Hey there and welcome to this first lesson in the “Running Your Beta” module.
And we’re going to set everything up by just asking: What’s a Beta and Why Run One?
Because if we don’t understand those two things, we’re in trouble, right?
What is a Beta Launch Anyway?
So let’s start with a simple definition.
A “beta” is a type of course launch where you take a small group of students through an early version of your program.
So the basic idea is that you test your course with a few friendly folks so you can revise it before doing a full launch later on.
In fact, we already talked in an earlier module about this idea of building a course prototype. It’s an experimental version of your course that has just enough content, created to a just “good enough” standard, to put in front of some real people.
Running your beta means finding those people, leading them through your prototype course and making sure both you and your students get what you need from the process.
How is a Beta Different from a Full Launch?
In practice, there are several key differences between a beta launch and a full launch.
First, as we’ve already said, the course content may be more basic than the full version. It may use a simpler format and not be 100% complete right away.
Second, getting students into your beta will rely more on word of mouth and one-to-one conversations than a formal marketing campaign.
Third, once up and running, you may need to provide more hands-on support to students than in the full version to fill any unintentional gaps in the material.
And as a bonus difference, you’ll probably run the course for a fixed length of time, even if you ultimately plan to offer a more open-ended, self-paced model.
Why Run a Beta Launch at All?
On the surface, running a beta and then doing a full launch later on feels like extra work compared with cutting straight to the full launch.
But what you’re really doing is catching potential problems with the content or the process sooner rather than later.
In fact, there are three main reasons to run a beta version of your course before running that full launch.
- Getting the student feedback you need to make revisions before the full launch.
- Getting the testimonials that will be so valuable when marketing the full course.
- Raising the general levels of awareness about your course to help future launches.
So let’s look briefly at each of these in turn, starting with feedback.
Reason #1: Feedback
No matter how well you know your topic or how hard you work on your course the first version will be… well, let’s just say less effective than it could be.
And the best people for spotting any deficiencies with your early version are people from your target market.
They’ll tell you what’s missing and what’s redundant. They’ll let you know which concepts they need more help to understand. They’ll tell you whether your method is easy to follow and, more importantly, works.
That type of feedback is like gold. It’s what will help you make your next iteration as good as possible before launching it.
Reason #2: Testimonials
Next: testimonials. One of the challenges with promoting a brand new course is overcoming people’s natural aversion to risk.
While new means “fresh and exciting” to some people, it can mean “unproven and risky” to others. People are wary of getting burned.
In the early days of your course, the only person vouching for it is you. And let’s face it, you have a vested interest in telling people how great it is.
So as soon as possible, you’ll want other people to vouch for its greatness too.
That’s where testimonials from you beta students come in. They’re powerful proof that your program is trustworthy and effective.
Reason #3: Awareness
Okay, now let’s talk about awareness. The longer your course has been in someone’s consciousness the easier it will be to persuade them it’s a trustworthy option for reaching their goal.
Some people who are just a perfect fit for your course will want to feel like it’s been around for a little while before they’re ready to buy. So the sooner you can get it on people’s radars the better.
Launching a beta creates buzz around your course and people who don’t sign up this time around will feel more comfortable the next time it comes around.
How Does a Beta Launch Break Down?
To wrap up this lesson, let’s look at how a typical beta launch breaks down.
Because a well-planned beta usually breaks down into four high-level phases: Interest, Enrolment, Delivery and Wrap-up.
- Phase 1: Interest is where you start talking to people in high–level terms about your plans to run a beta course. Your goal is compiling an “interest list” with names of people who want to find out more.
- Phase 2: Enrolment is where you firm up the details of your beta and move the people on your interest list towards a decision about signing up. Your goal is enrolling enough people for your beta to go ahead.
- Phase 3: Delivery is about setting up your course, onboarding your students, delivering your content and providing support. Your goal here is getting students to the end result and gathering their feedback.
- Phase 4: Wrap-up is all about drawing a line under your beta launch and gathering final feedback and testimonials.
Ready to Go Deeper?
So those are the four phases and that’s everything for this lesson.
You should now have a good overview of what to expect from running your beta.
And if you’re ready to go deeper on that first phase, where you drum up some interest in your beta course, I’ll see you in the next lesson.