give yourself another reason to put it off.
Because if you’re like me and like most entrepreneurs out there, it is scary to launch something. And if we can give ourselves a good reason to put it off, we will. And so I don’t want you to do that, but the next time you launched this course. I don’t want you to do a short launch. I want you to make sure that you are giving yourself three or four months, at least.
So tip number two, when it comes to creating a launch strategy, strategy is important, but consistency needs to come first. Don’t only show up for your audience when you’re launching, please. I am begging you not to do that. Not to only show up to launch something, to sell something for those four months where you’re planning your launch, your content needs to be consistent.
That entire time you need to be giving them value. You need to be serving them well, you need to be solving their problems for those four months. The whole time be consistent. If you are new to launching something you’re new to making sure your content is consistent, focused on the consistency more than the strategy.
I know that sounds crazy, but the consistency is going to build that relationship with your audience. And they’re going to be more likely to buy than if you were not consistent and they didn’t feel connected to you. And you had the greatest strategy in the world. Strategy. Doesn’t matter if your people.
Don’t feel like they know you, if they don’t feel like I talk about this all the time, relationship marketing is so important. I cannot say it enough though. Consistency over strategy. And then get to a point. Eventually, the more you launch, the easier it gets, the more you create content consistently, the easier it gets, get to a point where eventually you can do both, but if you got to choose one, choose consistency for those four months, don’t just start showing up consistently a month before that’s not going to be enough.
You need that runway. You have to prepare your audience. Tip number three, create a strategic launch runway. So you’ve got the consistency you’re ready for the strategy. I want you to spend weeks and weeks solving your audience’s problem surrounding your offer. When I create launch strategies for clients and for my own launches, there are three parts to it.
Pre-prelaunch pre-launch and launch. We’re going to work backwards. So launch
the launch portion of the launch strategy. That’s a mouthful. Is only actually the week or two that you’re actually in launch mode. So the week where you are hard selling and the week before where you’re doing your, your extra special lead gen, whatever that might look like, that looks different for everyone else.
webinars, challenges, summits, there are 1,000,001 different lead gen pieces that you can do. One of my clients Megan Ward does pop-up podcasts, which is a really cool thing. That’s something I’ve only ever seen her do. I’m sure it will be everywhere here shortly. So check that out. But the week you’re doing your lead gen piece and the week, you’re actually hard selling.
That’s the launch and your focus for that is selling your call to action for that part of the launch is to buy to sign up for whatever your lead gen pieces and then funnel those people that are signed up to actually buy, tell your social media to buy till your email is to buy your focus is sell as much as you can, but we take that one step back and you’ve got your pre-launch.
And this is about a month before you actually launch. Here during these four weeks, you are solving problems and you’re also promoting your free lead gen piece. Again, the lead gen piece webinar pop-up podcast, whatever the case may be. You’re promoting that thing right now. So you’re solving problems. And then you’re saying, Hey, I solve step a of this problem.
Step B. You get in this thing, this free webinar, this free challenge, you get that. And we’re going to actually take action together. We’re going to do it together. So go sign up for that free thing. Or, Hey, we did this part. This is step one. Step two. Is this a B whatever the case may be, we’ve solved this.
Now we’re going to solve this for four weeks. You are solving problems that once they’ve checked that problem off, they’re ready to take the next step. the call to action for all of us sign up for that lead gen piece, but then you take it back another step. And for at least at least four weeks, if not more before pre-launch so we’re, we’re, we’ve got four weeks of pre-launch two weeks of launch we’re at six weeks, at least four weeks.
I would suggest if not longer, four to six weeks of pre launch, also this is. Is solving problems, giving lots and lots and lots of value, not selling, not mentioning the offer or the launch, unless very casually. If it just very casually fits in. Oh yeah. I do this with my students in Club Content Batching.
Sure. But we’re not selling. We’re just casual mentions. So they hear about it. So they get a touch point and you’re driving people onto your launch list, the people that you’re going to be selling to on your email list. So your whole focus is building your launch list. Typically you have some other freebie that is not time specific, that you can send people to all year long.
You’re sending them to that freebie. That freebie should be some kind of problem that you’re solving. That allows them to then focus more on the next part and the next part and the next part. So your call to action for pre-prelaunch you’re solving problems. Go grab my freebie. If you’re interested in an episode about launch lists and launch funnels, let me know, and we can do that in the future, but let me back up and go through all of this again, and we’re going the opposite direction.
So pre-prelaunch, we’re talking four to six weeks. A good month or two out from the actual launch you’re solving problems, you are saying, okay, your main problem is this thing, I’m just gonna use Club Content Batching, for example, because I feel like if I talk through an actual example, it’ll be easier for everyone to understand.
So Club Content Batching, the prob Club Content Batching solves is learning how to batch your content. But before. Anyone can learn how to batch their content. There are a plethora of other problems that they need to solve first. So what does that for your offer? If your course is about learning, how to launch your podcast.
Okay. What needs to happen before you can learn how to launch your podcast? What are all the problems that your audience needs to be able to check off before they can even think about launching their podcast? That’s what you’re solving. Those are the problems you’re solving here. So you’re saying how to pick a name for your podcast, how to understand who your audience is for your podcast, how to determine your episode length for your podcast, how to know what pieces of equipment, these are all problems that people need to solve before they can even think about actually launching a podcast.
Also helping them understand things like why it is that the thing that you’re teaching is so important. So again, launching a podcast, if you’re launching a course about launching a podcast, People need to understand why podcasting is so important, what it can do for your business, the benefits, the cons, teach them all these things so that they, you need to get them ready to think, oh, that is something I need.
And then you need to solve all the problems in between. That’s what you’re doing with pre-launch content. And then you’re driving them to some freebie that checks it all off for you. Maybe that is for the podcast example, a workbook on.
Determining who your audience is an ideal audience workbook. That’s your freebie. Once they know who their audience is, creating all the episodes and doing the actual podcast launching is going to be so much easier. Right. But your freebie is helping them solve a problem that will get them closer to what you’re actually selling.
They’re not ready for what you’re selling yet. Pre-prelaunch is getting them ready for the thing you’re selling. Okay. Then again, move into pre-launch. That’s about four to six weeks out, starting prelaunch from when the launch begins, you are solving problems still, and you’re pushing people towards your lead gen piece.
So if we’re talking about launching a course about launching a podcast, maybe your lead gen piece is a challenge where you outline your first three episodes. And so you’re going to spend a week with your people, whoever signs up for this free challenge, walking them through all the steps they need to take to outline their first three episodes.
And by the end of the challenge, they’re going to have three episodes ready to record. Okay. That’s the lead gen piece. So what you need to do during pre-launch is send people to that lead gen piece, go sign up for this, go sign up for this. You’re going to talk about how to determine what. Topics to talk about, you’re going to talk about how to come up with your podcast titles, how to do keyword re whatever.
You’re going to talk very specifically about all of your content. I’m saying this is where, what I mean with that. When you’re talking and sharing value during the pre-launch phase, you’re talking very specifically about, this is an important thing that you need to do before you can take my course before you’re ready to take my course.
And that is. Understanding how to create podcast episodes. So that’s all your prelaunch content. You’re solving problems. You promoting your free lead gen piece, all of the content that you’re creating during this time leads directly into that free lead gen piece. Then you’re in launch mode week one. It’s typically about that lead gen
that’s where that challenge would be. You are showing up for that challenge. You are saying, hey! This is what we’re doing today. You’re showing up, you’re live, you’re visible. You’re very, very visible during this period you serve these people super well. And then on the last day, the last part of whatever this lead gen piece is for you, then you say, Hey, the doors are open for my program.
We’ve solved problem a for you, we’ve solved. Now this problem of not knowing what to say now, you’ve got your first three episodes outlined and ready to record Your next step is to take my course, because with the course, I’m going to walk you through how to record, how to do your whole launch plan, how to do all the things you need to do to get your podcasts out, into the open.
Do you see how we step by step by step on our way to it? So you start with your offer and then what’s the step before that. And then what’s the step before that? What are all the problems they need to solve in each step? That is how you create your launch runway.
Now tip number four is to batch your content. I know you’re tired of hearing me say that, but listen, launch week is stressful. It is mentally hard. You’re sitting there anxiously awaiting sales, you join up a ton on social media. You’re hard selling launch week really saps you of energy and mental capacity, or it fills you with nervous energy, which is what it tends to do for me.
Because at the same time, it’s really invigorating, but basically your body is going to be going a little haywire. And the last thing you’re going to want to do is create content, batch your content ahead of the launch for both launch week. And at least the week after that way, you can focus on showing up during launch week because visibility equals more sales and resting the week after.
Here’s the thing I say this all the time. But I’m a, say it again. When you batch your content, that doesn’t mean you can’t create additional content. A lot of times when I’m in launch mode, I batch all my content out and then I get a really great question in my DMS about the membership and I go, okay, this is a great question.
I’m gonna answer it for them. And then I’m going to create a new piece of content. Go ahead and put that out there. But if you don’t batch your content. It’s going to be really hard to have the freedom and flexibility to say, oh, that’s a great idea. I could create a piece of content. You’re just, you’re going to be too overwhelmed.
Trust me, batch your content. Tip number five. Last tip. Get in front of new audiences. If possible, there are a lot of ways to do this, and some of them are pretty advanced so, I don’t feel like you need to do all of this, but affiliates, joint, venture webinars, getting into Facebook groups, giving trainings, guesting on podcasts, things like that.
Personally, I suggest keeping it simple. If you have never launched something before, do not worry about this. Don’t worry about it. Don’t worry about it. Just focus on your launch and batching that content ahead of time. What has worked for me in the past? Is to continually be guesting on podcast all year long, because frankly trying to time episodes releasing around the same time as your launch is just too much work.
And it also feels a little sleazy to be like, Hey, let me cold pitch you to be on your podcast. And then also I need you to release it around this time because I’m having a launch around then that’s gross. So what I knew is I just continually pitch myself To be on podcasts all year long. I have a freebie that is available all year long, that leads into my main offer.
And so that way, when I’m on podcasts, no matter what time of year, I’m leading people into my launch list So that’s what works for me. And then during launches, partnering with close friends and getting into their groups or onto their podcasts, because you’ve got a little bit more flexibility with people you’re close to, and you can say, Hey, I’m launching this.
Can you support me? And they’re definitely going to do it and it’s not sleazy. So that’s, what’s worked for me. This is definitely an advanced tip, getting in front of new audiences is always helpful. Although with the caveat that. You cannot necessarily expect them.
They’re going to be less likely to buy from you than your current audience because your current audience knows you. You’ve got the relationship. So the audience you get in front of, for this launch is great because they’re getting that touch point and they’re hearing about your offer. That’s super important, but they may not buy until the next launch.
Just a heads up. So tip number one, plan your launch months in advance at least three.
If not four months in advance. Tip number two. Consistency over launched strategy. If one of them has to be the priority, consistency needs to be the priority with your content. Tip number three, create a strategic launch runway, the pre-prelaunch pre-launch and launch periods. we walked through that for a very long time.
If you have questions, please let me know. This is also a service I offer. If you want me to create your launch runway for you, if you want to work together to do that. Let’s chat. That is something that I do offer, but create that runway. You have to have the strategic runway and it cannot just be, Hey, I’m launching tip number four, batch your content and tip number five.
Get in front of new audiences. If possible. Remember, this is an advanced tip.
So your action step for this week. I want you to put a date on the calendar for your next launch, and remember to give yourself plenty of breathing room. Your book recommendation for this week is The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren. And it’s a meet cute involving a company that matches soulmates based on DNA. So we do like DNA swabs. It’s light, it’s fun, but it’s also pretty thought provoking.
it’s a really easy, fun read. So highly recommend The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren. I will link to that in the show notes. And again, if you have any follow up questions, please don’t hesitate to send me a DM. I will gladly talk you through a lot strategy. And if you want me to be your launch strategist, I am here to help shoot me an email and let’s chat.
And until next time, I hope that you will go out and uncomplicate your life and biz.
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