You can find oodles of podcasts out there about how to launch a course. We’ve even recorded a few ourselves (see Episode #112 and Episode #114).
Even if you have a launch date in mind, you should actually start your launch process six months early. And we have a feeling that a lot of this content might be keeping you stuck.
It’s why you haven’t launched that course or digital product yet. Because you don’t have the time to do it “right”.
Well, today, we are going to talk about how to launch a course when you don’t have your shit together. Like, at all.
Here’s the reality—we’ve been planning our fall SEO On Tap launch since spring (maybe even earlier), and things happen that you just can’t anticipate.
Like you get sick the week you are supposed to re-record half the course (yes, that actually happened to Abbey this go around.)
Or childcare gets canceled (also been there), or your spouse needs surgery that week.
Even when you plan, crap happens.
So how do you launch, look put together, and stay sane?
It Doesn’t All Need To Be Completely Done Before You Launch
If some lessons, bonuses, and courses aren’t done, that’s okay!
Just provide your students clarity and then stick to it!
They’ll be starting at the beginning anyway, and most people don’t binge the entire course in one sitting. You have time to work on the rest of the modules.
Students might even appreciate having lessons split up! It makes the course less overwhelming when they see they only have 20 lessons to watch instead of 50.
You Can Write Sales Emails As You Go
Sure, it’s not ideal, but it’s possible. After writing 18 emails in less than two weeks, Abbey never wants to open Flodesk again.
Honestly, she kinda loved writing them this go around in batches during the launch window. Abbey was able to incorporate a lot of real-time questions, conversations, and industry changes.
P.S. Don’t feel bad about sending too many emails.
Have you heard of the rule of 7? People need to see your content at least 7 times before buying.
A recent study even said the average number of touchpoints per purchase is 28.87 (keep in mind that this varies by industry and includes everything, not just email). But that’s still a LOT!
You can easily add an “opt out of sales emails” to your preferences, too! You know it’s working when your open rates don’t tank!
Also, don’t look at unsubscribes. It’s not worth it. They aren’t your people anyway 💁♀️
Focus on Showing Up on Instagram Stories Over Posts
It’s honestly exhausting to come up with an entire social media strategy and create content for a course launch. We would rather show up on stories than plan structured posts.
Stories are where the conversations happen. It’s where people ask questions, we can share BTS of the course, and still provide a link to sign up.
FYI – If we didn’t have a team to help us get the content out there, it wouldn’t have happened TBH.
Re-Use and Recycle Your Content
We reshared relevant content from other launch periods on Instagram. Then, reposted and shared in our stories. That’s completely okay to do! People probably won’t remember seeing it anyway.
Look at old emails and content that performed really well the last time you learned how to launch a course. Pull questions and snippets directly from your audience. Use their words—this is sometimes more powerful anyway!
Let Automations Do the Heavy Lifting
There’s nothing wrong with letting automations help you along the way. You can’t do it all!
What automations do we use?
- Webinar Jam: Email notifications are all set in advance for before and after the webinar
- ManyChat for Instagram DMs and comments
- Zapier to link new webinar opt-ins to our email list
- Flodesk to automatically drop them into the right segment
Bonus: Once you set them, you can use them again next time.
Screenshot Real-Time Conversations as Social Proof
You can’t actually pre-plan this part! This is you being present for launch!
But this is sometimes the most powerful thing you can do for your course launch. We all know social proof is important, but real-time social proof is even more powerful.
You’re showing the questions people are asking (maybe others have the same questions), getting feedback on the first few lessons, and getting people excited about the course.
Screenshots specifically show that you aren’t making this shit up!
Brainstorm with Others When You Are Stuck
Right before launch (literally the day before), we still didn’t feel 100% solid about what our 24-hour webinar bonus would be. It felt like we needed something fresh and new. So we asked around.
Within 20 minutes, we felt so damn good. We had an offer that lit us up, and our audience was excited about it.
Again, another reason why sometimes things in the moment can make all the difference. Sometimes you just can’t plan the creativity, and when it’s going to strike.
Finally, Show Up Messy—People Appreciate The Real You
Stop waiting to launch the thing until it’s perfect. Guess what—you can presale your launch BEFORE you’ve created any content.
You are the boss, you make the rules. Just get started and know that we definitely don’t have it all together over here—rarely anyone does!
FAQs About How to Launch a Course
How to pre-launch a course?
Start to build a waitlist so you have a dedicated group to launch your course to. You could offer a discount or bonus for joining the waitlist. Then, email those people to build excitement.
You could also host a free webinar or challenge to funnel leads to your email list. This is the best way to reach people and encourage them to sign up when you launch your course.
There are a lot of ways to pre-launch a course!
Do I need an LLC to sell courses online?
No, you don’t need an LLC to start selling courses, but if your goal is to make this a big stream of income, you should probably have one. Consult with a lawyer for advice for your situation!
How much does it cost to launch an online course?
It depends on the platforms you use and how you choose to market your course. You need a platform to host the content, which costs anywhere from $39 to $400/month. You’ll need high-quality video and microphone equipment to record your content.
You could market the course completely organically (blogs, social media, email, etc.) or invest in paid ads. You can start lean and build your investment after you gain some experience.
Listen to us chat about our course launch!
Apple Podcasts | Spotify
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Abbey Oslin and Courtney Petersen are Minnesota-based marketing experts, educators, and co-founders of boutique marketing agency Duo Collective, which specializes in SEO, social media strategy, and branding for small business owners and creative entrepreneurs. To learn more about Duo Collective, or to inquire about working with our team, head over to www.duocollective.com.
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