> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.help.creatora.io/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # How to launch an online course > Prepare your audience, build interest, and guide people toward your course. A good launch does not begin when sales open: first, you need to engage your audience, listen to their challenges, and help them see the result your course could help them achieve. At this stage, you give people the opportunity to discover your approach, learn something, and understand whether what you offer is right for them. By the time you present the course, they’ll already be better equipped to make a decision. This guide does not describe a Creatora feature. It presents Jeff Walker’s **Product Launch Formula**, described in his book *Launch* and adapted based on what we’ve learned from observing launches by professionals who use Creatora. You can apply the method using your preferred tools to publish content, send emails, and sell your course. > **Use the timelines and examples as a starting point to adapt to your audience and the offer you want to present.** ## The four phases of a launch | Phase | Goal | | - | - | | **Pre-pre-launch** | Engage your audience, test interest, and collect information to help define your offer. | | **Pre-launch** | Publish three free pieces of content that provide value and prepare your audience for the offer. | | **Launch** | Open sales, present the offer, and continue addressing objections. | | **Post-launch** | Welcome buyers and continue the conversation with people who did not buy. | ## 1. Pre-pre-launch: engage your audience The pre-pre-launch is when you start the conversation. You are not selling yet: you are testing your audience’s interest, bringing initial objections to the surface, and collecting information that can help you refine your offer. Involving people at this stage also lets them contribute to the creation of the course. Their answers can help you understand what they are looking for, what concerns they have, and the language they use to talk about the topic. You can start with a teaser email to let people know you are working on something new and pair it with a short survey containing one or two key questions: * What is your biggest challenge with \[course topic]? * What would you definitely want this course to include? For example, if you are preparing a project management course for freelancers and small teams, you could ask: > What is your biggest challenge in managing projects? Or: > What would you definitely want a project management course to include? Use what you collect to refine your pre-launch content, identify objections you will need to address, and understand which aspects interest your audience most. Pay attention to the words people use too: they can help you talk about the topic in your audience’s own language. ## 2. Pre-launch: provide value before presenting the offer The pre-launch is the heart of the launch. It is when you build a connection, provide value, and begin demonstrating the transformation your course can help people achieve. The method includes a sequence of three free pieces of content called **PLCs**, short for *Pre-Launch Content*. A PLC can be a video, a live session, an article, a carousel, a podcast, or an email. There is no required format: choose one that lets you explain the topic well and fits how your audience already consumes content. The three PLCs have different roles but work together: the first shows **why** the transformation is worth exploring, the second makes it concrete through teaching, and the third shows where it can lead and gradually prepares the transition to the offer. ### PLC 1 – The opportunity PLC 1 primarily answers one question: **why should I care?** It attracts attention and shows the opportunity for transformation behind your course: the change a person could achieve and why you are worth listening to. You can structure it like this: 1. **Show the opportunity.** Explain what change is possible and the ultimate benefit. 2. **Position yourself.** Explain why you are the right person to listen to through your story, experience, or a success story. 3. **Teach something.** Go beyond describing the opportunity: provide a concrete lesson right away. 4. **Surface objections.** Ask for feedback, questions, and concerns to bring them to the surface. Answer immediately when you can, or explain that you will address them in later content. 5. **Introduce PLC 2.** Preview what you will publish and give people a reason to come back for the next piece. 6. **Finish with a call to action.** Invite people to comment, reply to the email, or join the conversation. For example, in a project management course, you could show how a more structured method can help people manage tasks, priorities, and deadlines with greater clarity. At the end, invite your audience to tell you which aspects of project management they find most difficult. Their answers will also give you useful material for later PLCs. PLC 1 can take different formats. For example: * **Video:** share a personal experience and what you learned. * **Carousel:** present mistakes or beliefs that make the desired result harder to achieve. * **Podcast:** explore the opportunity related to your course topic and why it is worth pursuing. ### PLC 2 – The transformation PLC 2 makes the transformation introduced in the first piece more concrete. This is when you go deeper into teaching and provide something people can understand or put into practice immediately. The result does not need to be huge: it can simply help your audience experience an initial change or see the topic from a new perspective. You can structure it like this: 1. **Thank people and recap.** Briefly revisit PLC 1 and the questions or comments you received. 2. **Recap the opportunity.** Briefly remind people of the transformation you introduced, including those who did not follow the first piece. 3. **Reinforce your positioning.** Briefly remind people who you are, what experience you have with the topic, and why you can help them. 4. **Present a case study or teach something concrete.** Provide real value through an example, a tip, an exercise, or something people can put into practice quickly. 5. **Address objections.** Tackle two or three of the main concerns that emerged from conversations with your audience. 6. **Introduce PLC 3.** Preview some of what you will explore in the next piece. 7. **Finish with a call to action.** Once again, invite people to comment, participate, or share their experience. In the project management example, you could teach a simple method for setting project priorities and invite people to apply it immediately to a project they are working on. PLC 2 can also take different formats: * **Video tutorial:** demonstrate a technique or process people can apply immediately. * **Downloadable checklist:** guide your audience toward an initial result through a series of practical steps. * **Live session:** work through an exercise with people and answer questions as you go. The content should be valuable on its own: anyone following it should take away something useful before buying the course. ### PLC 3 – The experience continues PLC 3 closes the pre-launch sequence and prepares the transition to the offer. You have already shown the opportunity, provided value, and begun addressing objections. Now you can help people see the bigger picture, imagine where this transformation could take them, and introduce the upcoming course. You can structure it like this: 1. **Express appreciation and enthusiasm.** Thank people for their comments, questions, and participation. 2. **Recap the opportunity and your positioning.** Briefly remind them of the possible change, who you are, and why you can help. 3. **If useful, present a short case study.** If you have a relevant real example, use it to make the transformation more concrete. 4. **Answer the main questions.** Revisit frequent concerns and objections, even if you have already discussed them in earlier PLCs. 5. **Show the bigger picture.** Help people imagine what could change as they take the next steps and the outcome they could ultimately achieve. 6. **Prepare the transition to the offer.** Toward the end of the PLC, connect what you have taught to the course you are about to offer. Let people know they will soon be able to buy it. 7. **Introduce any limited conditions.** If the offer genuinely includes a bonus, a promotional price, or an enrollment window, explain that it will be available for a defined period. 8. **Finish with a call to action.** Invite questions, comments, or participation to keep the conversation going. In the project management example, you could show how a project was organized using the principles introduced in the first PLCs. Explain how the full course will explore planning, priorities, deadline management, and task coordination in more depth. Other possible formats: * **Case study video:** show a concrete result achieved by applying what you teach. * **Live Q\&A:** address questions collected during the pre-launch. * **Narrative email:** describe a concrete situation and help your audience imagine the result they could achieve. If you share testimonials or results, use real cases and explain the context. If you do not have testimonials yet, you do not need to include them: focus on teaching and examples you know firsthand. > **Before thinking about timing, think about value.** > > PLCs are not simply teasers for the course. Each piece should leave people with something they can understand, use, or put into practice immediately. You can adapt the schedule; the value of the content comes first. ### When to publish your PLCs As a starting point, you can spread the pre-launch over 7–10 days. Here are two possible sequences: | Activity | 7-day sequence | 10-day sequence | | - | - | - | | PLC 1 | Day 1 | Day 1 | | PLC 2 | Day 3 | Day 5 | | PLC 3 | Day 5 | Day 8 | | Sales open | Day 7 | Day 10 | The timing is flexible. Allow enough time to collect your audience’s responses and, when possible, use them in later content. ## 3. Launch: open sales and help people decide During the launch, you open sales, but the conversation continues. While people consider the course, keep guiding them, answering questions, and addressing objections. Before opening sales, prepare your sales page, offer, and planned emails. If you use Creatora, follow [Prepare a course for sale](/en/sell-and-launch/prepare-a-course-for-sale) to configure the course and check the path through to checkout. ### The opening email When sales open, send a short, direct, and clear email. State immediately: * that the course is available; * who it is for; * where to find the sales page and buy. You can also use the P.S. to remind people of an important benefit or any offer deadline. If the course starts on a specific date or some lessons will become available later, make that clear before purchase. ### Emails during the launch As a starting point, the method suggests a 4–7 day sales window. During this period, keep communicating with your audience: remind people of the offer, share real results or feedback, answer questions, and address objections as they arise. Here is an example of a five-day sequence: | Day | Emails | Content | | - | - | - | | 1 | 2 | Announce that sales are open. About four hours later, you can send a second email to remind people that sales are open and clarify any information or questions that came up after opening. | | 2 | 1 | Share social proof or feedback received during the launch. If you do not have any yet, explore a concrete example related to the course. | | 3 | 1 | Answer frequently asked questions and objections. | | 4 | 1 | Let people know there are 24 hours left and remind them what will change at the deadline. | | 5 | 2–3 | Remind people that it is the last day. Send a morning message and a second one about 6–8 hours before closing. If useful, add a final reminder shortly before the deadline. | This is an outline to adapt to your relationship with your audience. Make sure each email has a specific purpose and adds something useful. The questions you receive can become the subject of your next email. If several people share the same concern, it is probably worth addressing on the sales page too. Prepare and send the sequence using your email marketing tool. ### Communicate a real deadline In the method, scarcity can relate to three elements: 1. a price that increases after the launch; 2. a bonus available only during the launch; 3. an offer or enrollment window that ends. You can use one of these conditions or combine them, but they must reflect what will actually happen at the end of the launch. For example: > The launch price is available until Friday at 11:59 p.m. From Saturday, you can buy the course at the standard price, without the launch bonus. If the course will remain available to buy, describe the **end of the promotion**. If it will no longer be possible to buy, explain **when enrollment closes**. To configure prices, offers, and discounts in Creatora, see [Manage prices, offers, and coupons](/en/sell-and-launch/manage-prices-offers-and-coupons). In your final messages, make three things easy to find: **when the offer ends, what changes afterward, and where to buy**. ## 4. Post-launch: welcome buyers and continue the conversation The end of the launch does not end your relationship with your audience. Some people have bought. Others followed the launch but decided not to join. The method involves continuing to communicate with both groups. ### For people who bought Strengthen your relationship with new students and help them get started. Send a thank-you message explaining: * where to access the course; * which content to start with; * any dates to remember; * where to ask questions or get help. If you use Creatora, [From purchase to first access](/en/students-and-orders/from-purchase-to-first-access) explains the student’s journey. You can also surprise buyers with a resource or bonus you did not announce during the launch. It does not need to be something big: the aim is to offer something extra beyond what you promised, as long as it is useful as students begin the course. ### For people who did not buy Keep providing value through emails, content, or live sessions. Someone not buying this time does not mean they cannot be interested in the future. You can also collect feedback by asking: > What held you back? The answers can help you understand what to improve and prepare your next launch. ## If sales are below expectations If conversions are lower than you expected, the method suggests checking two main elements: **the offer** and **the sales message**. ### Review the offer Ask yourself: * Does the offer address a problem your audience considers important? * Does your audience genuinely want this course, or did you decide to create it without checking their interest? * Does the offer address what your audience wants to achieve? * Does it speak to their aspirations and concerns? * Are you communicating the final result clearly? The answers collected during the pre-pre-launch and launch can help you understand whether your offer matches what your audience is genuinely interested in. ### Review the sales message Ask yourself: * Does the message clearly describe the transformation or change the course offers? * Are the benefits concrete, tangible, and easy to visualize? * Is the purchase process simple and understandable? * Is it clear what people will receive? * Are the price and offer conditions easy to find? * If you offer a guarantee, is it clearly explained? Review the sales page from the perspective of someone who does not yet know the offer well: they should be able to understand what you offer, the result they can expect, and the information they need to decide. ## Launch checklist Before starting, use this checklist to review the main steps of the method. * [ ] I have engaged my audience with the initial survey. * [ ] I have collected information about my audience’s interests, objections, and language. * [ ] I have prepared PLC 1, PLC 2, and PLC 3 according to their respective roles. * [ ] Each PLC provides real value and is not merely a teaser for the course. * [ ] I have prepared the sales page and checked the path through to checkout. * [ ] I have planned the launch emails. * [ ] I have defined any limited conditions and made sure they are genuine. * [ ] I have prepared at least two emails for the closing day. * [ ] I have planned how to thank and welcome buyers. * [ ] I have planned how to continue the conversation with people who do not buy. * [ ] I have planned how to capture what I learned to improve the next launch. 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