When it comes to selling your online course, you’ve probably heard about two main strategies: evergreen funnels and launching. But how do you know which approach is best for your course, your business, and your lifestyle?
Let’s break down the pros and cons of each and help you decide the best route to take.
What is an Evergreen Funnel?
An evergreen funnel is a sales system that runs automatically on an ongoing basis. It’s always active, which means potential students can discover and purchase your course at any time without waiting for a special launch event.
How it works:
- You create a series of automated emails or ads that guide people through the buying process.
- Sell via flash sales or with Pinterest pins.
- It typically includes a lead magnet (like a freebie) to get people into the funnel, followed by nurturing content that builds trust, ending with an offer to purchase your course.
- Once the funnel is set up, it runs in the background, bringing in passive income.
Pros of Evergreen Funnels:
- Consistent Income: Since your course is always available, you have the potential to make sales every day. Simply add it to your Everything Page.
- Automation: Once you set it up, the funnel works on autopilot, freeing up your time for exposure, not the delivery.
- No Time Pressure: There’s no rush to get everything perfect for a launch date, which takes away a lot of stress.
- Scalability: You can tweak and optimize your funnel over time to increase conversion rates without needing to relaunch your entire course.
Cons of Evergreen Funnels:
- Lower Urgency: Since your course is always available, people may not feel the need to buy right away, which can slow down sales.
- Requires a Solid Funnel: You need a well-crafted funnel that builds trust and effectively sells your course on autopilot, which can take time to perfect.
- Slower Results: If you need quick cash flow, an evergreen funnel might not deliver immediate results since sales tend to trickle in over time.
What is Launching?
Launching a course is when you open enrollment for a limited period, usually accompanied by a lot of hype, live events, and promotional content. It’s all about building excitement and urgency to drive a surge of sales.
How it works:
- You open your course for a specific time (e.g., 5 days to 2 weeks). Remember, all the work is done upfront (3-6 months prior to the launch)
- You promote the launch heavily through emails, social media, webinars, or live challenges leading up to the open cart period.
- After the launch, the course enrollment closes, creating scarcity and urgency for potential buyers.
Pros of Launching:
- Big Revenue Boost: Launches can generate a huge influx of sales in a short time, which is great if you need cash flow.
- Built-in Urgency: The limited-time availability of the course creates urgency, making people more likely to purchase.
- Buzz and Hype: The excitement of a launch can attract new leads, increase engagement, and boost your visibility.
- Great for New Courses: If you’re launching a brand-new course, this approach helps you get a big group of students enrolled at once.
Cons of Launching:
- High Stress: Launches require a lot of preparation and promotion, which can be overwhelming and stressful, especially if things don’t go as planned.
- Inconsistent Income: You’ll likely see a big surge of income during the launch but could experience dips in revenue between launches.
- Exhausting Process: Launches can be draining, and doing them multiple times a year can lead to burnout.
- Relies on Hype: If your launch doesn’t generate enough excitement or doesn’t hit its goals, you might be left scrambling for income.
Which Should You Choose?
Here’s the million-dollar question: should you use an evergreen funnel or launch your course? The answer depends on a few factors:
Choose an Evergreen Funnel If:
- You want consistent, passive income.
- You prefer a more hands-off, automated system.
- You don’t like the pressure of a big, all-at-once launch.
- You’re willing to invest time upfront to perfect your funnel and let it run in the background.
Choose Launching If:
- You want to create hype and excitement around your course.
- You’re looking for a big payday over a short period.
- You enjoy the energy of live events and engaging directly with your audience.
- You don’t mind the intense focus and pressure of a big event (as long as you can recover afterward!).
Hybrid Approach: Why Not Both?
Here’s a little secret: you don’t have to choose one or the other. A lot of successful course creators do both! For example:
- Launch first: Start with a big live launch to generate buzz, build your audience, and enroll your first group of students.
- Then switch to evergreen: Once the excitement of the launch is over, put your course into an evergreen funnel for continuous sales.
By combining both strategies, you can enjoy the best of both worlds: the excitement and revenue boost of a launch, followed by the steady, passive income from your evergreen funnel.