How to Create Anticipation and Excitement in Your Next Course Launch and Start Enrolling at Least 5-10 New Students

If you’ve been launching your online course or coaching program for a while now, only to find out you’re not getting as many enrollees as anticipated…

…then this is the most important article you’ll ever read.

What I will share with you today will change how you approach your course launches so you can enroll at least 5-10 new students in your next launch.

In this article, you’ll discover how to create anticipation and excitement for your course launch.

Doing this will allow your prospects to be completely sold to your online course BEFORE you even sell it…

…without being pushy, needy, sales-y, or desperate.

But before we begin.

The Number One Thing You Must Do Before Launching Your Online Course

Before you launch your online course, write a single word in your copy, or even run any marketing campaigns…

…you must do this one thing above all else.

Otherwise, you’ll end up wasting a lot of time and money on your next launch.

And that is asking your audience first about their single biggest challenge.

This is known as asking the Single Most Important Question (SMIQ).

What you’re doing here is conducting a Deep Dive Survey popularized by Ryan Levesque from his book Ask: The Counterintuitive Online Formula to Discover Exactly What Your Customers Want to Buy.

You do this during your Pre-prelaunch Sequence.

In my previous article, I talked about the importance of asking your audience directly.

By doing this, not only do you get valuable information from your audience…

…but you’re also engaging with them and letting them know something big is coming.

This alone creates some form of anticipation already.?

Your messaging, Prelaunch Content (PLC), and marketing will revolve around solving their single, biggest challenge.

Even if you already know your audience—say, you have a customer avatar document—it’s still a good idea to ask them their single biggest challenge.

You see, the market constantly changes.

People are getting more and more sophisticated about other claims as time passes by.

Their preferences change.

And their buying behavior changes.

Case in point.?

Copywriting and AI.

In 2023, many copywriters and marketers claimed that AI would be a game-changer.?

Their typical motto is, “AI is the future. You must adapt, or you’ll be left behind.”

The whole idea is about teaching people how to leverage AI in marketing and copywriting.

But in 2024, their messaging shifted to something different, from glorifying AI to mentioning the dangers of AI-generated content.

“Because of the AI boom, hundreds of lousy AI-generated content emerged. Because of this, the content quality significantly dropped. Using AI-generated content can lower your perceived market value and hurt your branding in the long term. People can easily spot AI-generated content and tune out when they spot one. Because everybody else sounds too robotic, people crave human-like connections with brands. The solution? You must write a copy that creates a genuine and authentic human connection and not sound like AI-regurgitated content.”

And because it’s true.?

More and more people are becoming more skeptical and sophisticated.

People are getting weary of AI-generated content.

They want human connections.

In just a span of one year, the market has shifted.?

It took another year for the market to shift again.

That’s exactly the reason why you need to ask your audience about their current situation. It’s always a good idea to keep yourself updated in your industry.

Otherwise, you might use outdated messaging strategies that don’t work.

So, what does the SMIQ look like in action?

For example, let’s say you’re selling a Freelancing course.

If you asked your audience about their single biggest challenge, they would respond something like, “I don’t have a portfolio and experience.”

So, your content should revolve around addressing that single biggest challenge.

You could create a workshop with something like:

“How to become a highly paid freelancer earning $5k-$10k even if you’re a complete beginner with no portfolio.”

Pretty simple, right?

Once you know their single biggest challenge, you now have a solid foundation for your launch strategy.

You’ll know exactly how to position your online course in the market.

You’ll know exactly the types of content your audience would be dying to know.

And you’ll start seeing better results in your next course launch when done correctly.

Remember, it’s all about the market. Not your course content.

A good rule of thumb when providing content is to solve a problem so it gives birth to a new one.

Let’s take the earlier example.

You want to help people how they can land a $5k-$10k freelancing project.?

You then provided them with a step-by-step guide to getting there.

Once you do that, you’ve already solved their biggest challenges.

But right now, they are left with new problems, like:

“How do I deliver results to my clients.”

“How do I make sure I have a consistent monthly income?”

“How do I streamline the process of my new freelancing business?”

You aim to solve those new problems through your online course.

Now that you know the importance of asking the SMIQ in your Pre-prelaunch sequence and getting some ideas on how to solve their biggest challenge, it’s time to plan out your Prelaunch Sequence.

The 3 Components of Your Prelaunch Sequence that will Get People to Say YES to Your Online Course

According to Jeff Walker, the creator of Product Launch Formula, you’ll generally have 3 pieces of Prelaunch Content (PLC) in your Prelaunch Sequence.

Each PLC has a specific job that allows you to build:

• Anticipation and excitement
• Social proof
• Authority
• Trust and credibility
• Reciprocity
• And community

All 3 PLCs you’ll create will have their own job but tie together, which will “whet” your market’s appetite.

If you get this right, they’ll receive so much value that it will leave them wanting more.

You can deliver value using different types of content, like:

• Videos
• Blogs
• Podcasts
• Email texts

Ideally, you want to have a consistent PLC format.

If you’re using a video on your PLC #1, you don’t want to have a blog as your PLC #2.

Remember, the PLC you’ll create will depend on the single biggest challenge that your market is facing.

Here’s what should go inside your PLC.

PLC #1: The Opportunity

This is the first content that your audience will see.

Your PLC #1 is the most crucial part of your Prelaunch sequence.

That’s because this is the first time people who have never heard from you will interact with your brand.

You want to leave a lasting impression on them.

The general rule of thumb in creating PLC #1 is to grab their attention and draw them into the opportunity (your online course) you’re selling.

It must answer the most important question, “Why should I care? Why should I stop what I’m doing right now with my life and listen to you?”

If you can’t answer this question, then your launch falls flat.

They won’t even go through the rest of your PLC if you don’t answer this question.

This is especially true if this is the first time prospects will engage with you.

Here’s what I want you to know.

People don’t buy products.?

They buy what that product can do for them.

As Theodore Levitt said...

“People don’t want a quarter-inch drill. They want a quarter-inch hole.”

So if you’re selling an Amazon FBA course that teaches people how to make 6-7 figures while working 2-4 hours a week…

…they are NOT buying your course, but rather the opportunity to make a comfortable income while having more time for their family.

That’s why in your PLC #1, you want to present to your prospects an opportunity to solve their single, biggest challenge and achieve their dreams.

For this example, the opportunity would be making consistent 6-7 figures while only working 2-4 hours a week.

Doing this will grab their attention and get them to care about what you say.

But you shouldn’t stop there.

Remember, people don’t know anything about you.

They don’t believe a word of what you say.

There’s a good chance they’ve heard similar claims about the opportunity you’re trying to sell (which most likely didn’t work for them).

But even if they believe in your claims, they don’t believe it will work for them.

So, how do you go about this?

You must follow a structure that allows you to address those questions and concerns.

Here’s what you need to show in your PLC #1.

#1. Establish authority, credibility, and social proof.

This ultimately answers the question, “Why should I listen to you?”

It’s a good idea to showcase elements like awards and certifications, results you’ve generated, and third-party endorsements.

#2. Share a personal story that is relevant to what you offer.

Sharing your credibility appeals to your prospects’ logical thinking.

But telling stories that resonate with them creates an emotional connection between you and your prospects.

Not only that, but it also helps differentiate your brand, build trust, and become more memorable.

So, when they are ready to buy, they’ll immediately remember you.

But there’s a caveat.

You can’t just tell how great you are as a surfer in your story if you’re selling an online course on how to play guitar.

Being a great surfer is irrelevant to knowing how to play a guitar.

A better approach is to tell them how you struggled with basic chords and then tell them you discovered a new system that makes guitar learning 10x faster.

#3. Provide value and demonstrate your expertise.

You don’t want to just tell them about a unique opportunity and how great you are as an expert.

You must provide value to them and demonstrate your expertise.

In other words, you must teach them something.

Answer the question, “What will they learn inside your PLC #1?”

Remember, they signed up for your masterclass/workshop to learn something, so you must deliver on that.

#4. Address any objections they may have.

For every claim you make, there will always be objections that stop them from believing your claims.

Objection is the number one sales killer.

It’s your job to address these objections before they even come out.

Because the moment you don’t address their objections, you have already lost that sale.

#5. Tease what they’ll learn in PLC #2

Lastly, you want to add a good cliffhanger.

You don’t want to drop everything in PLC #1.

You want to gradually add value in each PLC that will “whet” their appetite.

That way, it builds excitement in your prospects, who will stay tuned to your next PLC.

Later on, I’ll share an example of how I would strategically create PLCs.

To recap, your PLC #1 should be able to:

• Tell prospects about a unique opportunity.
• Establish authority, credibility, and social proof.
• Share a personal story that is relevant to what you offer.
• Provide value and demonstrate your expertise.
• Address any objections they may have.
• And tease them about what they’ll learn in PLC #2.

PLC #2: The Transformation

In PLC #1, we discussed the opportunity and why they should care about it.

In PLC #2, you want to talk about what transformation they can get.

You want to teach them how to achieve their biggest dreams and solve their challenges.

Remember, people don’t buy your online courses.

They buy what the product can do for them.

That being said, here’s how your PLC #2 should go.

#1. Do a quick recap about PLC #1 and remind them about the opportunity

First, you want to thank them for sticking around with you.

You want to remind them about the opportunity they’ll get.

You don’t want to assume people paid attention in your PLC #1.

Let’s face it.?

Life happens, and we’re busy, so there may be a chance that they’ve already forgotten about the opportunity.

#2. Reintroduce yourself

Do a quick reintroduction of who you are. Give your prospects a reason why they should listen to you.

#3. Demonstrate your expertise

This is your teaching section, where you give your prospects value.

This section is like giving them a taste of what you offer.

To do this, you must share some of your methodology that your prospects can apply immediately.

But of course, you don’t want to give everything.?

You want to give them just enough that they’ll keep wanting more.

#4. Provide case studies

Teaching them is good, but showing them your methodology works on others is better.

You want to show case studies of people who followed your methodology and got the results they were looking for.

Example: Amazon FBA course

• From a burned-out employee to an Amazon seller who consistently makes $10k/mo.
• Single mom earned her first $9.6k in sales in just 3 weeks after the program.
• A college student earned his first $15k and paid off his tuition fee.
• A struggling Amazon seller finally found 3 winning products she can sell at a profit.

#5. Address objections

As I said in PLC #1, you must address every single objection they may have about your product or the opportunity.

Remember, objection kills sales.

#6. Tease what they’ll learn in PLC #3

Like in PLC #1, you want to tease what they’ll learn in the next PLC.

You want them to feel excited to learn more.

To recap, your PLC #2 should be able to:

• Do a quick recap about PLC #1 and remind them about the opportunity.?
• Reintroduce yourself
• Demonstrate your expertise
• Provide case studies
• Address objections
• And tease what they’ll learn in PLC #3

PLC #3: The Ownership Experience

If your PLC #1 discusses why they should care about the new opportunity…

…the PLC #2 talks about what transformation they can get…

…then your PLC #3 should discuss how they can get it.

In this section, you must answer, “How will this impact my life?”

Your goal here is to paint a vivid picture of what their life could be like if they bought your online course.

To do this, you must highlight the ownership experience of your online course.

You want them to make them feel they already have the desired results.

You want them to help visualize their life after achieving their goals.

Here’s how you should structure your PLC #3.

#1. Do a quick recap of PLC #1 and PLC #2, and remind them about the opportunity

As I mentioned earlier, there’s a good chance they forgot about the opportunity and the transformation they’ll get…

…so it’s always a good idea to refresh their memory about them.

#2. Reintroduce yourself

Do a quick reintroduction of who you are. Give your prospects a reason why they should listen to you.?

#3. Show a relevant case study

You want to keep sharing different case studies of people who followed your methodology and got the results they wanted.

That way, they’ll know that if those people can do it, they can, too.

#4. Reveal the step-by-step on how they can get the ownership experience

You want to share how they can achieve their goals using your methodology.

For instance, let’s say you’re selling an Amazon FBA course.

You want to share a step-by-step process for finding a winning product that will help them earn $10k/mo.

You can also share how that specific case study got results by following your methodology.

Again, you want to add value throughout your PLC.

This will excite your prospects and inspire them to take action towards their goals.

And another thing.

As I said earlier, you want to paint a vivid picture of what their life would be like if they achieved the desired results.

For instance, let’s say you’re selling a fitness program for men.

You could say something like, “You never have to wear shirts at the beach. People will envy your lifestyle, you’ll have more confidence in yourself, and both men and women will hit on you.”

#5. Transition into selling your offer

By this point, your prospects already like and trust you.

After painting a vivid picture of what their life would be like if they took this opportunity, it’s time to pivot into selling your online course.

A word of warning, though.

You don’t want to sound like an aggressive salesperson right after providing value to them.

You don’t want to sound like a helpful friend in the beginning and immediately sound like a sleazy salesperson right after.

You want to “soften the blow” when it comes to selling.

You still want to come out as someone who is genuine and only there to help.

You could say something along the lines of:

“With this [new opportunity], you can finally achieve XYZ. What I shared with you today is just the tip of the iceberg. Right after [solving their problems], you might encounter new problems like ABC. If you want to learn more, then I invite you to join _____.”?

Right after your pivot, you explain to your prospects what’s inside your online course.

You want to tease what they’ll discover inside and highlight their benefits.

#6. Inject scarcity in your launch offer

Since this is a course launch, you want to convey some urgency and scarcity about your online course.

Again, you don’t want to be too hard on mentioning your scarcity in your online course.

You want to imply to them that your online course will only be available for a limited time.

Right after that, you tell prospects when you’ll open your online enrollment course.

So, to recap.

• Do a quick recap of PLC #1 and PLC #2, and remind them about the opportunity
• Reintroduce yourself
• Show a relevant case study
• Reveal the step-by-step on how they can get the ownership experience
• Transition into selling your offer
• Inject scarcity in your launch offer

PLC Example

Now that you know what goes inside your PLC, I’ll give an example of how I would create a PLC to give you some ideas for your launch.

Example: Digital Painting course

Target Market: Beginner digital artists who want to make a good living making digital illustrations. They want to be either a professional illustrator for big studios or work as a freelancer.?

Product: A 12-week Digital Illustration coaching program that will help improve their digital painting skills, build a solid portfolio, and learn how to approach high-paying clients and big studios that will pay them $1k-$2k per commission.

With the recent generative AI controversy, many aspiring artists fear their livelihood will be lost. They feel hopeless because they fear AI will replace them and further devalue their hard work.

Do note that for this example, I use the words illustrations and digital paintings interchangeably, but they all mean the same.?

PLC #1 - Opportunity

Topic: “How Successful Digital Artists Are Earning $1k-$2k Per Commission And Have a Stable Income Despite the Rise of Generative AI.”

• Here, I presented an opportunity to make a good living as an artist despite the AI craze that has been going on in the art industry.

• Throughout PLC #1, I would establish authority and credibility. For example, “I’ve been a digital illustrator for 10 years, and I’ve worked for comic, game, and animation studios like XYZ…”?

• I would allay their fears and pain points about generative AI and tell them that they can still make a good living as artists. Since this is already an objection in their head, I would provide them with proof that studios and clients are still looking for talented artists.?

• Next, I would share with them a story about how I used to struggle with digital painting and how I improved quickly. Then, I’ll share with them how they can use this methodology to improve their digital paintings quickly.

• After that, I’ll share where they can find these jobs or gig opportunities with them. I would show them job listings in ArtStation and other legitimate job posting sites.

• Lastly, I’ll tease them about my upcoming PLC. It will teach them the step-by-step illustration process that professional illustrators use, allowing them to paint fast. I’ll also show them the best practices when working with these clients.

PLC #2 - Transformation

Topic: “The 7-Step Digital Painting Process that Professional Digital Artists Use to Paint Stunning Illustrations in 8 Hours or Less.”

• Before starting the teaching for PLC #2, I’d quickly recap the opportunity and briefly reintroduce myself. This is done so prospects who didn’t go through PLC #1 will get some context of what they’ll learn in PLC #2.

• Next, I’ll present the 7-step painting process to prospects. I’ll give them an overview of how this works and how they can do it. I don’t want to spill too many details here as I still want to leave room for the actual content they’ll learn in the online course.

• After that, I’ll present different case studies of those who adopted this methodology and how it improved their illustrations. I’ll show them the before and after images of my students’ illustrations here, showcasing the improvement of their skills.

• I’ll also address any objections about the methodology and provide proof for each objection.

• Lastly, I’ll tease them about my upcoming PLC, which will teach them how to approach these high-paying clients and how to land jobs in well-known studios. I’ll also share how they can create a stunning portfolio that will make clients want to hire them.

PLC #3 - Ownership Experience

Topic: “How a Newbie Digital Artist Landed an Illustration Job for RIOT Games and Now Making Splash Arts for League of Legends.”

• Before starting the teaching for PLC #3, I’ll quickly recap the opportunity and the transformation. I’ll also briefly introduce myself here so prospects who didn’t go through PLC #1 and PLC #2 will get some context of what they’ll learn in PLC #3.

• Next, I’ll share a case study of one of the students who landed a job at RIOT Games and how they can use the same process to approach these types of companies.?

• After that, I’ll share the step-by-step process of getting a job in big studios and the best practices that will increase their chances of getting hired. I’ll also share freelancing tips for those who wish to work as contractors.

• Next, I’ll share with them how they can create an art portfolio that will get them hired by these companies.

• With this information in mind, I would paint a vivid picture of what their life would look like if they could land a high-paying job or a client and make a decent living doing what they are passionate about.

• By doing this, I have already solved their problem of not getting digital illustration clients because of generative AI and not being able to paint fast enough. Now, they are left with the problem of “How can they deliver high-quality digital illustrations to clients? How can they get repeat clients as a freelance contractor? How can they become a senior artist in the studio so they can get paid more?”

• Lastly, I’ll tell them what they’ve learned is just the tip of the iceberg. I’ll then pivot into soft-selling the 12-week Digital Illustration coaching program. I’ll tell them the benefits of the course. And then, I’ll tell them they can enroll in X days from now.

Other Ways You Can Build Excitement for Your Course Launch

While the PLC by Jeff Walker is a powerful approach, it’s not the only way to build excitement and anticipation for your online course.?

I’ve learned this from my email marketing coach, who taught us how to write launch emails.

As long as you follow the psychology behind the PLC (opportunity, transformation, ownership experience), you can generate excitement and anticipation for your next course launch.

In any case, here are the other ways you can build excitement.

• Webinars
• Email series
• Multi-day Masterclass
• Challenges

It doesn’t matter what format you use. It will work as long as the psychology and the strategy behind the PLC are there.

Conclusion

And there you have it.?

Creating anticipation and excitement for your launch doesn’t have to be complicated.

It all boils down to asking your prospects about their single biggest challenge using Ryan Levesque’s Deep Dive Survey.

With your prospects’ single, biggest challenge in mind, you can strategically create 3 PLCs that will “whet” their appetite.

These 3 PLCs should discuss the unique opportunity, the transformation they’ll undergo, and the ownership experience once they achieve their desired results.

By doing this, you’re getting prospects to be completely sold on to your online course BEFORE you even sell it.

If you need additional help launching your online course and getting more students in 90 days or less in your next launch, schedule a 30-minute strategy call here with me.