Launching your online course or membership can involve a lot of different pieces of content. Not only is there content to create for the launch itself, there’s also content to create before the launch to make sure people are ready for what you’re going to offer during your launch. The best way to keep track of it all? Make sure you have a product launch content plan.
Creating Weekly Content Before You Launch
Before you can launch your online program, you need to be sure to have an engaged email list. In order to be sure that that list remembers who you are and what you do, you’re going to want to interact with them on a regular basis by sending them weekly content.
Weekly content can include:
- Emails
- Newsletter
- Videos
- Lives
- Webinars
- Calls
The key is, it needs to be regular and it needs to be valuable that people are sure to open it, read it and engage with it. That’s how you’ll create an engaged email list that can’t wait to buy from you.
Using a Content Calendar
To make life easier during your launch, it’s a great idea to pre-write and schedule your weekly content that will go out during your launch. Using a content calendar so that you know what is going out when during your launch is even better. The content calendar can let you see, at a glance, what is going to posted and when, along with the topic and type of content it will be. This can allow you to focus on particular topics or types of contents during the blocks of times you have to write.
Pre-writing and scheduling your content using a content calendar allows you to focus on your launch and not be worried about whether you reached out to your list that week. The last thing you want to do is make the people on your main email list feel forgotten while you’re focused on those interested in your launch.
Creating Launch Content
During your launch, the content you create will be used to establish your authority and allow people to get to know you better.
The best way to establish your authority is to teach the people following your launch something truly valuable that solves a pain point they are experiencing.
Sometimes called pre-launch content (PLC) because it is the content that comes right before you open your cart, this is where you go all out on making sure you’re over delivering and giving people the best you have to offer.
Pre-launch content is often made up of a series of videos that unfold to teach a concept while telling a story, but emails, webinars, and even lives on social media have also been successfully used as a way to deliver pre-launch content.
The key to pre-launch content is not to teach so much that people can get everything they need from your free content and won’t need to buy your program and to make sure that you are inspiring them to see the transformation your program can offer if they buy.
A common adage is to teach them the “what” and the “why” behind what your program offers during the launch, but to leave the how for the paid program you offer.
Creating Email Content
Once you have created your PLCs, you’ll need to let people know they exist.
You want to create an event out of your launch, so it’s a good idea to ask people to register in order to receive the content. This lets you know they are very interested and it gets a micro-commitment from them so they are more likely to attend.
Don’t forget about people once they’ve registered! In order to get them to show up for your free launch training, be sure to email them and remind them to put the date on their calendar and send periodic email reminders as well.
Each time you release a new piece of PLC content, you want to send an email to let people know. The beauty of launch emails is that they can be short and sweet because they lead to your launch content.
Once your cart is open, you should plan to send one email out a day. I know, I know, you’re likely thinking that’s way too much email and that people will unsubscribe if you do that. Everyone says that about the people on their list, but the reality is, it doesn’t happen. At least not in numbers big enough to be concerning.
The key to keeping people from unsubscribing is to make sure that each email has a purpose. Don’t just keep emailing people to tell them your cart is open and you know their life will be different if only they’d buy your product.
Instead, introduce a case study, announce a new bonus, give them a behind the scenes look at something in your business or program and include the link to your sales page in each email.
On the last day of your open cart, you want to send three brief emails explaining your cart will be closing that day. Most people send one in the morning, one late afternoon and one an hour before the cart closes.
And then after your launch has ended, you want to send out an email with a short survey asking why they didn’t buy. Don’t make this complicated, using a tool like Typeform or SurveyMonkey is sufficient.
Here’s what you need to remember when you’re worried about sending too many emails:
Most people don’t read all of the emails you send out. Most people don’t read a fraction of the emails in their inbox. So even though it seems like you’re sending a whole lot of emails, it’s likely people don’t even notice most of them.
You need to also remember that the people on your list have asked to hear from you. You’re solving a pain that you know they have, the emails you send during your launch are providing a service. Particularly while you’re offering your free training.
Although the idea of creating all of the content required for a successful online launch can seem daunting, a strong content plan will help. Know what you’re writing and when you’re writing it and everything else will fall into place.
