After launching a course and achieving initial success, the next logical step is ensuring that you can continue generating consistent sales. That’s where an evergreen funnel comes into play. An evergreen funnel allows you to automate the selling process, making your course available for purchase every day without the need to manually “open the cart” each time. By leveraging this powerful system, you can create a passive income stream that generates sales even when you’re not actively promoting. In this article, we’ll break down the components of an evergreen funnel, how to structure and build it, and strategies for optimization to make it work for your co-produced course.
What is an Evergreen Funnel?
An evergreen funnel is an automated sales process that operates 24/7, allowing you to generate sales without constantly managing the process. It’s a systematic, automated path that guides potential customers from discovering your offer to making a purchase, all while providing value at every step. When implemented correctly, an evergreen funnel can help you scale your sales and grow your business exponentially.
The beauty of an evergreen funnel lies in its automation. Once set up, the funnel continues to work for you, driving traffic and sales on autopilot. However, designing an effective evergreen funnel requires careful planning and execution. Here’s how to approach building a high-converting funnel that aligns with your co-produced course.
The Structure of an Evergreen Funnel
An evergreen funnel typically includes five key elements that work together to guide your leads through a smooth journey. Each step is designed to build trust and encourage a purchase, whether the lead finds your brand today or tomorrow. Here’s the breakdown:
1. Lead Magnet: Capturing Emails
The first step in an evergreen funnel is attracting your audience’s attention with a lead magnet. This is a free resource (such as an ebook, checklist, or webinar) that provides immediate value and encourages potential customers to share their email address. This is crucial because it allows you to continue nurturing the relationship through email, even if they don’t make a purchase right away.
Your lead magnet should be aligned with the course you’re promoting. For instance, if you’re co-producing a course on personal finance, your lead magnet might be a free budgeting template or an introductory webinar about financial planning.
2. Nurture Sequence: Building Trust
After capturing emails, the next step is to nurture the relationship with your leads. The nurture sequence is a series of emails that build trust, provide value, and set the stage for the sale. In these emails, you’ll educate your audience, share insights, and demonstrate your expertise. This is where you create a sense of connection and position yourself as the solution to their problem.
The nurture sequence should be thoughtful and provide meaningful content. It can include personal stories, case studies, or valuable insights from your co-produced course that show why your product is the right solution for them. You’ll want to keep your audience engaged and excited about what’s coming next.
3. Core Webinar or Value Video: Explaining the Transformation
At the heart of most evergreen funnels is a core webinar or a value-packed video that explains the transformation your course offers. This step is critical, as it provides an opportunity for you to dive deep into your course content, demonstrate the benefits, and showcase why your offer is worth their investment.
The core video should be focused on delivering value, not just on selling. When potential customers understand how your course will solve their problems or help them achieve their goals, they’ll be much more likely to purchase. Your core video should include:
- A detailed overview of your course.
- Testimonials or case studies showing how your course has helped others.
- A clear explanation of the transformation they can expect after completing your course.
4. Limited-Time Offer: Creating Urgency
To encourage leads to take immediate action, you’ll need to create a sense of urgency. This is typically done by offering a limited-time bonus or discount. The key is to make sure your leads understand that the offer is real and time-sensitive.
Tools like Deadline Funnel can help you add urgency by providing each lead with a personalized timer. For example, once they register for the webinar or download the lead magnet, they could receive a 48-hour timer to purchase your course at a discounted rate or with added bonuses. This pressure increases conversions, as people are more likely to act when they feel they could miss out on something valuable.
5. Follow-Up Emails: Converting Hesitant Leads
Not everyone will buy your course right after watching your webinar or value video, and that’s where follow-up emails come in. These emails should target hesitant leads by addressing their concerns, offering additional bonuses, and reiterating the value of your course. It’s essential to nurture these leads through additional emails, answering questions and helping them see why purchasing your course is the best next step.
Your follow-up emails should emphasize the benefits, use social proof, and reinforce the urgency of the limited-time offer. By crafting compelling messages, you can push your leads over the finish line and convert them into paying customers.
Choosing the Right Funnel Format for Your Course
While the structure of the evergreen funnel remains similar across various industries and niches, there are different formats you can choose from. The most common evergreen funnel formats include:
Webinar Funnels
A webinar funnel is one of the most effective ways to sell a course, especially for higher-ticket or transformational courses. Webinars allow you to provide in-depth value while demonstrating your expertise. During the webinar, you can give away actionable insights, showcase case studies, and directly promote your course.
Automated Video Series
For those who may not be comfortable with live webinars, an automated video series is another great option. This format allows you to deliver value through a series of pre-recorded videos, gradually moving leads toward the purchase. With a video series, you have the flexibility to structure each video around specific topics, showcasing your knowledge and addressing pain points along the way.
Email-Only Sequences
For lower-ticket courses or simpler offers, a simple email-only sequence might work best. These funnels rely on email marketing to deliver value and build trust, guiding leads through a series of informative emails that ultimately lead to the course sale.
Automating Your Funnel with the Right Tools
To make your evergreen funnel run smoothly, you’ll need the right automation tools. Here are a few essential tools you should consider:
- Email Marketing Platforms: ConvertKit, ActiveCampaign, and MailerLite are popular email marketing tools that allow you to automate your nurture sequence and follow-up emails.
- Urgency Tools: Deadline Funnel is great for adding countdown timers to your funnel, ensuring that each user gets a personalized experience.
- Course Delivery Platforms: Platforms like ThriveCart, Kajabi, and Hotmart allow you to host and deliver your course content, integrate payment processing, and manage sales.
Once you’ve set up your funnel with these tools, it’s important to test it manually before automating everything. Check for broken links, ensure that your emails are correctly delivered, and make sure the timing is right for the urgency elements.
Monitoring and Optimizing Your Evergreen Funnel
Creating an evergreen funnel is only the first step. Once your funnel is live, you’ll need to constantly monitor its performance and make adjustments. Key metrics to track include:
- Email Open and Click Rates: These will tell you how well your subject lines and email copy are performing.
- Webinar Attendance: If you’re using a webinar format, you’ll want to track how many people attend the webinar and how long they stay engaged.
- Sales Page Conversion Rates: Track how many visitors to your sales page end up making a purchase.
- Refund Requests: High refund rates may indicate that your offer isn’t aligned with the expectations set by your funnel.
By testing various elements, such as subject lines, video titles, calls to action, and bonus offerings, you can make incremental improvements. Even a small 1% increase in conversion rates can add up to significant revenue over time.
Crafting a Profitable Evergreen Funnel for Co-Produced Courses
Creating a successful evergreen funnel for your co-produced course is a process that takes time and strategy. By understanding the structure, choosing the right format, automating with the right tools, and optimizing continually, you can build a system that generates passive revenue while allowing you the time freedom to focus on other aspects of your business.
With patience and constant iteration, an evergreen funnel can become your best sales tool, turning leads into loyal customers and generating consistent, automated sales. By strategically positioning your course, creating value, and nurturing your leads through every step of the funnel, you’ll be able to build a profitable sales system that works for you, even while you sleep.