Promoting Your Group Program

You’ve done the hard work of planning out the best program for your ideal client but all your hard work would be lost without a plan in place to market to your audience and beyond. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of seeing the program content take shape that the promotion and marketing of your program can become an afterthought. Unfortunately, your program won’t sell itself.

We strongly suggest that you create your marketing and promotional strategy when planning your program (if not before!). 

Here are some strategies to help you effectively promote your group program:

1. Get An Early Start

As a general rule of thumb, you’ll want to allocate 4-8 weeks to be actively marketing your program. This timeline allows for multiple marketing touchpoints or points of brand exposure for your audience. There is a direct correlation between the number of touchpoints a potential program participant is exposed to and their likelihood of taking action and registering. Think about each time a potential participant sees information on your program as an opportunity to plant a seed. Some people will be ready to buy upon first exposure while others will need more time. 

Announcing the upcoming launch of your program to your audience before it is officially ready can be an accountability strategy worth considering. This can be helpful if you find you tend to procrastinate or worse if you’re the type of person who waits until everything is ‘perfect’ to launch.  Getting an early start in marketing your program can take procrastination and perfectionism our of the equation for you. 

2. Utilize Multiple Avenues To Promote Your Program

Your marketing should take place across the different platforms your ideal client interacts with to increase your exposure and allow for more touchpoints with those who will take longer to take action. 

Here are a few channels you’re likely already using to communicate with your audience that can be used to promote your program as well.

• Social Media: Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or LinkedIn
• Email: Consider utilizing your existing email newsletter, or setting up a pre-scheduled email sequence for your promotions.
• Website: Add a pop-up or banner on your website’s homepage, to ensure all visitors are aware of your upcoming program.
• Sales Page: Create a sales page with information about your upcoming program and a way to register/buy. This is where you’ll redirect traffic from your social media channels, newsletter, etc.
• Free Online Challenge: Use your free online challenge as a way to introduce and upsell your challenge participants on your upcoming program. (read more about running a successful online challenge in our blog here).

Using different platforms to promote your program is important, but make sure the copy and content are consistent in messaging and design, yet tailored to each platform. Adapt your message to fit each platform. For example, on Twitter, you’ll need to keep it short, but make sure your hashtags resonate with your audience and that you’re linking to a sales page or where they can learn more. On Instagram, you can keep it short and sweet but also use your IG Stories to be a bit more engaging with your followers. On Facebook, you can post to your business page, your private groups, and even try your hand at paid ads. Keep in mind that like your messaging, graphics will also vary depending on where you’re promoting your program, but keep it consistent. 

3. Speak Their Language

The same way you designed your program with a particular client in mind, now’s the time to use their own words back to them. Highlight their pain points using their words, let them know how your program can help them achieve the goals that are important to them, and how you’re going to get them there.

Connect with your niche by telling a story they can relate to. This will help your followers establish a personal connection to you and the transformation you are offering.

4. Create Buyer Urgency

Creating buyer urgency is a common method to drive sales, or in this case, registrations to your program. Urgency gives prospective program participants a reason to take action now. Pose questions to your followers within your program promotion to highlight why your program is the right fit for them, and include time-sensitive reminders to create the need to take immediate action.

• Ask how much longer they are willing to deal with the pain points your program addresses.
• Offer a limited-time discount or bonus incentives.
• Let your audience that there is a limited number of registration spots available.

Buyer urgency usually highlights a pain point and uses scarcity to compel the client to make a buying decision. While every post promoting your program should be a bit different to avoid audience fatigue, be sure to include a call to action using buyer urgency questions to promote prospective clients to take immediate action.

No matter how big or small your existing community is, take the time to create an intentional marketing and promotional strategy for your program. Working on and implementing your marketing strategy can be done congruently with the build-out of your actual program content. This allows you to and also gauge the interest level of potential participants and test out different strategies if necessary.

Read the next blog in our Group Program series, “Running Your Group Program“!

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