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How to Launch an Online Course [Step-by-Step Guide]

After all the hard work of creating an online course, you’d be tempted to kick back and relax. After all, you’re done, right?

I have some news for you: if you want students to sign up for your course, the fun part is just beginning. But armed with this guide to launch your next online course, there’s nothing stopping you from making your next launch a smashing success.

Creating an online course is a huge achievement, but how do you get the word out to your target market so you can start making sales, enrolling students, and reaping the financial benefits of all your hard work?

Read on as I walk you through my entire launch strategy and best launch tips.

Table of Contents

Why You Should Launch an Online Course

When is The Best Time to Launch a Course?

5 Keys to Launching a Profitable Online Course

Before You Launch, Set The Right Price for Your Course

How to Create an Online Course Sales Page That Converts

How to Successfully Launch Your Online Course Step-By-Step

How to Launch an Evergreen Course

How to Build a 6-Figure Online Course Business

Get Your Copy of the Free Online Course Launch Checklist >>

Why You Should Launch an Online Course

If you’ve already set up a successful coaching or consulting business, have numerous clients, and a sparkling reputation, why rock the boat?

Well, in the past few months have you:

Found yourself running out of time at the end of each day?
Been feeling drained of energy?
Struggled to grow?

If you answered ‘yes’ to any of the above, then it's time to go easier on yourself and create an online course.

Selling an online course is one of the best ways coaches can scale their expertise and grow their business. There’s a myriad of benefits to creating and selling an online course, with my favorites being:

Generate passive income. By offering a self-study or virtual program, coaches can generate income even when they are not actively coaching clients. You'll still have to spend time on marketing, so it's not completely passive, but you can be selling courses at the same time as other activities (like going on vacation!)
Create a new stream of income. Online courses can provide a more stable and consistent source of income, which can be especially helpful for coaches and consultants who are just starting or who want to supplement their existing income. They also diversify your risk, since you're not relying on just one source for your livelihood.
More freedom and flexibility. With an online course, you can create your schedule and operate on your terms. You get to decide when, where, and how much you work.
It can help you sell more of your other products, services, and coaching. You gain more credibility and a reputation as a thought leader when you teach a course. And your students get a chance to know you and the value you offer. Both those factors alone will enable you to cross-sell and upsell your other offers, such as 1:1 coaching packages.

Creating an online course is an excellent way to demonstrate your expertise and scale your business to new heights. Read on for my tried and true course launch process.

When is The Best Time to Launch a Course?

A quick search online will overwhelm you with guides promising the ultimate blueprint of what to launch and when - January for this, February for that, etc.

But is there really a best time of year to launch an online course?

As always, it depends. The best time to launch your course usually hinges on two factors:

Your audience - when will your audience be interested in this topic or more receptive to purchasing the course?
The topic - there are certain times of year when a particular course topic may be more appealing. For example, people may be interested in an SEO course or a course on Google Ads in Q4 as they think about planning for the next year ahead.

Generally speaking, summertime can be tricky for courses oriented toward businesses due to the slowdown that comes with people taking time off for vacations.

Remember, these are just broad brushstrokes. To find your ideal launch time, align these general tendencies with specifics about your course topic and audience. Be prepared to adapt based on feedback, and remember, a successful course launch always involves trial and error, and plenty of flexibility.

5 Keys to Launching a Profitable Online Course

Here are 5 key steps you can take to launch and sell a profitable online course:

A course marketing plan
A catchy course title
Buzz and excitement
An effective sales page
An engaged email list

A Course Marketing Plan

A good course launch will need an effective plan to market and sell your course.

You'd be shocked at how many business coaches and consultants never create a marketing plan for their online course, even though they tell their clients to do this every day! But without a detailed plan, you run the risk of latching onto the latest shiny marketing strategy, picking the wrong tactics for your market, and wondering why you're not making any sales.

A Catchy Title for Your Course

Your course title is far more important than you can possibly imagine.

If it's too vague or overly clever, your audience will click away without even bothering to take a look. Your title needs to tell people what the course is about, but still be catchy and memorable. If you can include your target audience and branding in the title, even better. It's a tall order, but there are many formulas and title generators you can use to help you brainstorm ideas.

Anticipation and Excitement

Veteran course creators use a proven strategy to ensure they get sales from the very first day of their launches - buzz-building. They educate their audience about the benefits of their course topic, offer a few quick wins (like running a 5-day challenge), and help them see if they need a bigger solution.

To create buzz and anticipation around your online course, you can also use this strategy and start promoting it before you launch. Your tactics can include sharing sneak peeks, teasers, free webinars, a behind-the-scenes look at your course, and building a waiting list or pre-launch group.

An Effective Sales Page

While there are situations where you can sell your course directly from a webinar or presentation, you'll still need a course sales page that converts visitors into customers. Your sales page lives online, either on your online course platform or website, and it's where you send interested prospects.

Make sure your page clearly outlines the benefits and features of your course, and that it provides information on how to enroll. Using a sales page builder, you can also ensure it's well-designed, professional, and easy to navigate.

Email Marketing to Promote Your Course

Start building an email list as soon as possible, especially before your course launch. Then use email to share updates, announce promotions, and provide valuable content that will help build trust and interest among your audience.

It's easy to get lost in the sea of recommended course launch strategies online, so use your judgment and knowledge of your audience to decide on your strategy. Then stick to it consistently until you see success. You can always add or change tactics later.

5 Keys to Launching a Profitable Online Course

Before You Launch, Set The Right Price for Your Course

Pricing an online course is one of the trickier aspects of a launch (aside from marketing and selling your course).

If you are brand new to course pricing, check out my complete guide to pricing your next online course. Here are my best tips to get started:

Start with your competitors: When first pricing your online course, take a look at the prices of similar courses offered by your competitors. This will help you understand the market and get a feel for what your audience is accustomed to paying, even if those courses aren't on the same topic as yours.
Calculate the ideal price point: Once you have selected your launch model, the next step is to calculate the ideal price point for your online course. This isn't a simple formula of target revenue, number of projected sales, and cost. Instead, also look at the value your students will get from your course, the elements you've included in it, and what your market will be willing to pay. And remember, your price isn't set in stone.
Offer multiple pricing options: To make your online course more accessible to a wider audience, consider offering multiple pricing options. This can include different tiers of access or support, or you can offer bundle pricing that includes additional resources or bonuses. Stick to no more than 3 levels or people will have trouble deciding which to buy.
Test and adjust your pricing: Once you have set a price for your online course, it's important to test and adjust your pricing to ensure it is profitable and sustainable. Look at how many sales you've made at one price, test different pricing options to see what works best, and ask for feedback from students. It's possible that students would prefer to pay more to have more content or support. Or they may want payment plan options. Let your ideal student be your guide.

The price point you set will determine what type of launch you run for your course, and how profitable your course will be.

How to Create an Online Course Sales Page That Converts

One of the keys to launching and selling a profitable course is to create a sales page where people can learn about it and enroll. This is another point where coaches and course creators get stuck. What should you put on your page? How should you structure it? How can you make it look professional?

Follow these steps to create an online course sales page that converts:

Determine what to include on your course sales page: A successful course sales page should have all of the key information about your course, including the learning objectives, course structure, features, benefits, and pricing.
To make it high-converting, include your own story, student or client testimonials, and case studies that showcase the success of past students.
Build your course landing page: To create your course sales page, you will need to build a landing page on your website or online course platform. This page should be well-designed, professional, and easy to navigate.
It should also include calls to action and other elements that encourage visitors to enroll in your course, such as a guarantee and a variety of visuals.
Use a course sales page copy template: To make the process of writing your course sales page easier, you can use a course sales page copy template. This template will provide a structure for the flow of your sales page, places to highlight the key features and benefits of your course, and the key elements that will increase your conversions.

Here's what a proven course sales page template looks like:

Headline
Intro Video (optional)
Audience Problem/ Importance/ Solution (include your story here, if relevant)
Course Description (overview, benefits, learning objectives, module overviews, features)
Case Study/Testimonial
Call to Action and Price (with payment button)
Guarantee
Instructor Bio (why should they learn from you?)
FAQs (anticipate questions and objections)
Footer (with privacy policy and other terms)

If this is the first sales page you've created, it may take you longer than you'd like. However, the key to making sales of your online course is to have a place for people to pay and enroll. So focus on putting together the minimum of information needed for students to see the benefits and features of your course, along with at least one image. You'll end up editing and adding to your page anyway as you see how it converts, so don't wait until you have the 'perfect' sales page. There's no such thing.

The Ultimate Online Course Launch Checklist

Use this checklist to take action with your online course today!

How to Successfully Launch Your Online Course Step-By-Step

Your course launch is where it all comes together. It's where you announce that your new course is ready for enrollment. Just like with any product launch, those anticipated sales won't show up unless you carefully plan and implement a launch strategy.

Here are six steps you can take to successfully launch your online course:

Create a course launch plan
Prep for your course launch
Build a launch audience
Offer a discount
Announce your launch
Use a launch checklist

Create a launch plan

Don't launch your course on the fly, or you'll be floundering around looking for new tactics just when you've started getting people's attention. Create a launch plan that includes all the tasks you need to do before, during, and after your course launch - in detail and with dates attached.

Prepare for your course launch

You'll need a variety of content and systems as part of your launch, so make a list and set all of that up well in advance. Then, during your launch, you can focus your time on engaging with your prospective students.

Your prep work can include creating marketing materials, building a mailing list, and setting up any necessary automation or tools for delivering your course.

Build your audience in advance

Part of your pre-launch activities is building an engaged audience of eager buyers for your course. Then, when you announce that your course is live, you can make sales on Day 1.

In the month before your official opening for enrollments, build excitement about your upcoming course and create a way to directly communicate with your target students. This can include running weekly livestreams on different topics related to your course, offering free content in exchange for email addresses, posting updates with a timer on a 'coming soon' page, or pre-selling spots in your course for a special price.

Offer a limited-time discount or bonus

Everyone loves to feel like they're getting a good deal, and your audience is no exception. To encourage students to enroll in your course, you can offer a limited-time discount when you launch. This could be a percentage off the regular price, a bundle of additional resources or bonuses, or even a 30-minute coaching call with you (best for higher-priced courses). Call it something enticing, like an "Insiders Bonus", "Founders Price", or "Early Access Special".

Announce your course launch

When you're ready to announce that your course is open for enrollment, you have a few channels you can use. These include email, social media, and your website. You can also run paid ads or do free 'quick win' training sessions for other people's audiences (similar to your own). Remember to update your 'coming soon' page too.

Your course launch announcement should include key information about your course, as well as a call to action to enroll.

Use a course launch checklist and calendar

To ensure that you don't forget any important steps in the course launch process, use a course launch checklist and calendar. This can help you stay organized and on track, and make sure that you are prepared for every step of the launch process.

Your course launch doesn't end with the sale. Be sure to add your post-launch activities to your launch plan too. Those should include all of the following:

Enroll students and onboard (all automated in advance)
Follow-up with leads for more sales
Get feedback from students and from people who didn't buy
Schedule the next launch

Remember to track your metrics too. After your launch is over, look at which tactics and channels resulted in the most enrollments. Then you can tweak your strategy for your next course launch.

6 Steps to successfully launch your online course

How to Launch an Evergreen Course

An evergreen online course can be taken at any time and will always be relevant and up-to-date. This type of course is designed to be timeless so that it can be taken by new students at any point in the future without needing to take time to make frequent revisions.

Anyone who has expertise in a particular subject and wants to share their knowledge with others can create an evergreen online course. This includes educators, professionals, or anyone with a skill or knowledge base that they believe others would benefit from learning.

To create an evergreen online course funnel, you will need to:

Identify your target audience and their needs. This will help you create a course that is relevant and valuable to your students.
Create a course outline and plan. This should include the topics you will cover, the format of your course (e.g. videos, quizzes, etc.), and the length of the course.
Develop your course content. This could include creating videos, slides, or other materials that will be used in your course.
Set up a landing page or website where you will promote your course and allow students to enroll.
Develop a marketing plan to promote your course. This could include using social media, email marketing, or other tactics to reach your target audience and encourage them to enroll in your course.

The best ways to market an evergreen online course will depend on your target audience and the platform you are using to host your course. Some effective strategies for marketing an evergreen online course include:

Creating a landing page or website with information about your course, its benefits, and how to enroll
Using social media to promote your course and engage with potential students
Creating content (e.g. blog posts, videos, etc.) related to your course topic to attract potential students
Running paid ads on social media or search engines to reach a larger audience
Partnering with influencers or other experts in your field to promote your course to their followers
Offering a discount or special offer to encourage people to enroll in your course.

You'll notice that many of the steps for creating an evergreen online course are the same as for any course. The biggest difference is that your goal is to reduce the amount of time you spend on your course-building and focus more on marketing.

Evergreen courses are also great candidates for automating parts of your marketing, which will give you more semi-passive income.

How to Build a 6-Figure Online Course Business

You have one course under your belt, so while there is still a while to go to hit six figures you’d be surprised how quickly you can get there.

Building a 6-figure online course business requires a combination of creating a curriculum of high-quality courses, marketing those courses effectively, and providing excellent customer service to your students.

Here are some steps you can take to build a successful online course business:

Identify a profitable niche in which you have expertise and can create high-quality courses.
Create a series of courses that provide value to your students and are priced at a level that allows you to make a profit.
Set up a website or online platform where you can host your courses and allow students to enroll.
Develop a marketing plan to promote your courses to your target audience. This could include using social media, email marketing, paid ads, or other tactics to reach potential students.
Provide excellent customer service to your students, including answering any questions they have and providing support as needed.
Continuously improve and update your courses to ensure that they remain relevant and valuable to your students.
Consider offering additional products or services, such as done-for-you options, coaching, or consulting. These will provide additional value to your students and generate additional income.

How to Build a 6-Figure Online Course Business

The key to hitting six figures is having more than one course to sell. That’s because:

It provides multiple income streams
It helps you reach a wider audience
You can bundle courses into a curriculum for a high-ticket offer
It gives you more variety to sell throughout the year

Is it possible to build a 6-figure business with just one online course? Yes, but it will require not just a high-quality course, but also dedicated marketing, repeat launches, and excellent customer service.

Most coaches find three or four courses are the perfect base for their online coaching and course academy. You can add new courses a few times a year to grow your library of courses. Especially if you leverage the power of white-label courses like the ones here at Content Sparks, so you don't have to go through all the steps of creating a course from scratch!

And then you can focus your marketing budget on your full range of course options, rather than just one.

That's when you start to not only grow a 6-figure online course business but also scale your coaching business to 7-figures and beyond!

Keeping track of all this and coordinating a course launch is a hefty task. That’s why I created the ultimate course launch checklist for you to download and use in your next course launch.

Click the button below to download the ultimate course launch checklist and watch your next course fly off the (digital) shelf. You’ll get 30% off your next order as a “thank you”, so don’t delay and get that checklist!