Even if you're not posting any content, don’t neglect to do gentle launches 🌱
Maybe it’s my fault.
I’ve written and spoken for years about how beneficial it is to be creating content consistently.
Now, some of you are feeling guilty if you aren’t being consistent with it.
You might even be letting it stop you from doing gentle launches on a consistent basis.
What’s a “gentle launch”? Very simply put: it’s posting 1-2 messages on social media (and to your email newsletter) about your current service or upcoming program.
A client said to me (and I bet some of you can relate to this) –
"My website is a mess...
and I haven't blogged in a while..
...nor have I sent a Newsletter in a long time!
How can I launch something?"
These are limiting beliefs.
The truth is that you can do a gentle launch anytime – successfully – even without having ever produced a single word of free content.
You always and forever have an existing audience: your friends, your family, your colleagues and classmates, and the other people they can introduce to your work.
People who see your offer will buy it, if they want it.
Keep your launches simple
"The project is so big in my mind…I just want to get going and create energy... to see that I can make a difference." –reader who is stuck with launching.
There is a kind of perfectionistic idea on which you're fixated, regarding what a launch is supposed to look like.
Instead, a gentle launch can be very simple… which is a good idea for most of us overwhelmed solopreneurs!
- Set a date (a few weeks out) for a free small-group session where you’ll teach a bit about the topic for which you provide services. Plan to offer no recording, because it’s simpler that way, and will get you better attendance and engagement.
- Announce the free event on social media. Let them know that it's going to be a small group, no more than 10 people, and that you’ll be teaching and doing some Q&A about the topic. In your post, ask people to comment (or message you) if they’re planning to attend.
- Send to a few friends the link to that post, in case they didn’t see it.
- When people tell you they’re interested, reply to their message with the Zoom link. If they commented, let them know you’ll message them privately, so that the Zoom link remains private, to prevent Zoombombing.
- A few hours before the event, send a reminder to the interested attendees.
- Towards the end of your event, mention that you have a service related to the topic and see if they have any questions about it.
- Send to the attendees a follow-up asking what they thought of the event, and if any questions about the service you provide.
The key is to start getting back into your community. Do a gentle launch like described above, to see if people are interested.
If they’re somewhat interested (or know people who are), let them know you’d be grateful to talk with them, to find out how you can shape your skills to better match what people are seeking at this time.
Business happens when you sell what someone else wants.
Keep coming back to that simplicity.
Stop feeling guilty about not creating content consistently.
Don't let it stop you from doing a gentle launch for your next thing.
Launching/announcing your services/programs on a regular basis is the lifeblood of a business.
Yes – it is fine to never create content, and only announce your services.
There, I’ve said it.
You can even disappear from your audience for a year or more, and then the very first message they get from you can simply be an announcement about your next event or current service offered.
It's not my preferred method, of course, but I would rather see you selling on a regular basis, even if you never create/post any content.
Keep it simple!
