behind the scenes of the b-school launch · behind the scenes of the b-school launch © marie...

BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE B-SCHOOL LAUNCH

HERE’S WHAT

YOU’LL LEARN IN

THIS VIDEO

Behind the Scenes of the B-School Launch © Marie Forleo International - Marieforleobschool.com

My launch game plan in mind map form

A breakdown of our launch schedule

How many people does it take to run a launch?

How long do you wait between videos?

How do you get affiliates?

And. . . launching lessons learned

LAUNCHING OVERVIEW



Launches are a fantastic way to grow your list, build buzz, and focus on creating an outstanding product. They can be small or large, very simple or hugely complex

The godfather of internet launches is Jeff Walker, creator of Product Launch Formula (I love Jeff and highly recommend him!)


This is a behind the scenes tour of our B-School launch - I’m not saying this is the best or only way to do things. Understand the underlying principles and create your own recipe

Realize that “launching” is not a business model

Many people mistakenly try to do what others do, and spend way too much time and money before having a proven product or an audience

Behind the Scenes of the B-School Launch © Marie Forleo International - Marieforleobschool.com© Marie Forleo International - Marieforleobschool.com

OUR B-SCHOOL MIND MAP

OUR LAUNCH SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN



Feb 6th, vid #1: 6 Pillars video was released

Feb 10th, vid #2: Dirty Little Secret video was released

Feb 13th, vid #3: Behind The Scenes video was released


Feb 19th, vid #4: Program details video, cart open, enrollment begins

March 5th: Cart closes for public promotion and registration


Between March 5th - March 9th: we shifted gears, handled last minute customers and finalized all member area details

March 10th: B-School Begins!

Note that myself and my team now work on our launch for 6 solid months BEFORE it goes “live” to the public (started out with 3 months)


That time includes ideation, strategy, design, tech build out, creating and editing videos, testing, and a ton of planning and organization

HOW MANY VIDEOS SHOULD YOU CREATE AND HOW LONG SHOULD THEY BE?



Traditional internet marketing launches usually have 3 free videos delivering massive value and a sales video to invite people to go further

It can be as little as 2 free videos and as many as 6!

There is no “right answer” - don’t let this be a creative cul-de-sac


It’s all about what makes sense for your product, price point and market

How well does your market know you? Is this a low priced or high priced product? Generally speaking, lower prices = less videos


Length: As short as possible to communicate effectively, deliver value and help your client make a smart purchasing decision!

Example: I’ve seen a single 13 minute sales video for a $67 product. It was not straight to camera, absolutely no fancy graphics and it sold like hotcakes

HOW LONG DO YOU WAIT BETWEEN VIDEOS?



This is where you need to understand the underlying principle and not copy what someone else does - as what someone else does may not work for you, your market, or your price point

We did what we felt would work best with our market. Many of our customers are juggling kids, family obligations, full-time jobs, etc. so we wait 2-4 days in between each launch video


Realize, there is no set formula, no hard and fast rule. The goal with your launch videos is to build excitement, anticipation and desire over a set time

Be mindful of what else is going on in the world and your industry like holidays, weekends, conferences, or other launches that may impact your promotion


Also, it depends on how long your training videos are. People generally take longer to watch a 40 minute vid vs. a 12 minute vid

Bottom line for launches: you can’t follow anyone else’s blueprint exactly. You must understand the psychology of marketing and create your own roadmap based on what’s best for your ideal client and your particular product

HOW MANY PEOPLE DOES IT TAKE TO RUN IT?



My 1st launch in 2008 (not B-School) was just me plus a virtual assistant. I shot videos on a flip camera and edited them myself

Each time I launch something, I learn and grow a bit more. As I learn and grow, the amount of people I work with typically grows

On our most recent launch, we had the following. . .


1. Myself to run all creative direction, copywriting, marketing strategy

2. Designers for all graphics and design

3. Video crew of 4 for all pre-launch videos


4. Team Forleo (4 full timers) for all project timelines, cart set up, back-end testing, launch coordination, creative input and team training, management, customer service

5. Programmer for all website creation and coding

6. Affiliate Manager to manage and run affiliate program


7. 4 Customer Happiness Specialists for additional customer support and program management

HOW MANY PEOPLE DOES IT TAKE TO RUN IT? (CONT.)



Key Point: start small!

Don’t spend a ton of money on a big and expensive launch until you know you what you’re doing, you have a proven winner and you’re profitable

Everything we do in my company, we do barebones to start


Once we’re profitable and we know we have a winner, we use the initial profits to refine and elevate what we’re doing

I’m a HUGE fan of starting small, making mistakes and LEARNING from experience!

HOW DO YOU GET AFFILIATES?



This comes back to your authentic, genuine relationships and being an active, connected member of your industry’s community

I came up with a list of people who had an audience that would truly benefit from B-School and who had a similar philosophy and style


I reached out to people I thought may be interested in promoting, told them about the program and let them know about the process

Reach out as far in advance as possible. At least 3 months, but 6 months to 12 months is ideal (show you’ve got your act together!)


I do not do “reciprocal mailings” - I only want people to promote B-School because they believe in it and know it will serve their market

OUR PARTNER PROGRAM



Our program has evolved over the years - we’ve gone from an open affiliate program to a closed partnership program (and it will continue to evolve!)

We now only work with a small group of colleagues and B-School graduates


When it comes to affiliates or promotional partners, you have to evaluate and decide what is best for your business and brand

Key takeaway: like every other aspect of launching, this is another aspect that will likely grow and change over time. Don’t just blindly follow what other people do

LAUNCHING LESSONS LEARNED



Launches always take more time, money and energy than you expect so plan far in advance and include buffer times for fails, snags and do-overs

Test as much as possible: test the purchase process to ensure the right emails are delivered, test your member area with different browsers, tablets and across mobile devices


No matter how much you test, things do break and crash. It’s the nature of technology! Don’t freak out, just fix it and communicate honestly with your customers

Make sure whoever is managing tech clears their schedule. They need to be on call to fix things especially when you start taking orders


Customer service usually hits a high volume during a launch. Make sure you are staffed up properly with people who know how to answer questions and really advise people with heart and soul - they are representing your brand!


You get better the more launches you do. Experience is the best teacher

Launches are extremely taxing and intense. Make sure you tell your sig. other and plan MAJOR downtime for you and your team after!

“GREAT THINGS ARE NOT DONE BY IMPULSE, BUT BY A SERIES OF SMALL THINGS BROUGHT TOGETHER.”

- Vincent Van Gogh

behind the scenes of the b-school launch · behind the scenes of the b-school launch © marie...

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