Your sales page is the key to… well, selling your stuff. Obviously. If you don’t have one, you can’t sell your new course, service, physical product, what have you.
And when a new client reaches out to us, it’s often to ask if we can help them with their sales page. Of course, we can help you with your sales page.
But guess what? It’s never just a sales page. You can’t promote your exciting new offer/service/product using sales pages alone. As we said on our Instagram, a sales page on its own is sort of like a kid playing hide-and-seek without telling anyone they’re actually hiding.
You win, kid. You’re gonna be hiding there forever, because no one is looking for you.
While we don’t care if you pay us to create your launch copy for you, we do want you to know what you’re getting in for when you start that sales page.
So, let’s talk about it. Below, you’ll find a (nearly) comprehensive list of what you need for an effective and bountiful launch.
Your launch kickstarter
How are you kickstarting your launch? Are you just BOOM announcing it on social? To your private email list? Hoping the interwebs will magically find it? Or are you hosting a free training, where you make the pitch at the end?
In the most successful launches we’ve worked on, there’s usually a free opt-in or training created to funnel people to the paid offer. You provide a ton of value for free and then people are more likely to buy from you, as the old saying goes. (Nobody says that.)
But if you’re creating a freebie offer or training, you’ll need:
- A landing or registration page
- A thank you page (don’t skip this, trust us)
- The actual copy for the PDF or training worksheets you need to create
- Emails to promote the freebie or training
- Emails to deliver the freebie or remind registrants of the training
- Social media posts to promote your event/PDF
- Scripts for videos or training outlines
… the list goes on. A freebie that funnels into a paidie (OK that failed horribly) can be an entirely new launch unto itself. So really think about all the stuff that goes into it before you wonder why no one signed up for the free training or PDF.
Pssst… if you’re freaking out over all the things that are included in creating a new offer, our lovely friend Kristin Kaplan has a launch checklist that is one of the most comprehensive we’ve ever seen. Check it out here.
Pre-launch and post-launch emails
Think about the last flight you took somewhere (don’t @ us if you’re reading this during Quarantine 2020, ok?). You boarded the plane, found your seat, buckled in, and taxied down the runway before the plane lifted in the air. If you have a fear of flying, maybe this is when you started breathing again. Or ordered your first cocktail. (No judgment here.)
Think of a sales launch as a runway. You have to build up momentum before you can fly. Likewise, you have to get your audience used to the idea of your new product or service first before you can sell. That’s what pre-launch emails can do: promote related blog posts, share a freebie or two, hint at something exciting coming, then voila!
Hit ‘em with the sales page.
After your launch, you need emails to thank them for participating. Show gratitude. Point them towards other stuff they might like to buy. The right post-launch emails will keep that relationship with your customers going.
You can also send a survey email to those who didn’t buy your product or service, to see what would’ve made them pull the trigger. Then you can improve your launch on the next go-round.
A genuine social media presence
Ever see a social media post by a company that you forgot you followed? “Hey, you! Buy our new exciting thing!” the post said. That was probably quickly followed up in your brain with a “Wow, no thanks” or “Who the hell are you again? UNFOLLOWED.”
Tacky, right?
This hypothetical company didn’t think their launch through. You can’t show up on social media and engage with your audience only when you want them to buy something. That’s sleazy. It’s also super obvious.
Newsflash: social media doesn’t exist for you to sell. You can’t just shout, “SUPPORT MY BUSINESS” into the void. It’s social media, which means it’s about the community you create. It’s about your audience, your people. You have to show up for them before, during, and after your launch. Not just when you want something from them.
#MicDrop.
Blogs, podcasts, and other resources
Look at your new product, service, or offer. What’s it all about? Why are you launching it? Why will people buy it? We guarantee you have fuel for at least a few blogs by answering those questions.
Quick case study: one of our financial planner clients has a long-running podcast called Wealth by Design. Like it has for many of us, COVID-19 changed the way they launched a new opt-in and it upended some of their plans, but you know what they did? They beefed up their resources by recording bite-sized podcast episodes for their audience. Minisodes that talk about COVID-19 and that answer those financial questions their audience is definitely asking. From there, they started funneling people into their new opt-in, which will eventually funnel people into their upcoming course.
See how the dots are connected? See how much further back the runway starts than you thought?
Even if your launch is far, far away, or you’ve had to shelve it for the time being thanks to situations like The Rona, building up your blogs and resources is good for your business. You’re providing value to your audience. When the time comes to offer up something new, they’ll be more receptive to your sales pitch.
Ad copy
Before you start groaning about spending money on Facebook ads, just listen for a minute.
Ads are a fantastic way to build brand awareness and engagement, which allows you to retarget audiences with better accuracy. You’re not promoting your product/service to a cold audience (which we don’t recommend unless you want to blow an easy grand). You’re simply building your audience.
From there, you can retarget those who engaged with your “cold ads” to butter them up and get them to buy into your new offer. Of course, all of this is highly oversimplified because ad strategy is not something we’re giving away in a free blog. #SorryNotSorry. The idea, though, is to use ads to boost your audience, so you have a bigger pond to fish from when the time comes.
Do not — and we repeat DO NOT — just pitch your offer to any audience just to try and get bites. That is going to hurt your future brand reputation more than you’ll sell.
And last but not least, don’t just keep it to Facebook ads if that’s not where your audience is. Think Instagram, Pinterest, hell even LinkedIn. Whatever floats your audience’s boat, create ads that work for them where they “live” online. Which leads us to our last point…
Do your homework⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Every launch is different, just as every business is different. Your strategy may lean more heavily on social media engagement rather than post-launch emails. Or you might focus on getting out more podcast episodes or creating more ads.
Tailor your approach according to your biz and your audience.
Just remember this: do your homework. Plan out some emails before the launch. Brainstorm some ideas for related podcast or blog content. Schedule some social media posts and engage with your followers. Start warming up people with those ads or guest appearances.
When you create a sales page, remember that’s not ALL it takes to sell. And if you’re not promoting that sales page somewhere, you’re not going to get many sales, are you? You have to let people know where it’s hiding. If you don’t, nobody is gonna find it, and you’ll be stuck pouting about how your launch was a flop.
Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
