Why I hate big launches

Recently, I’ve been following the launch of a brand new course by one of the bigger players in the online business space.

It was a classic “big fanfare” style of launch. Lots of hype. Lots of buzz. Lots of promotional emails. (I received 21 in just two weeks.)

To be honest, I really hate that stuff. It works, but it makes me feel a little queasy.

Particularly tactics like saying the offer is definitely closing at midnight to push people to buy, and then (surprise, surprise) opening it up again for 48 hours just to squeeze a few more folks in.

And if you’re thinking of creating your own course, seeing that kind of launch can really put you off.

You say to yourself: “If that’s what you have to do to be successful, you can count me out.”

But the thing is, you don’t have to promote your course like that. In fact I recommend you don’t even try.

Here’s how I think about it…

Doing a big launch is like promoting a concert.

It’s a major event that happens on a specific date. You want everyone to know about it. Empty seats are lost revenue so you need to fill as many of those seats as possible.

There’s another model though. It’s more like promoting a new play.

The first time you open the doors it’s an experiment. Instead of trying to get as many people as possible you invite a select few whose opinions you trust and you see what they think.

You take their feedback, do some rewrites, hold more rehearsals, then return with an improved version. This time you cast the net a little wider and invite more people along to see it. You get their feedback too.

With a concert you’re focused on the event. With a play you’re focused on the material.

Once proven, a great play can run for years (even centuries). Directors and cast might change but the material still holds up.

So if you hate the idea of promoting a concert, think of your course as a play.

Just create something that’s good enough to show to a few people and take it from there.

See you soon,

Glen