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I'm heading into my own promotion season right now. Copy On Demand opens its doors December 7, and you'll see me talking about it everywhere starting mid-November. So the launch vs promotion question has been living rent-free in my head, and here's my honest take: we've lost the plot.
If you've ever said "I can't launch, I don't have the capacity," this post is for you. Same goes if you've ever looked at a slow sales week and decided nobody wants your thing.
Let's talk about what a launch is, how to promote your offer when you're a team of one, and the four things I want you doing every time you sell.
Why the launch vs promotion debate is worthless
Most of us run our businesses solo. Maybe there's a contractor here and there, or maybe I'm writing your sales copy (heyyyy!). Running a six-week, fully-produced launch with prelaunch, affiliates, and a webinar feels like a lot when you're running the whole show.
But if you’re not doing ‘the whole launch shebang’, are you really launching?
Here are two dialogues I see:
Someone tells me nobody wants their offer because they launched it last year. When I ask what that looked like, it was four emails over two weeks.
This is barely a promo, in my mind.Someone else coordinates Threads, Instagram, LinkedIn and email, has other people promoting for them, and never once calls it a launch.
This is a launch, but they called it a promo period or flash sale.
So what's the difference between a promo period and a launch? There isn't one.
A launch is a more coordinated promotion. Either way, the goal is to sell.
The only issue for me as your copywriter is when "I can't launch" as a mentality slides into "I don't sell in my business.". If you have a business, selling is literally what you’re supposed to do.
So let’s not conflate launching with selling, k?
Your success metrics depend on what you're selling
A good friend of mine had what she called a failed launch earlier this year. She did everything right: affiliates, posting on multiple platforms, a coordinated plan. She was selling timely done-for-you services, and sales during the launch were slow.
Now, months later, people are reaching out to buy from her, even though her promo is over. They found her during that launch, learned what she offered, and came back when they needed it.
Service-based promotions run on a different timeline. If you want to hear about a service launch that did great during the cart period, go listen to my episode with Taylor Lane. Her service was scalable, and that changed the math.
Why it's easier to sell someone else's offer
I have an influencer friend who makes hundreds of thousands of dollars a year selling other people's event tickets, products and services. (Yes, the "you've probably been asking about my skincare routine" format. She's phenomenal at it.)
Now she's launching her own course, and she's convinced her audience won't want it. That's a mindset thing. Promoting a friend feels safe, and promoting yourself feels vulnerable, even though it's the exact same skill.
How to promote your offer in four steps
Whether you're figuring out how to launch an online course, open a membership, or fill a few service spots, these are the four things I want you to do.
1. Decide your offer deserves attention
Then give it the attention it deserves. I talk about Copy On Demand every single Tuesday on my Instagram stories, all year, even though it's only open one week a year right now. I wouldn't do that if I didn't believe in it.
Know the problem your offer solves. Talk about that problem, talk about your solution, and talk about how it's worked for other people.
2. Set your foundation
Pick the platforms where your buyers pay attention to you, and make those your non-negotiables.
For me, my audience isn't on Facebook. If I promoted there, I'd make zero sales. I choose Instagram and Threads as my promo foundation, and of course send lots of emails.
Your audience might love Facebook. Then Facebook and your email list are your foundation, and that's where you need to talk about your offer the most.
3. Talk about it more than feels comfortable
Pro-tip: go look at your last promo content right now. If you have 2,000 followers, I bet you got somewhere between 200 and 500 views. That means less than a quarter of your followers saw it.
Your email open rate is probably around 38%. So even if you're posting twice as much during a promotion, most of your people still have no clue you're selling.
During a promo period or launch, you need to:
Post more than you think you need to
Comment on and engage with people who engage with your content
Repurpose reels to stories and YouTube to Facebook
Repeat the same message, because repetition is how people remember
You'll be sick of hearing yourself sell, and that's ok because other people are not.
4. Make every message strategic
People need to know the problem you solve, how you solve it, and what happens after they work with you. Those are your content pillars for the promotion, whether it's one sales week or six weeks of pre-launch.
If you don't know where to start, that's what my launch strategy sessions are for.
For less than $1,000, we look at your offer, audience, timeline, capacity and data, and I tell you where to put your energy. Book your launch strategy session here →
Launch vs promotion FAQ
Is a promotion the same as a launch?
Yes. A launch is a more coordinated, higher-volume promotion. Both exist to sell your offer.
How many emails should I send to promote my offer?
More than four in two weeks! But seriously - Most lists open around 38% of the time, so plan to repeat your message several times across your foundational platforms. I recommend at least daily during active promotion to most of my clients.
How do I launch an online course with no team?
Pick one or two platforms where your buyers pay attention, stick to the problem, solution and transformation pillars, and repurpose content instead of creating new posts every day.
What if my launch didn't sell?
Look at what happened after the cart closed. Service-based launches often bring in buyers weeks or months later because people now know what you offer.
You may also want to take a look at the size and quality of your audience, your prelaunch period, and messaging.
Key takeaways
A launch is a more coordinated promotion, and you can call it whatever you want
Your offer deserves attention, so give it some
Promote where your buyers already pay attention to you
Repeat yourself, because most of your audience isn't seeing your posts
Keep every message on the problem, solution and transformation
If the word "launch" sounds big and scary, scrap it. Call it a promo. Let's just make sure you're selling in your business, because copy is the most scalable thing you have. It speaks for you when you're not around.
Want to watch how I run my own promotion? Follow along on Instagram @nomad.copy as I open Copy On Demand.
Helpful Resources:
Forgotten Launch Emails Checklist (Use code PODCAST to get it for $1!)
Connect with me:
Watch episodes with subtitles on my YouTube
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