5 Major Mistakes to Avoid When Launching an Online Coaching Program

If you’ve had a launch that didn’t perform how you’d hoped it would (or want to make sure your *future* launches are as successful as possible), you’re in the right place.

Read on to learn the five things that MOST online health + wellness coaches get wrong in their launches and how to fix those mistakes going forward. You’ll walk away from this blog post with several tangible takeaways to make your next launch smoother, more profitable and WAY more fun (because let’s be honest… making $$$ is ALWAYS fun!).

❌ Mistake 1: You don’t have enough qualified leads in your audience.

Even if you have a big social media following, you will struggle to sell your online coaching programs without a solid number of qualified leads.

Not sure how many qualified leads you have? Answer this question: How many of your followers are ideal clients looking for EXACTLY what you’re offering (and are in a position to invest)? If that number is low, it’s time to implement a content strategy aimed at attracting new people – the people who are in the market for your offer and are ready + willing to commit to your program.

❌ Mistake 2: You didn’t build an effective marketing runway.

At least a couple of weeks before you officially launch your offer, you should begin building a marketing runway so your audience is excited + ready to BUY once the cart is open.

During this time, you should be talking about your offer on social media and educating your audience on what the offer is + who you are as a coach. This helps to prime your followers so you’re launching to a warm (or better yet, hot) crowd. What you do NOT want to do is launch an online coaching program out of nowhere to a cold, unprepared audience – that’s a surefire way for a launch to flop.

❌ Mistake 3: Your offer is vague or doesn’t provide a clear-cut solution.

During launches, health + wellness coaches try to sell their programs by saying things like, “I’ll help you learn how to eat right, take care of your body and build sustainable habits!” – but that’s not what people really want (plus, this sounds VERY vague).

If someone is seriously looking to hire a health + fitness coach, they want a SOLUTION. They want RESULTS. With that in mind, it’s important to use your marketing to paint a clear picture of the outcome they’ll achieve after working with you, how their life will improve, how they’ll feel/look, etc. – in other words, be as specific as possible as you show your ideal clients that YOU + your program can get them from where they are to where they want to be.

❌ Mistake 4: You weren’t consistent during your launch.

It’s not enough to post about your offer on Instagram a handful of times, tell people to click the link in your bio to sign up and call it good – not if you want a successful launch.

Think of your launch as a marathon, not a sprint, and manage your energy levels accordingly so you don’t burn out and quit posting altogether. Remember: Some members of your audience will need to hear about your offer several times before they purchase – give them that opportunity throughout your launch by staying CONSISTENT with your social media marketing efforts. Once you see the sales coming in, you’ll be glad you powered through.

❌ Mistake 5: You didn’t give people a reason to buy NOW.

Creating a sense of urgency is ESSENTIAL during a launch because if people don’t have a valid reason to purchase your offer NOW, they’re far more likely to wait until “next time” (which often becomes NEVER).

This could mean offering a one-time discount that expires after a certain period of time, opening a limited number of seats, or using your marketing to convey what will happen if people don’t join your program during this launch. Where will they be in three months if they don’t have a fitness coach? How will they feel? Will they wish they’d taken a different action? Ultimately, your goal when creating urgency is to help your audience understand why they need to make their move sooner rather than later.

Want more?

I’m sharing even more on this topic on ⚡️The Best Coach Ever Podcast!⚡️

🎙 Listen to Episode 101: Why Your Last Launch Flopped (And How To Fix It) wherever you get your podcasts (and if you’re listening on Apple Podcasts, don’t forget to leave a rating and review – I would love to hear from you)! 💜

For more tips, strategies and tactics to grow your online coaching business, follow me on Instagram @lynettemarieh and join my private FB group, Coaching With Impact!