I see a lot of smoke and mirrors in the online business world, and I don't say that lightly.
Just recently, I saw a well-known online business influencer share the success of a client's first low-ticket product launch: over 1,000 sign-ups in the first week. The dream. Sounds incredible, right?
But what she failed to mention? The "client" has been in the public limelight for decades, as a personable TV and radio presenter with a massive existing prime-time audience. Not to dismiss the success of that first launch, but it needs to be highlighted: that kind of reach doesn't come standard with a Canva template and a Mailchimp account.
And for the average coach or course creator just starting out with digital products? That number is not the benchmark. It's a billboard for unrealistic expectations, burnout and always chasing the next shiny thing. I'm tired of witnessing it and hearing about it, so I'm starting to call it out.
The same goes for fake scarcity, something I'm sure you've all seen in your online travels.
"Only 1 spot left!" "Doors are closing!" "Prices go up in 2 hours!"
Except the product is evergreen, available to buy all the time, completely digital, set up to sell and deliver automatically. There are no limits to how many people can access it, and no doors that close. These tactics are designed to push decisions with pressure, not trust. And don't get me started on "live" webinars that are very much not live.
I get it, I've done it myself, because I followed the gurus too. These strategies work for some, to a point. But here's what they often don't do:
- Create long-term trust.
- Set you up with sustainable systems.
- Help real people build real businesses.
And we've been blasted with fake scarcity for so long now that it's wearing off. As customers, we tend to know when they're hollow promises, so they become less effective.
When I started out, I fell for some of this. I bought into programs that promised the world and showed you how to do it, without ever mentioning that having a warm audience was kind of… essential. It wasn't just fine print. It was missing entirely.
And for a long time, I found myself working with clients who'd just been through the same thing. They'd followed the blueprint. Bought the high-ticket program. Tried to implement strategies that only work if you already have 10K ideal followers, a copywriter and a decent ad budget. Then they'd come to me, feeling defeated and stupid because they couldn't get it to work.
So if you're a coach or course creator starting out in the digital space, here's what I want you to know:
- You don't need to chase vanity numbers.
- You don't need to pretend your product is expiring when it isn't.
- You do need a strategy that's grounded in where you're at, with the audience you've actually got.
That's what I help clients do: build offers and automations that suit their season, their audience size and their reality, not someone else's highlight reel.
I recently filmed a video about my three-step framework to help you validate, build and scale your digital products, so you can be sure you're on the right path. You can watch that here.
If you've been burnt by the hype, or just want a more honest approach to growing your online business, I'm always happy to chat.
Because real growth isn't flashy. It's sustainable. And that's what lasts.
