Launch vs. Evergreen (how to sell your programs)

Read Time: 5 minutes

Welcome to BE THE EXPERT! In today’s issue:

  • Launch, Evergreen, or Hybrid?
  • Done for you content editing and repurposing
  • Perplexity and NotebookLM updates

Should you have just a few times a year where you launch and sell your programs to build up demand or should they be available evergreen (all of the time)?

Is one better than the other?

Let’s cover the pros and cons and how to decide…

Launch vs. Evergreen (how to sell your programs)

If you aren’t familiar with the terms, launching typically means that your flagship program, whether courses, coaching, or any combination, is only available for purchase or enrollment a few times during the year.

In this model creators typically have two to four times a year where the “cart” is open and people can enroll.

In the evergreen model, your course or program is open for enrollment all the time throughout the entire year.

Each has distinct characteristics, benefits, and drawbacks, which can make one more suitable than the other depending on your goals, resources, and target audience.

Launch Model Pros and Cons

This model involves releasing a course or program during a set time frame, typically with a lot of promotion and urgency. After the launch period, enrollment closes, creating a sense of scarcity.

How It Works:

  • You plan and execute a marketing campaign leading up to the launch.
  • Enrollment is open for a limited time (a few days to a week).
  • After the enrollment period ends, the cart closes, and no new customers can join until the next launch.

Pros of the Launch Model:

  • Scarcity & Urgency: The limited enrollment period creates urgency, prompting more people to take action.
  • Big Revenue Spikes: You can generate a significant amount of revenue quickly, often in a matter of days.
  • Builds Buzz & Excitement: The concentrated marketing effort generates buzz and excitement, which can lead to increased visibility and word-of-mouth.
  • Better Focus: You can focus solely on delivering the course after the launch without having to manage continuous marketing.
  • Testing & Feedback: Launches provide an opportunity to test your offer, get feedback, and make adjustments for the next cycle.

Cons of the Launch Model:

  • High Pressure: Launches can be stressful, requiring intense marketing efforts over a short period.
  • High Risk: If you spend months preparing and your launch misses your goals, it is difficult to recover.
  • Income Instability: Revenue is not steady since it’s tied to specific launch periods, making cash flow unpredictable.
  • Time-Intensive: Preparing for launches requires extensive planning, marketing, and coordination.
  • Limited Accessibility: Potential customers who miss the enrollment window may lose interest or find alternative solutions.

Evergreen Model Pros and Cons

This model allows continuous enrollment, meaning the course or program is always available for purchase. It’s designed to attract potential customers whenever they are ready.

How It Works:

  • Marketing is automated and runs continuously, often through funnels like automated webinars or email sequences.
  • Customers can enroll at any time, providing a consistent opportunity to join.

Pros of the Evergreen Model:

  • Consistent Revenue: Because the course is always available, you can achieve more consistent and predictable cash flow.
  • Automation & Scalability: Once set up, the marketing and sales funnel runs on autopilot, making it easier to scale.
  • Reduced Pressure: With no tight deadlines, you avoid the intense pressure of live launches.
  • Ongoing Accessibility: Customers can join at any time, which can appeal to solopreneurs who want more flexibility.

Cons of the Evergreen Model:

  • Lower Urgency: Without the deadline-driven urgency of a launch, people may procrastinate, leading to lower conversion rates.
  • Less Buzz: Evergreen courses don’t generate the same kind of excitement or “event-like” feel that launches do.
  • Constant Optimization: You need to regularly optimize automated marketing funnels to maintain steady performance.
  • Potential for Burnout: Because enrollment is ongoing, you may feel the pressure to continually support new enrollees without breaks.

Deciding Which Model To Choose

The factors below can help you determine which model is best for you:

Resources & Team Size:

  • Launch Model: More suitable if you have a small team or can allocate dedicated resources for the burst of activity during a launch.
  • Evergreen Model: Works better if you have no team but do have the tools and systems in place to automate marketing, onboarding, and delivery.

Audience Readiness:

  • Launch Model: Ideal if your audience is well-aware of the problem you’re solving and the launch builds on existing interest.
  • Evergreen Model: Best if your audience needs more time to consider the offer or prefers flexibility in timing.

Income Goals & Stability:

  • Launch Model: Great for solopreneurs who need large cash infusions to fund business growth or reinvest in marketing.
  • Evergreen Model: Suitable if you prefer steady, recurring revenue over sudden spikes.

Personality & Stress Tolerance:

  • Launch Model: If you thrive on adrenaline and love the energy of events, the launch model can be exciting.
  • Evergreen Model: If you prefer a more laid-back approach, the evergreen model is less stressful.

Program Maturity:

  • Launch Model: Often better for new courses/programs to create initial excitement and validate the offer.
  • Evergreen Model: More effective for established courses with proven demand that can sustain consistent enrollment.

What about a “hybrid” model?

Combining the launch model and the evergreen model into a hybrid approach can offer the best of both worlds for solopreneurs, balancing the urgency of launches with the steady, reliable income of evergreen sales.

In a hybrid model, you keep your course or coaching program open for enrollment year-round but periodically create bursts of marketing activity to simulate the urgency and excitement of a launch.

This allows you to maintain continuous sales while also driving bigger spikes in revenue during specific periods.

Here’s what a hybrid model looks like:

Evergreen Base

  • You set up an automated marketing funnel that’s always running. This could include email sequences, content marketing, and paid ads driving to an evergreen webinar or sales page.
  • This ensures you have a steady flow of leads and sales, even between launches.

Periodic Mini-Launches

  • Every few months, you run a mini-launch or promotional campaign around a theme, new bonus, or limited-time offer.
  • These mini-launches add urgency and excitement, attracting attention from people who may have been on the fence or missed the last launch.
  • Mini-launches can be tied to a special event, such as a live Q&A, new program elements, or industry events.

Maximized Sales Opportunities

  • The evergreen funnel catches people ready to buy at any time, while the mini-launches re-engage prospects who may need a push.
  • You can offer different incentives during launches, like new bonuses or limited-time discounts, making it compelling for people considering your offer.

Recommendations

When I work with clients, we go through all of the factors above when creating their Expert Business Blueprint. There are gurus on all sides of the equation pushing their preferred models as best.

For most people, in my opinion, the traditional launch model is too risky. It’s the equivalent of going to the Olympics without any practice.

I’ve seen far too many solopreneurs and creators following influencers that have them spending months or even years “building up to a launch”.

During that time they are spending time and money but not asking for a sale and getting feedback.

That is a recipe for disaster.

In most cases, I recommend a hybrid model, especially in the beginning, and also plan for very frequent mini-launches.

Why?

Because it gives you the most “at bats” or opportunities to build, test, and improve your marketing and offers.

Instead of spending six months trying to predict and perfect your marketing (the launch model) and rolling the dice at launch, with our hybrid model, you would have done six mini-launches and had the opportunities to get feedback (and sales!) and improve six times.

Imagine how much better version 6 will be than version 1…

Then, imagine generating revenue WHILE improving your marketing and programs.

Eventually, you will get to a point where everything is dialed in. At that point, depending on the factors above, you may move toward a launch model or toward a slower-paced hybrid or pure evergreen, depending on which fits your goals at that point.

Take Action

The choice of launch vs. evergreen vs. hybrid is a critical one as it impacts all of your strategy, systems, tools, and team.

Consider your business needs and personal preferences when choosing.

In general, if you don’t already have a proven program and marketing, I would recommend the hybrid model with frequent mini-launches.

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David Ziembicki

CEO, Expert Business Agency

David Ziembicki is the founder and CEO of the Expert Business Agency, which helps coaches, course, and membership creators build their online businesses. David has been an industry-leading technology and business consultant for over 25 years having worked at Microsoft, Deloitte, SAIC, and Avanade.