Debriefing Our DCA Affiliate Experience with Brittany McBean
I've just finished up my first affiliate launch for Amy Porterfield’s Digital Course Academy, and in Episode 5 of The Launch Playbook Podcast, I’m sharing my perspective about what went really well during this launch AND what lessons I learned from Amy’s launch that I know you’ll want to try out yourself.
Get your notebook, this is going to be a good one as I’m joined by fellow launch strategist and copywriter, Brittany McBean, who was a DCA affiliate too.
I talked to Brittany about...
- how being an affiliate is different than launching your own offer
- peeking into the "gold-star standard" of launches
- why seeing Amy Porterfield's launch was a reminder that it's a place to get to rather than a place to start
- how your goals relate to how often you launch
- deciding to be a DCA affiliate and ideas to help you decide if being one is for you
- what a valuable resource DCA has been for us over the years for our own clients
- choosing our DCA affiliate bonuses
- how to stand out and wow your audience even when other affiliates have huge audiences
- the 'Oops' we both made that impacted our focus during the DCA launch
- the totally amazing support and resources that Team Porterfield provided
- the importance of a long launch runway
- what a difference Amy's pre-launch 30-day bootcamp Facebook group seemed to make
- creating a sense of community around your product before people buy it
- Amy's gift of tackling the objections, fears, and anxieties people go through before buying DCA (and when to not buy)
- why we think DCA had the biggest cart open day ever and bigger than their cart close day
- the neat thing Amy did on her Thank You page that stood out to us
- why you want to create a Christmas morning launch
People and things mentioned in this episode
Brittany's What's Your Marketing X-Factor? quiz
Become a Digital Course Academy affiliate
Sara's The Launch Playbook Club
Learn more about our guest, Brittany McBean
Brittany McBean is a conversion copywriter who helps online entrepreneurs stand out with crystal clear messaging and a laser-focused strategy.
She writes all the best words, the greatest words, beautiful words. Bigly words.
She loves writing personality-packed websites, emails & launches that make the big bucks (like, 6-figure bucks). And teaching people how to be unapologetically confident, relentlessly snarky, and remarkably persuasive.
When she's not daydreaming about funnel strategies and trying to write clever puns...you'll find her chasing her toddler around the house screaming, "Stop eating that!"
After said child's bedtime she's usually parked on her couch next to her husband, rearranging Trello boards, and binging Season 2 of The Office for the 147th time.
Her love languages are pizza, sarcasm & naps. Her favorite things to talk about are persuasion psychology, sales copy, her journey through infertility and mental health, and open adoption. She believes in the Oxford comma and will fight you on it.
Read the full transcript so you don't miss a thing
Sara: I've just finished up my first affiliate launch for Amy Porterfield digital course Academy. And in today's episode, I'll be sharing my perspective about what went really well during this launch. And what lessons I learned from Amy's launch that I know you'll want to try out yourself. Get your notebook This is going to be a good one as I'm joined by fellow launch strategist and copywriter, Brittany McBean, who is a DCA affiliate to your listening to the launch playbook podcast, the weekly podcast for service based business owners to discover the starts, stops and tools to transformation that go into launching their online offers. I'm your host, Sara Vartanian. And if you want to launch your ideas into the world faster with more success and less burnout. Well friend, consider this show your secret playbook to get you there.
I'm so excited to welcome Brittany McBean to the launch playbook podcast today. Brittany and I are both launch copywriters and recently we are part of Amy Porterfield digital course Academy affiliates. And we thought we'd get together today and have a chat and a debrief to share with you some of our biggest takeaways from being both an affiliate but also what we saw some of the cool things that Amy Porterfield was doing. So welcome Brittany, thanks for joining me today.
Brittany: Hey, Ben, thanks for having me on.
Sara: So tell us a little bit about what you do and where we can find you.
Brittany: Yeah, I am much like yourself a launch copywriter. I specialize in personality packed persuasion copy, but not alliterations ironically enough, and I primarily write launch copy quizzes and funnels for online course creators, membership creators online educators. And so that is what I do. So I get to be the strategist for a lot of launches, and kind of get to see, you know, the back end and helping make a little like launch baby before it goes out into the world. So this was a fascinating experience being not just a part of the launch baby, making it I don't know what that's like, apparently, that's gonna be anything, but then also participating in it. And that felt really different and kind of cool like it. It was, I don't know how you felt it felt a little bit more like a this weird mix between like doing my own lunch, but also doing a client launch. Not that I was necessarily doing anything. It's just that like partnering with someone was such a unique experience. So So yeah, that was really interesting. I'd be interested to hear how, how you experienced that?
Sara: Yeah, I love it. I like launch baby. I think you should maybe.
Brittany: there's something there. Like with birthing like, I've got to work out the whole network. it's there.
Sara: Like that, honestly, that's one of my favorite things in general about being a launch copywriter. Is that like seeing behind the doors of so many launches, to so many takeaways and then be able to use that with other clients also juicy takeaways. Yeah, so for the DCA launch, I was like, I did feel like that I was like writing my own copy and like planning my own launching schedule around it, but then also seeing what's going on, like, with Amy Porterfield launch and getting to, like, what's the ganas peek into like a goldstar stack of launches that have been going on? Like, it's pretty amazing. I know. For me, though, I also felt like, like, that's what it's like to have a team, like a big team to really execute a lot.
Brittany: Yeah, yeah, I one thing that I'm really grateful for with our job is because you and I, like do something very, very similar with similar climates is what seeing all these different kinds of launches, as one helped me realize like there's no launch box to fit in. And there's one that works best for you. Yeah, but there's there's always the the right now where you are launched, just like starting where you are, but there's also always somewhere to grow. So it's so great, like, getting to be scrappy, when I feel like my business is a little bit smaller, and then helping my clients who are significantly further along in their business, or maybe just generating a large amount of revenue, do these launches, it makes sense for them, but then also seeing what Amy's doing and it was almost like seeing like you said that gold star actually, like the gold star standard actually helped me like lower some of the pressure I have for my own business and products and launches because it was like, Oh, that's where that's a place to get to. That's not a place to like start like that isn't what we should be not sure. But you know what it? Does that make sense?
Sara: Yeah. makes so much sense. Because I mean, I have I'm sure you've you've had it probably too but people coming to me and wanting to execute on that level elective launch or what it looks like on the outside to them, you know, on their first launch, and they haven't like on a non tested product, let's say or not tested offer. And to realize that like there's so many things behind that that are making that work like I know me like Amy's been just like once a year, right? Like, that's a year on the mat
Brittany: And that launch has to generate multi million dollars for her business like that is her goal that is what sustains her team. You know, like, when my clients come to me with their goals, maybe they're launching once or twice a year, you know, their goal is multiple six figures, right. And even that feels just amazing. And like, it's so it's such a gift to write words that make them multi six figures. But like, we're not all running a million dollar launch. And Amy has just done such a beautiful job of, of setting that up that it's like, oh, we can steal these little million dollar nuggets for my five figure business or whatever, you know.
Sara: Yeah, yeah, for sure. And I'm hoping that's what we're gonna, you know, share today. So, let's jump into first maybe what made you decide to, you know, be a doobie, a DCA affiliate this round? And what were some of the things that you think worked really well for you? And then also, maybe they didn't work as well, or that you would change next time if you join again?
Brittany: Yeah, good question. So I actually when I took the course, I was like, I want to be an affiliate, not just because affiliate sounded cool and sexy, or because like, other people, I mean, it does, it sounds super sexy. But, but it was, it's so aligned with what I do. Like I write, for course creators, a lot of people in my audience who I, you know, educate with free content and show up for our course creators, or that is a goal in their business. So it was so aligned, but I want to stay in my lane, like I do the strategy, I do the copy, I do the messaging, I do, like the research. So that is, so I guess, like supplementary and supportive of launching and creating courses and creating and launching courses. Like in that order. I can't do it better than me. So for me, it was like this, this course is a part of the journey that my audience goes through. And I can help them with some parts of it. And this course can help them with other parts of it. But it's all one journey. So it like it felt super aligned. One I really like Amy as a human, not that we're like BFFs. But she is someone who I respect, there's there are plenty of influencers out there who like I could care less about, right. But like, she's someone I really respect, her course was just unbelievably valuable. Like, I cannot sell anything that I don't believe in, especially in the middle of 2020. Like when I'm telling people to go spend $2,000 like it's gonna be you're gonna stand behind. Yeah. So yeah, just a combination of her being who she is the value that it delivers it being so aligned with what I do, and the industry, I do it. And then, most importantly, being a part of the journey that my audience is already going through. It just it just made sense. And I think that it felt good. And it worked because it naturally fit in my business model. So well and fit in my messaging and what I do, you know, I'm not, oh my gosh, I don't know, a life coach, which would be amazing. And I'm sure that there are life coaches, who are really phenomenal affiliates, but like that, that would have been a hard, like puzzle piece to fit in there. So
Sara: yeah, and yeah, I feel like my pretty much the same reasons as you like, it felt like really aligned. And then people it was like a part of the journey of my clients, right. And also, over the years, I've worked with some people who've, like been through a course and then have come back to me for like the second launch and wanted to do the copy and work with a copywriter. So it felt like I kept going into that world and that my clients need to create those courses. Also, like a former teacher, I love her step by step style. Like I'm just really drawn to that in general. I think she's a great teacher and not every course out there. They can be great courses. But not everyone can deliver those courses in a really strong solid way. And I love that Amy really does.
Brittany: hundred percent underrepresented. I even like in the launch one thing I was saying, because I really tried to show people all of the different things that while it may be I'm kind of getting a little bit into the strategy. So I'll back up I will go there, but I really like I was trying to explain to them at what a valuable asset This is to my business like today, not just when I took it. And yes, I am creating a course yes, I'm launching a course and in a couple months and yes, that has been a huge resource but as a launch copywriter as a launch strategist. I am constantly going back into her course and just like looking at things just using it as like a brainstorm session, a reference going in and seeing like, Oh, I forgot what the average was for this conversion. Let's see if Amy listed it in her course. Or my like Happy ideas are running dry. Let's see if anything like sparks, like, I'm not gonna go use the swipes in there because I'm a copywriter, but like, what if that sparks something? Or like, oh, does she have a calculator for this so that I don't have to create it from scratch, right. So like, it is such a valuable resource for a online course business or a business in the online course world that like, not only, I mean, I got my money back, like the second I joined that Facebook group, that's where I got all my first clients from, right, like when I grow here, yes, like literally like first project investment back and I will make it back like 1020 times, you know, once I'm launching a course, but every single day, it's a resource for my business. So yeah, I just think it's such a valuable piece of education to have, if this is a world that you're in, even if your launch strategy, or your teaching style is a little bit different than what she's teaching, if that makes sense.
Sara: Yeah, that makes good sense. I love hearing that you use it, like I do, I also go back into it quite often. And the clients I know, have it I refer to them, like go check that part out again, like when they're writing the webinars or because I don't tend to write like the webinar copy, but I'll know because some strategy and feedback around it, but if they have Amy's course I'm like go there.
Brittany: Yeah, exactly, exactly
Sara: So when you were doing did cheat, like doing the affiliate for yourself? What were some of the things that went really well for you that you would repeat in the future?
Brittany: Yeah, so, you know, it's really funny, you know, they like I quote this all the time, like, every time I'm teaching, I always say the Seth Godin quote, but you know, Seth Godin says that you want to create products for your customers, not customers for your products. And so when it came down to my bonus, sweet, like, I had some things I'd created, you know, like, I'm a big believer in sell your soda soda into your Google Drive and see what's in there. That's valuable, right, so I had some stuff, but I also was just like, I wanted to build out stuff that I am working on building out a shop and like I said, I'm launching a course myself so like, I need a bonuses anyway. And, and so I went to a woman who was really like my ideal client for this, like, she was like that person I had in mind. And we have recently connected and she was just really sweet. And I knew that she was excited about DCA and she had already told me she was going to buy for me like weeks. And I just said, Okay, if you were like Dreamworld, no limits, what would the bonus package look like for you that like really helped you succeed? And she told me, and then I created, like, I literally was like, Great, thank you. And so that's made for you. Yeah, well, exactly. And it was and she bought, like, within the first 30 seconds was open, but then so did other people. But it just kind of helped me like not second guess like, Oh, what? And not I really tried hard to I'll tell you a couple things that I did if I to be more succinct. I want to like be clear about this. So I do think that yes, creating a bonus package specifically for the people in my audience. But with that, not looking at what everyone else was doing. There are a lot of really talented, really successful, brilliant people affiliate launching some of our copywriters, like some are people directly in our industry in our field, and I quote so easily could have like gone back through last year's emails and see what they did and their strategy and their and I just thought like,
I can't compete with them. This isn't competition, like my audience is not their audience, maybe there is overlap, maybe I can serve in a different place, maybe they can serve in a different place. So I just really like have my blinders on. I stayed in my lane, and I was like, Okay, what messaging? What strategy is aligned with what I've already been showing up and saying for the past, like, two years in my business, you know, it's not gonna feel like it's out of the blue. How can I position Amy as an expert and alignment with the business and just really try to like, stay in my lane, and I didn't look at the emails other people are sending, and I didn't look at their bonus packages, because like, there's, it's just apples and oranges. Right. So that, that I think really helped. And the other thing I'll say that I think I did well, in terms of that before launch started. Before there was anything to compare to I did think okay, what happens around digital course Academy launch, everybody in their mother talks about why you need to create a digital course. So I kind of assumed that my audience was going to already be getting that message. So instead of convincing them they needed to create a digital course, I tried to show them that I was the best guide for them in DCA, if that makes sense. So I kind of had a slightly different messaging strategy there rather than just, hey, you need a digital course. Let me tell you all the things that a digital course can do for your business. Because I knew that basically everyone else is doing that work. So I thought okay, like what gap Can I fill in? And how can I help them understand all the other things that go on and how I can serve them and how I serve my clients and all of that stuff. So I I'd probably try to find those gaps again, rather than just trying to say the same thing differently, if that makes sense.
Sara: Yeah, I love that you thought about, like that messaging piece? Where were they already were and what they already know. Because that's what we do as copywriters. Right? But then you really took that a step further here thinking, Well, everyone else is going to be talking about them why they need a course Amy's already doing that. So how do you take them that next step further to show that you're that person?
Brittany: Yeah, exactly. Look, leveraging. And I only want to say this, because of like, like, people who are listening who might be like, well, I can compete with like, like, the Jenna cutters who have like 10s of hundreds of thousands of audience members and our affiliate watching, right? And that's fine. Like, we're not competing with her. She's not our competition. She's great in her own right. But like, what did? What could I offer them that someone else couldn't? And I was thinking, well, a smaller audience means more support. So let me offer more intimate support or more like one on one or more guided support, rather than maybe some more scalable products kind of thing. So yeah, I think it's just like, leveraging what you what you have, rather than thinking about what you don't have.
Sara: And I think where you are right now, like in our business, I went the same tact as you I thought, what I can do right now to stand out is support them, either one on one or in a small group. Because I can still do that in my business right now. But maybe next year or the year after, I won't be able to.
Brittany: Yes, exactly. And all that means is that note like in even just any launch, any anything you're doing, what that means is if you can show up and like literally like, wow, their pants off, then that means you have crazy testimonials for the next time you launch anything. Anything reviewing like this person helped me change my life, blah, blah, blah, whatever. And you you like, then you can start to scale a little bit. But having those people who are singing your praises, because of how much you showed up and served. I mean, that's powerful.
Sara: For sure. I love that you call that about like scaling eventually. But right now, something I talk about a lot is like, sometimes what we need to do things are sort of unscalable in our business because of like things like building connection. Or when we get to talk with those people, right? Who like bought with us through DCA because we were giving them that one to one sport or that, you know, small group support, we actually then get a direct line to hear from those people like what were their thoughts? Why did they join DC what's going on with them, so we can turn around next year, and know so much more about those people to make our bonus? Even better?
Brittany: Yeah, I mean, the more in the trenches you are with them, like, the further you removed you are then the harder it is to find like it's the heart of the messaging, which doesn't mean that that's a negative thing. If you've been able to scale and grow an audience at all, it just means that you do have to dig a little deeper to really hear where they are.
Sara: Exactly. The other thing I kept in mind when I was putting together my bonus suite was that there's all those, like, they don't always need more stuff, right? Sometimes they need something to actually access more than let's call it like supplementary materials or like, and that access would help them accelerate their success through DCA as opposed to here's another course I already have to go through. And I did give them some of my like sawdust as you say like I give them a launch kit, but not necessarily throwing all my things at them just because I had created them.
Brittany: Yeah, 100%.
Sara: So what maybe didn't go so well for you.
Brittany: So, back in like July, I told my VA like we had this on our calendar, I knew that we were affiliating I said okay, block off this like three weeks or a month and remember exactly how long it was. We said block off this like enter calendar, no client work. We're stopping client work. And I'm just focusing on DCA. And I'm sure you can guess the end of this story. I had a client work every minute of every day all the way through DCA I had clients launching third DCA because I just, I'm I'm in a season in my business where we're really growing and serving like, kind of bigger and better and I wasn't willing to slow that down and and, and I did end up bringing on some additional writers and some help for those clients. But it definitely all of the DCA decisions I was making were very like in the moment, not necessarily scattered or panicked or like stressful, but every email was written like the day of or day before and sometimes I think that really helps like sometimes you're really able to keep a pulse on things. I don't know if it did, maybe it did a little bit but I also think that I could have really dug deeper. And, you know, like I wanted to send out everyone in videos, who is opening like emails in the last couple of days, I just wanted to check in personally and help them make that decision whether it was right for them or not. And I didn't have time to do that I was a little bummed about that. And then the other thing would be pre launch, like I had blocked out all this time for my pre launch. I had a pre launch strategy, I had the content, I said that it was a non negotiable. And then as client work became busy, it became negotiable. And I still think like I had a pre launch it helped and made a really big difference. It was strategic. And I think that I not necessarily could have done more. So it's not always about more, but I think I could have done a little bit. gone a little bit deeper in the pre launch. Does that make sense?
Sara: Yeah, I feel like you're telling my story right now Brittany?
Brittany: Did that like lunch copywriter? launching writing launches verse.
Sara: Yep, exactly. Yeah. I totally blocked it out. And then, at the time, I remember telling like my bestie I'm like, I've blocked this out. I'm not doing anything else from things like August 4, or whatever, like through.
Brittany: Oh, yeah. My VA was like, Brittany, are you like that?
Sara: Don't say anything, don't judge me. either. I had like some, you know, past clients were like, oh, like, we've kind of shifted our date or actually want to add this on. And I wanted to serve them. And so yeah, I did that sort of, I would say I had I sacrificed my original launch plans. I still did some pre launch. But I definitely definitely was like, more sporadic that I had planned. And I was also running like, the day before or the morning of times. And I, I was really glad that they had that really, they had great, that great affiliate package they gave us. So it gave me a starting point to think about but as a copywriter. I didn't really want to use that because my own stuff. But it did help me kind of get into the frame of mind before I would write. But I felt like that was something that I didn't do. How I originally had planned as well was to put that time in and I thought that I also was going to send like, Bom Bom videos to people.
Brittany: And I did think it's important to remember and this is more for like you than our audience but but also, like, the things that we do in our business that we're like naturally good at. Sometimes it's okay to not take your own medicine, like I wouldn't ever tell my client to write something the day of for a launch or to just do it in the moment because their skill set is the thing that they're teaching and selling. So yeah, like, like that could have been good and would have been good. And it's always great to plan. Like, that's never not going to help. But we probably also did a pretty decent job because this is what we're good at. And we have a knack for this. We have an instinct for this. And we do it every day. And so I don't know, I want to give like both of us a little bit of grace. It's true. Yeah. But also like, let me permission, maybe not take your own medicine, if like all the time, if, if this is your gift, like maybe it's okay to, to do it a little, a little low key, right, for sure.
Sara: Other thing to keep in mind, you know, for for both of us and anyone listening to is that, like, when you approach any launch, whether it's affiliate launch or your own launch, that it's it's just the first time right or maybe it's like the next time and every time you're going to add on another layer in there or add something else on that we don't have to go from like zero to, you know, 100 Plus, in that first time we're doing it we can build on
Brittany: Exactly, exactly. Don't bring your multimillion dollar logic, you don't have a multimillionaire
Sara: And then just know that next time, you'll do a little bit more, and you'll change it up. So it's like getting out that. And I think that goes back to what you're saying beginning that there's all sorts of ways that you can launch and get it out there. And I think it all kind of works, right? But it's just doing it and making a decision and then next time changing it up and paying attention to what was working for you and what didn't work so well.
Today's episode is brought to you by the launch playbook club. It's a place for service based business owners who want to launch a course membership or group offer and are tired of trying to figure out all on their own. With weekly copy critiques and strategy calls for personal feedback, access to tech roadblock busting q&a sessions, monthly training around six figure launch strategies and templates for all your launch copy needs. The launch playbook club is your roadmap to accelerate the success of your
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Sara: So we talked a little bit about what went well for us and what we did. What do you think was really amazing but what Amy did like what would you like to share that maybe people who weren't affiliates didn't see or notice or aren't launched strategists like asking copywriters, what was really some takeaways you have.
Brittany: D all of the above, I mean, everything everything. It means such an amazing job being like she's such a scalable cheerleader, like she is so able to show up and cheerlead. And you know that like, she doesn't have a lot of time, and you know that her team is putting together this stuff, you still feel like she is really cheering you on. And as someone who wants to serve an audience and wants to Well, I hate the word audience, but you know, to me wants to serve people wanting to learn what we know, and what we can teach and wanting to grow a list and grow a business and in grow an audience, just kind of, like taking note of what what it takes to stay really personable and relatable while also boundaries. And so I really appreciated that, like how it was clear that her team was serving us. And there was somebody who has a full time job. And I didn't realize this, like there's someone whose full time job, like all year long is just being the, like the partner liaison, basically. And she was just phenomenal. And so yeah, it was really great. Like, seeing how she is able to let her team serve her people, and how she shows up and cheer leads. And it's just like, it was a good reminder of we don't have to do everything. And people can feel really supported by the people we have trained like that. Even that, like I know, that isn't specifically launching. But that was just a good takeaway, cuz we always assume like, I have to be doing everything, and everybody has to see me and and so I really liked that the So one thing that people may not know, because I had no idea. I thought that affiliate launching which is kind of like you get in a Facebook group, and it's a big like, hurrah party, and there's leaderboards. And it is and there were I didn't stay in there a lot because I am really competitive. And because I knew that that like would not have been good for my head to see numbers that were so unrealistic. And because I didn't have a ton of like launching questions. So I love that that atmosphere and there was unbelievable, it would not have been a healthy place for me with where I am in my business right now. But like I kind of thought that's what launching was, I was just shocked like, beyond amazed at the amount of support and resources we got, like we got a welcome packet that like if you had a question and for anything in the world of Amy Porterfield of digital course Academy, it was there. Even just like we got our our leads emailed out to us daily, I don't think I really understood that, like my business was getting a leads list of DC leads. So what that means is, and I don't mean to be like telling you something I already know, this was all brand new to me. But each of the affiliates, we get our own unique links that are basically cookie. So if we share one of Amy's lead magnets, and you click on it via our link, then your name gets attributed to us functionally as a lead, even though you're more than a lead. But but so we are getting these daily updates of leads list, which is really cool, because then we can see like who in our audience is, is checking this out at our link who's downloading Amy's lead magnets via our affiliate link. And that was just I was like, God, we are living in the future. Like this
is just amazing.
Sara: It's so informative. Yeah, it was so interesting to see.
Brittany: Yeah, so that was really cool. So yeah, just like the crazy amount of information and support and the fact that there was a full time staff member meant that any question like you sent an email and within a couple hours, you got an email back from Team Porterfield, and you posted a question in the Facebook group. And that support was really impressive. And so just noting, like, what that took to support someone, and also how supported I felt, even when it was a team member, those are all really good lessons from me.
Sara: I know, one of the things that stood out to me was that they gave us the affiliate, they gave us all like a swipe file. So a list of emails that we could use for certain phases and the launch and then also ad copy and social copy. And even though that was something I really use, I like loved reading through it. But it just made me realize like how much again how much copy goes into launching, make it really they had she had her own emails, then all the ones they created for us and the assets like that is a big package. What's happening there, there's a lot of gold on.
Brittany: my gosh. Just so much like No wonder she launched an ounce a year right? Like, I mean I I write Polish a copy package and send it off like once every, you know, six to eight weeks and every time I'm like, oh, here's your 42 page document that I just wrote you and it like, like how how how did we write that? Like how did that come out? Every single time and then you're looking at like Not only do they have all of the copy for us, like all of the final copy for us, but like, the, like emails that they're sending us the the packet that I mean, it was just so much right.
Sara: And then also all the different like stages of the lead magnets and things. I mean, when I, I really loved also about this was seeing how long the launch runway actually was. Because I know we talked about the importance of having a launch runway. But I really noticed that this time, did you? Well.
Brittany: Yeah, like you start to see the shift, like kind of mid summer on the podcast, you start to see the shift. And then the one thing that I thought was really cool was the Facebook group that she did this year that she didn't do last year. And what a difference that seemed to me like you're really the idea of creating a sense of community around your product before somebody has bought your product. Mind blowing crazy town. Like, what? That's so cool. And there's so many opportunities there. So that was really, really cool to see.
Sara: Yeah, so for people who didn't know about it, Amy had this like, it was like a 30 day was like create your course kind of working. Quit your course idea boot camp. What I thought was so amazing about it was that some people like I was reading through those comments are so great, but some people like actually came away feeling like they were already launching at the end of those 30 days. And they felt like really empowered. And so, you know, if they didn't go and buying these course, and lots of them, definitely did from like what I read, but even if they didn't they like came out with something really tangible for that time they invested with her and imagine like that connection and the good feelings they'd have, from working with her talking about like the the testimonials and having like a great, amazing referrals just from her really putting out her knowledge and like really openly sharing it so that they would have that success.
Brittany: Yeah. And I think that just really embraces like the one we all do better. We all do better. Yeah, she she wasn't giving away everything. Not just because it's paid information. But because that's overwhelming. And it's really hard to experience the transformation when you're overwhelmed. But she was like, giving people the confidence and the permission and the guts to just go for it and create a course even in 2020, even in COVID, even with the content, like all this stuff. And and i think i think one thing I've always loved about her is she has she is someone who will help you. And this is not like the Amy show like she's a phenomenal person. But also I think this is something we can learn as entrepreneurs, but that she is really good at tackling legitimate fears and maybe sorry, fears that are truly fears and maybe not reality and anxieties that are truly anxieties. Of course fears and anxieties are valid, but and objections that are maybe like mindset stuff. And she also says at the same time like she will tackle those objections and those fears and anxiety. And she will also say if you will struggle to pay your bills to buy this course do not click by like do not give me your credit card. I love that she calls it out. Yeah, yeah. Like this is not the time for you. And and I think that I would hope that she would be someone I think that she would be someone who would say like, yeah, if you really can like if your family is going to struggle, not not like this is a scary leap. Like if you're going to struggle because of this. Don't do it. Get in that boot camp, get excited, get encouraged, go out there, do it on your own, do it scrappy, sell a couple save up for next year, right and
Sara: Build your list during this time. Already.
Brittany: So I love that idea of like not giving away the goods but also helping like create a culture around your business and your products. I think that that's a really, really cool thing.
Sara: Yeah, so one thing I really thought was stood out to me in that Facebook group, you're talking about the community was that people had a place to like share their ideas and actually run them by people. So it wasn't like they were creating this course in isolation or even just or this course it in isolation, or even just like them to Amy, they actually had this key she put this community together where I saw people like sharing their ideas and getting feedback and sharing their pricing course titles. And I love to seeing that develop. And I think for so many of those people there. I bet they'd never had that before and they never actually had that like introduction to Well, I guess, you know, Amy is so great at creating community, but having that support there.
Brittany: Yeah, yeah, there's just something to be said for being in a room with people who are struggling the way you're struggling experiencing the winds you want to experience just like just in the trenches with you and where you are and even if like even if you get crickets or somebody who's totally not in your industry comments and their advice is totally wrong. Like like Your mother in law has no idea what you do, right? Like, I don't care who you are like you were still explaining to your dad at Thanksgiving, what you do for business like, my parents have no money
Sara: I was like, why did you leave teaching to do?
Brittany: My mom's like, Wait, how are you making so much money? Like, what are you doing? I'm like, Yeah, like I write I write words. Like they just have no concept. But to be in a room where you can ask something about a conversion rate, and people have an answer. Or you can say, like, Oh, my lead magnet didn't connect to my delivery email, and somebody can point you to a resource and just this like, Oh, they get me feeling like it's like, okay, you're back to being a band geek in high school, and you found your people and their other band geeks like you. And it just, yeah, it just feels really good to to be understood, especially when you're doing something new. And scary and techie. Right? Like this is none of this.
Sara: Oh, my gosh, a techie thing. Yeah, that's, I mean, because it's such a big roadblock often, right. And then for people.
Brittany: that isn't your thing, if you're an amazing therapist, and all of a sudden, you're being told you have to like make a website, do some weird functionality and connect to six other platforms like, sorry.
Sara: even just the payment, that was always a thing, like, I just can't put the payments.
Brittany: Okay, just write me a check, please. You know,
Sara: just be parents. You know, I think I started speaking about that, you know, the, the group that she did had a time to this boot camp, I feel like that had such a big impact on the launch. And I know, what we learned as affiliates was that Amy and her team had the biggest cart, open days of the day, that sales page actually open you could buy ever and bigger than also, their course car closed day, which is pretty unusual. And launching, it's usually the opposite way around, I would say. So I think personally, I think that that boot camp played a huge role in it. One because they, you know, they got to really know her and connect to their of those 30 days. But also, I know Britney, and I've talked about this before, when you bought in these cars, she had an amazing thank you page. And on that thank you page. Not only does she have some cool buttons, you could push like confetti woodfall super fun. I wish I had bought this time, you know, just so I could see that cool button push confetti. But anyways, I know that he's especially not messy, and I have to clean up. But like, also, she had these I want to say three to four graphics. And you could choose one and share it on social that you joined or that you took this leap or you're getting excited and celebrating. And I feel like people were sharing that in the boot camp. And it was making them all really excited for each other. And I noticed her team was like in there sharing like gifts and like celebrating the decision they had all made. So right away when they like took that big leap when they made that payment. You know, and for a lot of people mean, still for me sometimes, right? Like making that $2,000 investment or setting it up on a paid plan. Whatever you did is scary, right? It's like, will this work? Am I gonna get what I really want here. And I think that those like those chances to share with other people and get people giving you feedback right away was just probably really powerful. And I bet you It brought other people in because they were picking up on that
vibe, right? It was like celebrating in there.
Brittany: Like, wow, nobody wants to eat at the restaurant. That's sad, right? Like you want to like stand in line because everybody else is there. And one lesson I really took away because I think like, even just a few years ago, like there was this idea around launching that it was like it has to be a little secretive and mythical. And then you just like pop up out of the blue. Everyone gets excited and out of scarcity. They jump on it. And what Amy has done in the past couple of years is really created like this Christmas morning launch where it's like, you know what's coming, you're excited. You cannot wait for that car to open like, like last year, I bought my DCA first webinar. first minute it was open. Like I like yeah, like I had it. I had it marked on my calendar. It wasn't a surprise. It wasn't a launch it was like like the doors open it was Christmas morning. Like I could open the present and, and I love that idea of of getting people excited about the transformation you're about to offer in naming it and not like it's not it's not like this like thing under the magician's like jacket. Like surprised, like lift the blanket off. Here it is.
Sara: It's kind of scary. Do I have $2,000 in my credit card right now or should I do you actually, you actually know
Brittany: Yeah. I have a client now and he's doing a Facebook group for launch November and I'm like, Okay, how do we create a Christmas morning launch? Like what do we do to get them so excited? And so like, so confident that they can do it and like no doubt in their mind when they hit that Buy button that this is for them? You know, rather than like, Oh wow, here's this thing. And I even love a copywriter that I'm sure you've learned from No need to get super nerdy here. But he has this whole email template of like that goes out on launch day that's like, this isn't a launch like nothing's like, yes, the doors are open, but nothing is launching nothing is new because this has been working for me and thousands of entrepreneurs or you know, and you've been struggling for a while like this is, this is the next step in the journey. This isn't a big surprise. And I think like if you take away nothing else about launching, like create that experience for your audience.
Sara: Yeah. agree with you, for sure. Okay, Brittany, thank you so much for talking about what your affiliate experience was. And then also sharing what you really took away from it, as well as that you could use with your clients, I know, I'll definitely be thinking about how to create that element of excitement, the community and then really getting people like, on board in that first day. Cuz I mean, that would feel really damn good to have a first day that really went like that. Because just you have no idea like, you know, it's gonna keep getting better. And you're going to get lots of people in and you're going to be able to help them.
Brittany: Yeah, and that just has everything to do with helping your people believe that they can do it, and not pulling some like sneaky weird sales tactics. Right? Like, I think that that's just, that's the direction we're going. And that's the direction we need to keep going. And and like, how can we keep creating those experiences for our people?
Sara: And I love that you said that, because I think I'm just gonna scatter on here that Amy, I think really did that in that boot camp, you know, I know that something we want to do with our lead magnets, right, we want people to sign up the lead magnets and then get an actual winner momentum from working with it. So they, you know, feel like oh my gosh, this free thing was so good, what will be like to work with her. And I think that's what he did, like, you know, 30 days fold in that boot camp, she let people see like she let them experience working with her. And then they actually took the action and got proof for themselves that this is working. And there's something that they could do here and that they had a course idea in them. And then so they were really ready for that next step with her.
Brittany: Mm hmm. And and the last thing I'll say that I think is the biggest takeaway, because I worry that people will be like, Okay, I'm going to go do a 30 day challenge. And I'm going to give them this amazing transformation. The more information you give them, the more overwhelmed they will be the less bigger pie because they will walk away being like, Well, shit, I've got my project plan. I'll see you next year, right? But if you can spend that time, knocking down objections, building up their confidence, answering questions, negating fear, calming anxieties, and by the end of it, they will be so ready for your paid transformation. So there's a big difference between all the info for free and getting them ready for your info.
Sara: I love that you call that up because that's really important that we did that they need that.
Brittany: 30 day bootcamp I'm going to go in this challenge and every day there's going to be there's going to be a new saying and by the men and and and now you don't want people to be tired yet. tired already.
Sara: I think we just we want to really look for ways to connect with them. And to help them get ready. I think that's a really good. I could be doing like Facebook Lives for you. Or it could be going on Instagram and putting up some questions and asking them to hit you hit you with their questions and like doing audio. You know, Dr. Emmons doesn't have to be a 30 day boot camp, but it's how can you get them ready and excited? beforehand?
Brittany: Yeah, I think that's it. It's just the journey. Like you just have to take them on it.
Sara: For sure. Well, Brittany, where can we find out more about you?
Brittany: Oh, I'm on the internet. The best place to connect with me is definitely my email list. That is where I show up every week no matter what the top secret best tips and sales and deals and all that stuff. I have a fun little quiz. If you want to take it and learn your marketing X Factor just go to Brittany McBain comm forward slash quiz. And then from there, I'm usually hanging out on Instagram, or napping so you can catch me on my email list or in my bed.
Sara: Maybe don't come there. Maybe that's what you'll be out
Brittany: Don't don't I'm a good nap. Or I'll probably put you if you wake me up.
Sara: Perfect. I'll put that in the show notes. Excellent. Morning for napping. Excellent. Right Britney? Thanks so much for joining us today on the launch playbook podcast. And I'll see everyone next week.
Brittany: Thank You
Sara: I love getting into To dig into the DC launch with Brittany McBean today, as we got to experience at its affiliates, and with our launch Stratus brains fully tuned in. I hope this episode inspired you to consider how you might build a community around your next launch, while also serving everyone with info they can use, whether or not they buy on this round. And also to think about how you might build more opportunities for connection with the people you love to serve ahead of your next opencart day, so they're excited to buy and tell the world they did it. Thanks for tuning into the launch playbook podcast. If you want to get weekly launch secrets in your ears. I hope you'll hit subscribe on iTunes so you'll never miss an episode. Because who knows? It could reveal just a thing you've been looking forward to make your next launch a success. And be sure to leave a five star review and iTunes telling me how this episode inspired your launch plans. Until next time, keep putting your big ideas out into the world. I'm rooting for you.
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