In this post, I’m sharing 4 tips for creating a stellar content strategy to help you prepare for your next launch, and hopefully have a successful one!
When you launch an online program and you want to launch with a bang, what can really help you get better results is being strategic about your content and really thinking about what you share before your launch.
The right pre-launch ramp-up will help you set the stage for a successful launch. The goal is to help you build momentum before you begin your launch by bringing a ton of new faces into your world, while putting your current audience on high alert that you’re stepping up your game and something amazing is coming.
#1 Create & Share Original Content Every Week
I know this is a BIG one and a lot of work, but nothing helps you build a raving fan audience like delivering content for them once a week – whether it’s a written blog, podcast, or videos.
If you’re showing up consistently every week, your audience will be listening to you, watching you, or reading your words, and you are making a connection with them and building a relationship. In a way, your audience gets to know you, and from that, trust just flows. This applies all the time, not just for the weeks up to your launch.
Leading up to your launch, it pays to be even more strategic with what you share. In your weekly content, you aim to educate and inspire.
Think about your audience and where they are right now. To get them in a place where they are genuinely interested in your online program, what myths do you need to dispel? For example, do they believe that yoga is only for flexible people, or that they are too old?
You can address these myths in your content. For example, you could write a blog titled “10 yoga poses for people who are not flexible”, or “3 reasons why you don’t need to be flexible to do yoga”. This will help you have a better launch because you’re already doing the work to get them into the right mindset!
Another thing to think about is what they need to know before they would buy your course. Do you need to educate them about a new mindfulness approach that you will be teaching in your program, or a new yoga style?
And then, what insights can you share with them that will inspire them? For example, your story, how what you teach changed your life, or testimonials from your clients. Make each blog post or video as helpful and valuable as possible.
Another important thing to remember when you create your weekly content is to stay in your niche. For best results, narrow your focus and only blog about a certain topic and not a bunch of different things. This way you get the chance to stand out as an expert in YOUR topic and become the go-to site for information on this.
You want to grow a tribe of people who are interested in your topic, engage with your content, share it, and one day buy from you – so you need to be specific. For example, one of my clients is creating a program to help women with menopause. So before her launch, she should be publishing a ton of content around this topic.
For example:
- 5 symptoms of menopause that you didn’t know
- What’s really going on with your hormones during menopause and perimenopause
- 10 easy ways to manage your perimenopause fatigue
And not something general like 5 yoga poses for beginners. Be specific and stay in your niche.
#2 Write A Weekly Newsletter To Your List
If until now you’ve written a newsletter maybe once a month, or even less, it’s absolutely essential that you start mailing your list more often before your launch. If they never hear from you and then suddenly you start emailing them every day when you launch your online course, it’s not going to go down well…
Now, you might say that you can’t email your audience this often because they would be annoyed. This is a mindset issue – it’s you being afraid. Your subscribers don’t care how often you email them. Nobody cares, nobody looks at their calendar and thinks “oh, I heard from that person 2 weeks ago already, this is too much.” This is all in your head, and you’ve got to let it go. I email my audience once per week or more and I don’t think twice about it. Why? Because it’s the best way to stay in touch with your audience!
If you’re just unsure of what to write in your emails, here are some ideas of things to share in your newsletter:
You could start by telling a personal story – something that you haven’t shared anywhere else. This is one of the most important things you can share with your followers because people connect with people and vulnerability, and if you can empathize and relate to your audience’s struggles, they’ll feel a stronger connection with you.
Another idea is to share a part of your blog post in your newsletter and a link to read the full article. This way you will get them used to clicking on links in your emails, which might help you in your launch.
Make sure to also ask your readers questions, ask for feedback and offer free advice or short coaching calls. It’s all about giving value! I promise, if you share really valuable content, nobody is going to be annoyed to find one of your emails in their inbox!
#3 Connect With Your Audience On Video
For the 4 weeks leading up to your launch, I want you to do a Facebook or Instagram Live once or twice per week (for example, Wednesdays at noon). Video is the fastest way to build trust and connection and it’s really, really essential!
Before they buy, your potential customers need to get to know you, trust you, and like you. And when you’re showing up on video, you make it so much easier to get there. I know it’s not easy and I’ve struggled with this a lot! But I also know it works, it really makes a difference, and I want you to do it.
Put it on your calendar for the 4 weeks up to your launch to ensure you make it happen. Consistency is key, and the value you give will increase trust in you as an expert.
Here are some ideas of things you can talk about in your videos:
- You can base it on your weekly blog post. Use that as your guide and choose an area to go a little deeper on, or add something new to the conversation.
- Do live Q&A sessions.
- Share a personal story.
- Teach a new lesson that your community can implement right away for a quick win.
#4 Plan It Out In Advance
Now that you have ideas for your content, you need to plan it out. I recommend that you plan your content strategically for at least 4 weeks before your launch. For 4 weeks, everything has to align and lead up to your launch.
Create a 4-week content plan that is brimming with captivating topics your audience will find valuable, interesting, and relevant. The goal is to map out all of the topics in advance and then, moving forward, you can schedule the time in your calendar to actually create it.
What I know for sure is that you won’t find the time long term to create content consistently if you don’t map it out in advance.
The next question is: How are you going to get it all done?
From my experience, you never get ahead of the curve if you’re creating your content on the fly – like the night before you want to post it. You’ll never stay consistent because there will always be things happening that are more important.
That’s where batching your work comes in. Taking similar tasks like writing blog posts or recording videos and focusing on them and only them for a dedicated chunk of time. For example, you could schedule a time to write 2-3 posts in one go, write your Instagram captions for the week ahead in one go, or create a bunch of graphics to share.
Batching means that you are dedicating chunks of time to work on similar tasks without any interruption. It sets you up to enter into a really great, uninterrupted creative flow where you are super productive, so give it a try.
There you have it, there is your content strategy to implement before each and every launch going forward. The key is to always be thinking about what your audience is thinking about, and provide a solution, or answers to their questions. This way, they’ll know that the content you’re providing is going to be super valuable, no matter what format it’s in!
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