You're running quarterly launches. Every 90 days, you frantically promote a webinar, close sales for 5-7 days, then watch revenue dry up until the next launch. Between launches? Crickets. Sound exhausting? It is.
The launch model is broken. It's unpredictable, burns you out, and caps your revenue at whatever you can sell in a 7-day window 4x annually. You need an evergreen funnel that sells daily while you sleep.
Here's exactly how to build it—the same system that took our course creator clients from $120k to $372k monthly without quarterly burnout.
Why The Quarterly Launch Model Fails
The launch model worked in 2015. It's broken in 2025. Here's why:
- Feast or Famine Cash Flow: Revenue spikes during launches, flatlines between them. Try explaining that to your mortgage lender.
- Launch Fatigue: Your audience gets tired of the hype cycle. Email open rates drop. "Another launch?" becomes the reaction.
- Can't Scale Traffic: Live webinars require perfect timing. You can't run paid ads 24/7 to drive registrations for something happening next Tuesday at 2pm EST.
- Low Show-Up Rates: 30-40% of registrants actually show up. You're wasting 60% of your ad spend on no-shows.
- Burnout: You're recreating the same webinar 4x annually, answering the same questions, closing the same objections. It's exhausting.
Evergreen funnels flip the model: Sell 365 days/year, on autopilot, without the quarterly grind.
The Evergreen Funnel Blueprint
Here's the proven funnel architecture that converts cold traffic into course sales daily:
Component 1: VSL or Automated Webinar
At the core: A Video Sales Letter (VSL) or automated "evergreen webinar" that delivers your pitch 24/7.
VSL vs Automated Webinar—Which To Use?
Use a VSL (Video Sales Letter) if:
- Your course is $97-$997 (lower ticket, shorter sales cycle)
- You want immediate conversion (watch → buy now)
- Your audience is direct-response savvy (they're used to video sales pages)
- Shorter video works (15-30 minutes max)
Use an Automated Webinar if:
- Your course is $997-$2,997+ (higher ticket, needs more trust-building)
- Complex topic requiring education before purchase
- You want the "event" feel (builds perceived value and urgency)
- Longer presentation works (60-90 minutes)
Component 2: Lead Magnet or Free Challenge
Cold traffic rarely buys immediately. Capture emails first with a relevant lead magnet or free challenge:
- Lead Magnet: Free PDF/checklist/mini-course that solves a specific problem related to your paid course
- Free Challenge: 3-5 day email-based challenge that delivers quick wins and builds trust
The goal: Get them on your email list, deliver value, then pitch your paid course via email sequence.
Component 3: Email Nurture Sequence
Once they opt in, hit them with a nurture sequence that leads to your VSL/webinar:
- Day 1: Deliver lead magnet, set expectations for what's coming
- Day 2-3: Share quick wins, case studies, social proof
- Day 4: Introduce the "big problem" your course solves
- Day 5: Invite to watch VSL or register for automated webinar
- Day 6-10: Follow-up emails driving to VSL/webinar for those who haven't watched
Component 4: Sales Sequence Post-Webinar/VSL
After they watch your pitch, hit them with a time-sensitive sales sequence:
- Day 1: Reminder that cart closes in 3-5 days (create urgency)
- Day 2: Address biggest objection ("I don't have time" / "Will this work for me?")
- Day 3: Share testimonial/case study from someone like them
- Day 4: Final call to action (last chance, cart closes tonight)
- Day 5: Cart closed email (reopen opportunity quarterly for true launches if desired)
Traffic Sources That Actually Work
Facebook/Instagram Ads
Best for: Consumer-facing courses (fitness, relationships, hobbies, parenting)
Ad Strategy:
- Run ads to lead magnet or free challenge (not directly to paid course)
- Retarget email list and video viewers with VSL/webinar ads
- Budget: $2k-$10k+ monthly minimum for meaningful results
YouTube Ads
Best for: B2B courses, complex topics requiring education
Why YouTube works:
- Longer attention spans (people watch 10-20 minute videos)
- High intent (searching for solutions, not scrolling passively)
- Lower cost per view than Facebook in many niches
Organic Content + SEO
If you can't afford $2k-$10k/month in ads yet, double down on organic:
- YouTube channel publishing 2-3x weekly (optimize for search)
- Blog content targeting high-intent keywords
- Pinterest (if visual niche—recipes, design, crafts)
- TikTok/Instagram Reels (if younger audience)
Organic is slower but sustainable. Paid is faster but requires budget. Ideally, do both.
Real Example: $120k to $372k/Month
Client: Course creator selling business/marketing training ($997 course)
Starting Point:
- $120k/month from quarterly live launches
- Feast-or-famine cash flow (huge spikes during launches, flatlines between)
- Burned out from running same webinar 4x annually
- No revenue between launches
What We Built:
- Automated webinar funnel (90-minute presentation recorded once, runs 24/7)
- 5-day free email challenge as lead magnet
- Facebook/YouTube ads ($12k/month combined ad spend)
- Email nurture sequences automating the entire sales process
Results After 11 Months:
- $372k/month revenue (210% growth)
- Daily sales on autopilot (no more quarterly launches required)
- Consistent cash flow (predictable monthly revenue, not spikes)
- Launches now optional for big pushes (not required to survive)
- LTV increased 2.4x through backend offers and upsells
Conversion Benchmarks: What To Expect
Target Metrics For Profitable Funnel:
- Lead Magnet Opt-In Rate: 30-50% (ad traffic to landing page)
- VSL/Webinar Watch Rate: 40-60% watch at least 50% of presentation
- Email-to-VSL Click Rate: 20-30% of email list clicks through to watch
- VSL-to-Purchase Rate: 2-5% of viewers buy (lower ticket) / 1-3% (higher ticket)
- Cost Per Lead: $3-$10 (Facebook) / $1-$5 (YouTube)
- Cost Per Acquisition: $50-$300 for $500-$2k course = 2-10x ROI
Common Mistakes That Kill Evergreen Funnels
🚫 Mistake #1: Skipping The Nurture
Sending cold traffic directly to a sales page doesn't work. You need a lead magnet → nurture sequence → pitch funnel. Build trust first.
🚫 Mistake #2: Weak Lead Magnet
"Free PDF guide" isn't compelling enough. Your lead magnet needs to deliver real value and solve a specific problem. Free challenges work better than PDFs.
🚫 Mistake #3: No Urgency/Scarcity
If your course is always available with no deadline, people procrastinate forever. Use evergreen scarcity: "Cart closes 5 days after you watch the webinar."
🚫 Mistake #4: Underspending On Ads
$500/month won't give you enough data to optimize. You need $2k-$5k minimum to test audiences, creatives, and iterate. Go big or don't bother.
The Bottom Line
Stop burning out on quarterly launches. Build an evergreen funnel that sells daily.
The course creators making $300k-$500k+ monthly aren't launching 4x annually. They're running evergreen funnels that convert cold traffic into buyers 365 days/year—predictably, profitably, on autopilot.
This isn't theory. This is the exact funnel we build for our course creator clients—the one that took clients from $120k to $372k monthly without the quarterly grind.
You can keep burning out on launches, or you can build a system that runs while you sleep. Your choice.