We’ve all been there – that moment of sheer disappointment when you hit the “send” button on an email, announcing that your course doors are wide open, only to be greeted with a deafening silence. It’s a gut-wrenching feeling, especially when you’ve poured your heart and soul into crafting an irresistible offer that you were absolutely certain your audience would be jumping at.
You start to question everything you’ve created. Is this the right offer? Have I made a huge mistake and wasted a ton of time?
Don’t fret — the problem most likely isn’t your offer. The chances are you skipped over the all-important pre-launch period (or threw it together without any real strategy).
The pre-launch period of your course launch is just as important as the open cart period itself. Why? It prepares your audience for your offer, helping them understand why (or why not) they need it.
But it’s not enough to simply say “my offer is coming soon”. You’ve got to share the right kind of messages to get your audience on the edge of their seats, ready to pull out their wallets.
In this blog post, I’m diving into 6 key strategies that will help you plan a powerful pre-launch period. Read on for the details!
1. Educate
“Why does this matter, and why does this matter right now?”
If you can’t answer this golden question with your pre-launch content, your audience simply isn’t going to buy.
To answer this question, educate your audience about the problem your offer solves and its benefits. You can do this by sharing stats, case studies, or examples that help your audience understand why your offer matters and how it’s helped other people just like them.
Plus, by educating, you’ll also establish yourself as an authority and earn their trust, making them feel more comfortable saying yes to an offer that you present.
2. Create Anticipation
While the pre-launch period isn’t just about anticipation, it sure plays a vital role in generating excitement and engagement.
Tease your audience with sneak peeks, behind-the-scenes content, or little tidbits of info related to your offer. Make use of social media, email newsletters, or live events to nurture your audience.
3. Address Objections
During the pre-launch period, it’s important to anticipate and address any objections or concerns your audience may have about your offer. Get into their heads, understand their pain points and hesitations, and provide compelling answers.
This shouldn’t be sleazy, either. I like to think of objections as busting myths someone might have about your offer or offers like yours.
For example, if you had a website design course, your target student might believe that they have to be tech savvy to be successful at DIYing their website. But you might know that’s not the case when they use a website like Squarespace combined with a template.
By proactively addressing objections, you’ll eliminate doubts, reduce friction, and increase the chances of your audience embracing your offer when it’s time.
4. Build a Community
The pre-launch period is the perfect time to create a community around your offer. Encourage interaction and engagement by fostering conversations and answering questions in the DMs or in reply to email newsletters.
If you’re deciding on particular features or inclusions, make your audience feel like they’re part of the journey by having them vote or share their ideas.
A strong sense of community generates buzz and strengthens the connection between you and your audience. Plus, if they’ve already chatted with you during your pre-launch period, they’ll feel more comfortable asking you questions during your launch.
5. Offer Exclusivity
Make your audience feel special by offering exclusive access or early-bird offers during the pre-launch period.
Limited-time discounts, bonuses, or extra resources create a sense of urgency and motivate your audience to take action. This not only rewards their loyalty but also creates a buzz around your offer that can drive initial sales and build momentum for your launch.
6. Gather Feedback
Gathering feedback isn’t just for your post-launch period. Gathering feedback during your pre-launch period allows you to iterate the inclusions of your offer and tweak key messaging for your launch.
Pay attention to the questions your audience is asking and the pain points and desires they’re sharing with you. Notice any recurring themes and add them into your sales page copy and launch email sequence. This will help you optimise your launch period for greater conversions.
Next time you’re heading into a course launch, don’t forget the pre-launch period because it will set the stage for a successful launch.
Remember, it’s not just about building anticipation but about getting your audience ready for your offer. By using strategies like education, creating anticipation, addressing objections, building a community, offering exclusivity, and gathering feedback, you’ll increase your conversion rate and drive more sign ups to your program.
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Cheers to your launch success!
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