You’ve heard the buzz about launches, you’ve probably seen some, and you’re wondering if you need one to fill your own courses. 

Some people are intimidated by the idea of doing a “big scary” launch - assuming it will be complicated and stressful. 

And some are “over” the hype of launches, rejecting anything that seems too formulaic. 

So let’s get real about this. I want to share my insights gleaned from producing 20 6-figure program launches and filling my programs for the past decade. 

A launch is simply an organized marketing campaign to increase visibility and sales during a defined period of time. When it’s done well, a launch is like jumping into the pool with a big splash - all eyes are on you!

That involves multiple promotional partners sharing your message. When people notice you from several different sources around the same time, they pay attention. 

Your launch has deadlines and a compelling reason to buy your product or program now - usually enrollments closing, enrollments capped, or a significant discount ending. That creates a sense of urgency and excitement that motivates decision making. 

Most humans need deadlines to make decisions and take action. Without an external motivator, people tend to mull about their options for too long. Then they forget about those options when they get distracted by something else. 

1. It concentrates your promotions into a short period (usually less than a month) so you can enroll a bunch of new clients into your course at the same time. This is ideal for group courses that thrive with membership growth. 

2. It creates social proof that your message is worth noticing because multiple promotional partners are spreading the word about you at the same time. 

3. It creates a dramatic surge of enrollments because strong deadlines encourage potential clients to act now. 

When you’re releasing a new product or you want to fill a group course, a launch is a great strategy. 

There are also different ways to launch - some more intense than others. More on that soon.

The first pitfall is the short time frame of a launch. There’s so much activity packed into 2-4 weeks - promotional emails, videos, webinars, Facebook Groups, enrollment calls, livestreams, order pages, etc. 

A solid launch will have an automated marketing system that engages potential clients. But the truth is, no technology is perfect. Things break down. Pieces get missed. Sometimes emails don’t go out on time. 

And in a launch there is very little room to course correct or fix problems because the timing is so tight. That can be very stressful. 

Launches can also be high-anxiety when there’s a lot riding on the results. Many people will prepare for a year in advance, cultivating promotional partner relationships and investing good money producing the marketing. 

When you need your launch to succeed in order to be profitable, fund the operations for course delivery and propel business growth - expectations are high. Sometimes launches don’t convert well and end up losing money. 

Hey it happens - and yes even the seasoned marketers have all experienced a fail or two (or more). But you learn from it and grow. That’s what leads to mastery - finding out what works (and what doesn’t) through experience. 

Don’t let me scare you off from launching! Much of the time, launches ARE profitable. Yes they’re often intense but that’s because they lead to quick growth. You can bring in $50,000, $100,000 and even 7-figures in a single month. 

And what’s nice is, once your lucrative launch is over, you get to ride on the momentum you created for awhile. You can relax into delivering your program. And it’s SO exciting to welcome in your new group of clients!

You should also know...

Some people have “rolling launches” that are spread out over a few months. There’s more time to optimize in action and collaborate with promotional partners who need more timing flexibility. 

You can also do “mini launches” which are smaller campaigns usually customized for a particular promotional partner. This is a great way to get your feet wet with launching and start gradually filling your course before you plan a bigger one. 

You get to choose your launch plan and execute it in a way that feels in alignment for you. If something seems hype-y to you, throw it out. 

But don’t throw the baby out with the bath water. Launches are still a very effective way to grow your business in leaps - and make a much bigger impact with your message. 

To learn more about different launch plans and how to implement them with optimal results, check out my Lucrative Launch System here.