You’ve created an online course; congrats! Whether you’re teaching people how to relieve back pain, practice arm balances, or feel more relaxed, you’re an expert in your field and want to share your knowledge with the world. The only thing left to do is launch your online course… but where do you start?

Launching involves steps, milestones, and things to do at a specific time. If you feel like you have no idea what you should do to launch successfully or have already launched and it was a flop, this blog is for you!

Planning and preparation are essential for any successful launch, and your online course is no exception. In this blog post, I’ll walk you through everything you need to do to create the perfect plan for launching your online course. By the time you’re done reading, you’ll know exactly what steps to take (and when) to ensure your launch is a success.

The first step in launching your online course is setting a date for when it will go live. This may seem like a small detail, but it’s actually crucial—a date will give you a much-needed sense of urgency and help keep you on track as you prepare for the launch. Once you have a date in mind, mark it on your calendar and start planning backward.

1.  Set a launch date

If no one is teaching you the recipe, it is difficult to learn how to do it. Unfortunately, there are plenty of recipes for cakes on the internet, but not for successful launches.

So the first thing you need to have a perfect launch is a recipe. There are different ways to launch, and there are different ways to make an apple crumble — lots of different recipes.

3. Create promotional materials

With a launch date set and a team in place, it’s time to start creating promotional materials for your online course. This could include social media posts and graphics to email newsletters and website banners. If possible, begin promoting your course a few weeks in advance of the launch date, so people have time to get excited about it—then they’ll be more likely to enroll when it actually goes live.

If you are ready for your perfect launch, do not forget to get support. You will have ups and downs and doubt yourself. Sometimes you might feel low because you are not sure if what you are doing is correct or working and if perhaps you should pivot and adapt your strategy. Having support from other yoga teachers going through the same thing or a coach or mentor is a lifesaver. Without support, I would have never finished any launch!

4. Make a sales page

A sales page is essential to any product launch, and your online course is no different. Your sales page should be designed with one goal: helping people see if your course is what they need. That includes strong headlines, customer testimonials, and beautiful visuals showcasing what people will learn from your course. 

5. Grow your community

Something that I also need to remind you of is that there is no point in launching if you have not grown your community first and then gone through market research and created an irresistible offer that your community is craving.

6. Send emails

Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to promote anything—including an online course! A few weeks before your launch date, email everyone on your mailing list about the course. Include information about what people will learn from taking the course and some enticing visuals (like photos or videos) that will pique their interest. And don’t forget to include a link to your sales page so people can enroll as soon as the course goes live.

By following these simple steps, you can be sure you’re well on launching a successful online course. Remember: promotion starts early, so start working on those promotional materials and emails now. And if you need any help along the way, I’m always here for you. 

Now onto the launch Steps and how to plan them…

This is exactly how I plan my launches and the one for my clients of the Done-For-You Personalized Launch and Content Plan. 

First step: You will need to plan how to inject new people into your community who need what you will offer. The start of your launch is all about welcoming new people into your world. People that are your exact target market and want the exact thing you will offer that solves the exact problem they have.

Second step: On your launch, create content that will help them understand that there are solutions and that one solution is what you offer.

Third step: You will need to plan your milestone date. Milestone dates can be the release of a free resource, an ideal client visiting your website, or the announcement of your program. Keep in mind that your program should be announced at the perfect time. Not too early and not too late. Do not count on FOMO to fill up your course. FOMO is very stressful, and people that buy on FOMO can regret it. You want to make sure that your community has the time to decide if this is for them or not. Is your offer the solution to their problem?

If you integrate all I said in this blog in your next launch, you will have the perfect launch for YOU! One where you can test or refine a new recipe, having a positive mindset and the support you need to implement all of this.

If you have yet to find your niche, grow your community or create irresistible online offers, I invite you to join Elevate 6-month Program – A proven method you can use to grow your community and create repeatable sold-out yoga offers online.