I love the transformation from launch to an evergreen funnel.
I do, however, think that the two are a lot more similar than you may realize.
People think of launches as short and intense. They have a lot of moving pieces and a lot of opportunities to bring in a fast amount of cash if you have the right strategies in place. On the other hand, an evergreen and automated funnel, we often think of as passive income. We imagine little work involved except for the initial setup.
First off, that's not true. Evergreen and automated funnels still require an ongoing traffic generation component with some tweaking and optimizing. If you want to read more about that, go and check out my how to set up a measurement system for your funnel post here.
What is important to note is the similarity between the two. A launch is essentially a funnel with a condensed timeline.
It works the same way. There's usually a freebie or a launch mechanism, whether it's a challenge or a webinar, and some kind of launch event. In an evergreen funnel, we turn that into an automated and evergreen delivery, where it doesn't matter where someone signs up.
Another similarity is that there is a follow-up email sequence where you're leading everyone to a point of sale. This process is the same with an evergreen funnel and a launch.
But, the biggest similarity is in the content. A lot of the components that you create for a live launch you can utilize to create an evergreen funnel pretty easily.
What I love about the Launch to Evergreen Model:
The first thing I love about a launch to evergreen transformation: You can use the launch data to optimize the funnel.
When you launch something first, you have the data from the launch to make your funnel better right out of the gate. So a lot of times when we are setting up an automated funnel from scratch we need to run tests to begin the optimization process. When we start with a launch, we have all of that data about how certain emails performed, how the freebie performed and how the opt-in page performed. Then, when we're setting up the evergreen version of this launch funnel, we can make those improvements right away.
The second thing that I love about a launch to evergreen transformation: it comes with built-in funding.
When it comes to a funnel, people forget that all the work you put into creating it before it starts bringing in ongoing traffic generation. It can take a bit of initial investment to get an evergreen funnel up and running and generating revenue. With a launch that turns into a funnel, the launch itself can fund some of that start-up cost of creating and optimizing a funnel.
The third thing that I love about a launch to evergreen transformation: it allows you to build your email list.
A launch has a lot of momentum behind it, even if you're starting from nothing, it gives you a good opportunity and a good jumping-off point to start building more momentum. When clients come to me and they don't have enough of an audience for us to run the proper testing protocol to optimize a funnel, sometimes we will choose to run it live. After running it live we can turn it evergreen. If they have an audience of zero, it's very hard for us to have those metrics of success regarding the success of the funnel. A launch can provide us with the metrics and momentum needed to create a more successful evergreen funnel.
Here are seven things to consider when planning to turn your launch into an evergreen funnel.
Consideration #1 – Archive your launch content properly.
While the launch is fresh we want to make sure that you are taking the time to go back and archive all of the pieces of the launch that you may use for your evergreen funnel.
Many times clients come to me telling me they have all this great stuff but they have no idea where it is. In a lot of cases, they aren't able to find it at all. While it's fresh I want you to take the opportunity to make sure that you were saving it appropriately. Create an entire folder for images of opt-in pages, copies of launch emails, the freebie itself, promotional copy, launch copy – all of that good stuff that you need that you're going to be repurposing into that evergreen funnel.
In this archive, I would also take the opportunity to save any feedback that you got from potential clients and customers. This includes any responses that you may have gotten on social media posts or discussions that people were having on some of your earlier launch content. This can be a good hint on things you may need to add in the future. It could even be potential testimonials that you could include for the sales part of the funnel.
Consideration #2 – How are you going to turn your freebie into an automated delivery format?
Generally, when we're launching we are using some kind of launch event or some kind of launch freebie. Think about how this freebie is going to be repurposed to work in an automated delivery format. What I mean by this is that people can sign up whenever, so you have to find a way to offer this freebie so that it is going to be the same for them regardless of whether they sign up today or three months from now.
Consideration #3 – How to use your data to improve your funnel
One of the primary advantages that you have, because you launched before turning this funnel evergreen, is data from how people responded to launch. Make sure that you are doing a proper post mortem on your launch. Look at all of the metrics and all of the return on investment. Consider all of the things that worked and didn't work so that you have the opportunity to make your funnel strong right out of the gate.
Go back over that content you used in emails, social posts and landing pages and make those tweaks right away. This way, when you do turn to evergreen, you are starting on a really strong, solid footing to have a high converting funnel.
So much of my time in my sales funnel agency package is spent on the testing protocol so that we can get that data. If you have that data already without needing to run the testing protocol, you are going to be able to have more confidence if you're going to put some paid ads behind your funnel right out of the gate.
Consideration #4 – How are you going to build out your email sequences?
When it comes to an evergreen funnel, we want to set up that automation so it gets delivered without you needing to lift a finger after the setup and tweaks going forward. Consider an email service provider such as ConvertKit or ActiveCampaign, or Drip. These services allow you to build campaigns that have if/then functionality.
If/Then functionality allows you to remove someone from the sales emails of your automated sequence when they purchase so that you're not selling them something that they've already bought. You can also make sure that people aren't getting the same emails over and over again. Plus you can do some pretty advanced things so that you can tailor the emails that you're selling to them.
When you are building out these automated sequences consider how your tags are going to be set up. What are your if/then functionalities going to be in your email sequence? What are some changes that you need to make to the content of the email? You may need to remove specific dates and things that are no longer relevant in this automated and evergreen delivery of the funnel.
Other things to consider are urgency and scarcity. What are you going to add to the special offer to make people take action? Even though it's an automated and evergreen offer, you need to decide if there is going to be a special price for a limited amount of time when they hit those emails. Think about all those things when you're building out that automated email sequence.
Consideration #5 – What are your ongoing measurement systems?
When it comes to a launch, there's a very natural time when you know you're supposed to go back and measure everything. Usually, we do this as part of the launch post mortem in my agency for clients.
There's this natural point of measurement with a launch because there's a natural ending. When you have an evergreen funnel, this may be running for months maybe years. You want to make sure that you are putting in regular practices of measurement, whether it is weekly, or at least monthly.
You want to be considering all of the points of measurement for your funnel including. What are your primary leading metrics? The things that let you know whether or not your funnel is profitable and working.
Make a list of those measurements. I often start by mapping out my funnel to identify where those points of measurement are.
If you haven't mapped out your funnel yet definitely download my funnel mapping worksheets to create a great plan for your funnel.
If you are transforming from launch to an evergreen funnel, luckily you're ahead of the game because you have all of these pieces of content from the launch that you can just plug right into your funnel map.
Consideration #6 – Consider your ongoing traffic dilemma.
This isn't necessarily a problem, per se, but it is a consideration with an evergreen versus a launch promotion.
You want to make sure that even though this is evergreen that you continue to drive traffic to your funnel. It's a little easier in a launch because you have a specific start date and an end date. This starting and ending point allows you to go hard during that time to promote your freebie, as well as your offer.
When it comes to more of an evergreen offer you’re running a marathon and not a sprint. We want to make sure that you are leveraging all forms of traffic.
When we're building out a traffic strategy for our agency funnel clients, we are making sure we're including things like paid traffic, earned traffic, shared traffic and owned traffic. This helps us to make sure that we are not putting all of our eggs in one basket. When it comes to traffic, something could change tomorrow.
Create some form of traffic strategy to make sure you are not left with an empty funnel if something should change.
Consideration #7 – When it comes to changing a launch into an evergreen funnel, what are your goals?
I mention this last because, when it comes to your goals, there are a lot of things to consider. It's not necessarily going to look like the big numbers that perhaps you saw out of your live launch. Instead, we want to be able to base those projections over how much traffic and email list growth you've seen in the past regularly when you're not launching.
Look at how much you’re building your email list in a normal month. Are you going to be able to bring in 100 or 300 people into your email list regularly?
It’s also important to base some of your goals on milestones with room to grow. If you set out right away trying to sell 10 spots in your program from your funnel every single month, but you don't have a way of getting the leads needed to support, can you perhaps start with a baseline?
Consider changing your baseline goal to “I want one sale per month”. Then, you work on doubling that and doubling it again. However, in the beginning, if we start with that smaller number and we nail the funnel, then you have some great material to work with to start optimizing that funnel.
Ready to transform a live launch into an evergreen funnel?
Those are the seven things that I want you to consider when turning your launch into an evergreen funnel. The first step to creating this smooth transition is to map out that funnel. To help with this process, you can follow along with me in my free funnel mapping workshop (and get the funnel mapping spreadsheet).
Just remember, turning your launch into an evergreen funnel puts you in a very lucky spot. You are going to have a lot of the content from your launch that you're going to be able to plug right into that sales funnel map. So make sure to download that and start mapping out your funnel today!
