7 Launch Strategies That Actually Work

There's no single "right" way to launch a course. The best strategy depends on your audience size, risk tolerance, and how you like to work.

Two main approaches:

Live Launches: Open cart for a limited time, create urgency, maximize sales in a concentrated period.

• Pros: Higher revenue per launch, builds momentum, creates community
• Cons: Stressful, feast-or-famine income, requires audience

Evergreen: Always available, automated sales process, consistent trickle of students.

• Pros: Predictable income, less stressful, scales with traffic
• Cons: Lower urgency, requires traffic system, less community feel

Our recommendation: Start with a live pilot launch, refine your course, then decide whether to stay live or go evergreen.

The pilot launch is our favorite first-launch strategy. You sell before you build, then create content with real students.

How It Works

1. Create your outline (not full content)
2. Pre-sell to a small group (10-20 founding students)
3. Deliver content weekly (or bi-weekly)
4. Gather feedback in real-time
5. Refine as you go based on student needs

The Benefits

Validation: You only build what people will pay for.

Cash flow: Get paid before you create.

Better content: Real student questions improve your material.

Testimonials: Founding students become your first success stories.

Lower pressure: Smaller group means more personal attention.

Pilot Pricing

Offer 30-50% off your intended full price in exchange for:

• Feedback and participation
• Patience as you build
• A testimonial if satisfied

Example: "Join the pilot for $297 (full price will be $497). You'll get the complete course plus direct access to me as we build it together."

Set a minimum: Decide in advance how many students you need to run the pilot (usually 5-10). If you don't hit it, refund and gather more insights.

Build anticipation before your cart opens. A well-nurtured waitlist converts at 3-5x normal rates.

Building Your Waitlist

4-8 weeks before launch:

• Create a simple landing page with your transformation promise
• Offer a lead magnet related to your course topic
• Promote through content, social, and existing channels

What to include:

• The problem you're solving
• The transformation you promise
• An email signup for "early access" or "founding member pricing"

Nurturing the List

Don't just collect emails—warm them up:

Week 1-2: Welcome sequence introducing you and your approach

Week 3-4: Value content related to your course topic

Week 5-6: Behind-the-scenes of course creation, building anticipation

Week 7-8: Pre-launch content addressing objections, sharing early testimonials

The Launch Sequence

Cart open day:

• Email 1: "It's here!" (early morning)
• Email 2: "Did you see this?" (evening, for non-openers)

Early bird period (24-48 hours):

• Special bonus or pricing for fast action

Mid-launch:

• Testimonial or case study email
• FAQ email addressing objections

Final 48 hours:

• "Doors closing soon" reminder
• Final chance email (day of close)

Conversion target: 5-15% of a well-nurtured waitlist should buy.

A live or automated webinar lets you teach, build trust, and make your offer in a single session.

Webinar Structure (60-90 minutes)

Introduction (5 min):

Make a promise for what they'll learn. Build credibility.

Teaching content (25-35 min):

Deliver genuine value. Teach your best material—don't hold back.

Transition (5 min):

"You've learned [X]. Now let me show you how to go further..."

Offer presentation (15-20 min):

Present your course, stack the value, share testimonials.

Q&A (15-20 min):

Answer questions, handle objections, create urgency.

Keys to Webinar Success

• Registration rate: Aim for 30-50% of landing page visitors to register
• Show-up rate: 25-40% of registrants attend live
• Conversion: 5-15% of attendees purchase

The math: 1,000 page visitors → 400 registrants → 120 attendees → 10-18 sales

Live vs. Automated

Live webinars: Higher conversion, more energy, but time-intensive.

Automated webinars: Scalable, consistent, but lower conversion (typically 30-50% of live rates).

Recommendation: Do 5-10 live webinars to perfect your presentation, then automate.

A free challenge builds community and demonstrates your teaching before you pitch.

Challenge Structure

Duration: 5-7 days (long enough for value, short enough to maintain energy)

Daily format:

• Teaching content (video, 10-20 min)
• Action item they complete
• Community engagement (Facebook group, Slack, or platform community)
• Live Q&A or check-in

End with invitation: Your course is the natural next step after the challenge.

Why Challenges Work

• Proof of teaching: They experience your style before buying
• Quick wins: Small results build confidence in bigger transformation
• Community: Participants bond with each other and with you
• Commitment: Daily engagement creates momentum

Challenge Topics

Your challenge should be:

• Related to your course but not the whole course
• Something they can complete in a week
• Enough value to stand alone
• Naturally leading to your paid offer

Example: A course on "Build Your Consulting Business" might run a 5-day challenge: "Land Your First 3 Leads This Week."

Conversion Expectations

• 3-10% of challenge participants typically purchase
• Higher if you engage actively during the challenge
• Even non-buyers are warmed up for future offers

Leverage other people's audiences through affiliates, JV partners, or guest appearances.

Affiliate Programs

Pay partners a commission (typically 20-50%) for each sale they refer.

Pros: Only pay for results, reach new audiences.

Cons: Requires tracking, lower margins, need to recruit partners.

What affiliates need:

• Clear commission structure
• Promotional materials (emails, social copy, images)
• Tracking links
• Payment timeline (usually 30-60 days after purchase)

Joint Ventures

Partner with complementary course creators for mutual promotion.

Options:

• Swap email sends (you promote theirs, they promote yours)
• Bundle deals (your courses sold together at a discount)
• Guest teaching (appear in each other's programs)

Podcast/Media Tours

Appear as a guest to reach new audiences.

The approach:

• Pitch podcasts in your niche 2-3 months before launch
• Provide massive value on the episode
• Offer listeners a free resource (lead magnet)
• Include CTA for your course waitlist

Goal: 10-20 podcast appearances during your launch period.

Once you've perfected your launch, automate it for continuous sales.

Evergreen Components

Traffic source:

• Organic content (blog, podcast, YouTube)
• Paid ads (Facebook, Google, YouTube)
• SEO and Pinterest (long-term)

Lead magnet:

A valuable free resource that attracts your ideal students.

Email sequence:

Automated emails that nurture and sell over 7-14 days.

Automated webinar or video series:

Your best teaching followed by your offer.

Urgency mechanism:

Time-limited bonuses or pricing (can be automated with tools).

When to Go Evergreen

Go evergreen when:

• You've launched live at least 2-3 times
• You have proven messaging and conversion rates
• You have (or can buy) consistent traffic
• You want predictable, passive income

Stay live if:

• You're still refining your course
• Community and cohort experience matter
• You enjoy the energy of launches
• Your audience is small and you need maximum conversion

Similar to pilot, but positioned differently. A beta launch gathers feedback while you refine.

Beta vs. Pilot

Pilot: Sold at a discount, content created live with students.

Beta: Mostly complete content, testing the experience and gathering testimonials.

Beta Launch Structure

• Price: 30-40% off intended retail
• Access: Full course content, possibly with gaps you're filling
• Ask: Detailed feedback via surveys and calls
• Give: Extra attention and support

What to Gather

• What was confusing?
• What was missing?
• What was most valuable?
• Where did you get stuck?
• Would you recommend this? Why?

Use beta feedback to refine before your "official" launch.

Choosing the Right Strategy

Start simple. Your first launch doesn't need to be complex. Pilot or waitlist launches work with small audiences and teach you what you need for bigger launches later.