How a Launch Campaign Can Grow Your DFY Service Business (Even Without a Big Audience)
“I mean, do I need to run a launch campaign if I’m not selling a course or digital product?”
This is a question I’ve had for years, long before I even realised launching was something you could do as a service provider.
And if that’s a thought you’ve ever shared, lean into it because I’ll be sharing the learnings from my own launches.
Earlier this year, I did a proper, full-blown brand launch campaign for my website copywriting offer, Lights, Copy, Action, and not only did it feel weirdly fun, but it worked (mostly) as a good way to promote my business (but mostly my brand!)
And yes, this was for a one-on-one service, not a course. Let’s get into it.
The Launch Breakdown: For my done-for-you website copywriting offer.
In March, I launched my signature done-for-you website copy offer: Lights, Copy, Action (if you didn’t know, I am judging you just a little).
It’s not a brand-new service—I’ve been offering website copywriting for years. But this time, I treated the offer like a whole brand campaign.
Think: new branding, a non DIY sales page, a waitlist, and actual launch emails (I know, who even am I?).
I spent early February through March 18 promoting LCA, with a waitlist pre-sale running from March 18 to March 31.
And while I’m not about to toss 7-figure-launch numbers at you (because I don’t have them yet), I will give you honest numbers, big takeaways, and lessons you can steal for your next sales push.
1. Launching makes the sales process fun
Before this launch, I’d educate and entertain my audience….but I wouldn’t sell.
Just hoping people would notice.But having a timeline and a launch campaign to follow through gave me structure and an excuse to talk about the same offer in new ways.
Since the sales page (shoutout to Da of The Odd Creatives) only went live on March 11, the whole build-up gave me content ideas and energy to actually show up.
Big win: I didn’t feel like I was being salesy. I felt excited to share.
2. You don’t need a big audience for a waitlist to work
When I started this launch, I had 108 followers on Instagram and a pretty quiet Threads account.
Here’s what happened:
- 137 users visited my sales page after it went live between March 11 and March 31.
- 12 people joined the waitlist. (Okay, 14 technically—but one never confirmed and another ended up directly inquiring through my contact form)
And get this: I saw more traction on Threads and Instagram than on LinkedIn (I have the most followers on that platform: over 1200), where I fully expected to get more leads.
So, conversion was okay-ish. But it taught me that I actually need to get more eyeballs on the sales page to understand its true conversion effect.
Big win: This was proof that you don’t need thousands (or hundreds) of followers to launch.
3. Launching has a ripple effect (even if they don’t buy today)
Here’s what also happened during the LCA launch:
- People booked my copy audit (even though I haven’t shared a link in the previous six months.
- I saw new freebie downloads (my newsletter list grew by more than double by the end of the launch period.
- I launched a DFY case study offer right after, without fanfare (or a sales page), and booked up the 2 beta spots.
The best part? I was able to establish a rapo with people on the waitlist that wasn’t just ‘yo, you interested’?
People from the waitlist even messaged me to say things like, “Not now, but I’m planning to hire you for sales copy later this year.”
In fact, one of them (a dream client I’d had my eye on for months, if I’m being honest) just did book a sales page copy just two weeks after the launch period ended.
And both my instagram and threads grew in terms of community.
This launch campaign wasn’t just about the sale. It was about the ecosystem of sales, audience growth, and future opportunities.
Big win: The wins don’t end with the launch.
4. People aren’t actually bothered by you selling.
I sent more emails than ever before during this launch campaign. Near-daily–emails toward the end of March.
You know how many people unsubscribed during the launch period?
Zero. (Two did unsubscribe the day after the launch ended, which honestly…fair.)
Point is: You can show up and talk about your offer often without scaring people away.
If your content is good and your offer is clear, your people want to hear about it. In fact, people get excited by the way you talk about your offer (if you’re excited about it — bonus tip if you’re trying to launch), and will want to support and uplift you.
Big win: Being salesy isn’t as bad as you think.
5. A Launch campaign holds you accountable
Let’s be real: If I didn’t have a proper launch structure, I would’ve pushed this off by a week… then a month… then probably into Q3.
But having dates, emails, a sales page, and people on a waitlist? That kept me on track.
If you’re a DFY service provider who:
- Struggles to prioritise your own business
- Avoids sharing your service link because “ugh, sales”
- Has a graveyard of half-finished sales pages or promo plans
Then yes, a launch might be exactly what you need.
Big win: you’ll actually stick to the plan and create something for your business, than just your clients.
The only reason launching might not be for you?
- Running a launch campaign does take a lot out of you! It requires time, energy, and resources — so test out and see if it’s something you’re willing to commit to.
- When it comes to DWY or DIY services, the waitlist-method works best only if you have a big audience OR you’ll willing to spend more than 6 weeks in the warm-up phase, which can feel a bit scary.
- You’re still unclear on your offers. Yes, you can absolutely build and get feedback, but I know that the people who most benefited entered the program knowing what offer they wanted to launch (me included).
Should You Launch as a DFY Service Provider?
If the answer wasn’t clear enough…it’s a big fat rescounding YES.
Especially if:
- You’re a service provider who is used to treating your own business like an afterthought.
- You literally never post about your offer link (that was me before this launch) because ew…salesy (although that’s a topic for another day).
- You want to grow your audience, however small it is, because running a launch campaign will pull in ideal clients (even if they choose not to work with you today)
- You’ll get to improve your messaging through repetition.
And honestly? It will even help you enjoy selling again.
The best way to learn about launching? Launch Your Own Way (LYOW) by Coming Up Roses is your answer.
I didn’t come up with this launch structure on my own. I learned it from Kelsey McCormick of Coming Up Roses, whose Launch Your Own Way program is one of the best investments I’ve made in the past year.
Her support is hyper-personalised in the VIP tier. We’re talking weekly Loom videos, feedback on your content, and frameworks that help you build confidence in your sales process (without sounding like a bro marketer).
And even in the last month of my membership, she went out of her way to check in on my business and see how it’s going.
She goes out of her way, and really, I’m so grateful to past-me for hitting purchase, which isn’t something I can say for a lot of courses.
And if you don’t need support, you can simply access the course to DIY and do it at your own pace. Here’s my affiliate link if you want to learn more and get inside.
(P.S. I don’t share affiliate links unless I’ve personally bought and loved the offer. This one’s worth it.)
Final Thoughts
You don’t need to wait for a course or a product to launch. If you’ve got a service that helps people, treat it like a real offer and give it the spotlight it deserves.
And if you’re scared of looking “too salesy”? Good. That means you care. But don’t let that stop you from showing up.
Because the best sales tool? Clarity, consistency, and confidence.
Ps: this was originally a newsletter. Lightly adapted (and yes, a lot of tea removed).
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