Why No One Buys Your Evergreen Self-Study Course (And How to Fix It)
The Dream: Passive Income from Evergreen Courses
There’s nothing more attractive than the idea of having offers that people can buy anytime, that you don’t have to think about. Especially if you’ve launched a few programs and you’re burnt the fuck out.
So you get excited about something new, create it, set it up, and put it up for all to buy…
… and then, crickets.
After that first month, it just sits there—a lonely, dusty digital product gathering cobwebs in the farthest reaches of your website.
So sure, you have things that could be passive income. Courses that could be making you money.
But they aren’t ☠️☠️☠️
Why This Happens (And Why It’s Not Your Fault)
Here’s the thing: most evergreen courses don’t sell because people don’t buy self-study.
They buy transformation.
They buy relationships.
They buy solutions to problems that feel urgent.
And slapping a course up on your website doesn’t create any of those things.
This is where a funnel comes in—not in the sleazy, bro-marketer way, but as a regenerative ecosystem that nurtures people into your world and makes them excited to buy from you.
If you think of your business as a forest, right now, you might have an incredible tree (your course), but no mycelium network to feed it. You need roots, connections, and pathways that bring people in, deepen the relationship, and get them to the point where they actually want to buy.
The Solution: The Regenerative Evergreen Funnel
(What I call an “evergreen ecosystem”)
Instead of a Graveyard of Evergreen Courses, you need a living, breathing ecosystem where:
People find you in a way that feels natural and aligned (SEO, ads, content marketing, social media).
They enter your world with an entry point that actually makes sense (lead magnet, workshop, quiz, etc.).
They experience transformation before they buy (micro wins, deep nurturing, email sequences).
They ascend into your core offer in a way that feels effortless (they’ve already seen proof that what you do works for them).
The 5 Steps to an Evergreen Ecosystem That Actually Sells Courses
Step 1: Stop Relying on “Hope Marketing”
If your current strategy is:
✅ “I posted about it a few times.”
✅ “It’s listed on my website.”
✅ “I have a link to it in my bio.”
Then it’s time to rethink your approach.
Instead of hoping people stumble across your course, you need a clear, structured path that leads them to it automatically.
💡 ACTION STEP:
Set up a lead magnet (optin freebie) that attracts the exact people who need your course.
Make sure your lead magnet directly relates to the course topic—this is key for getting the right people into your world.
Your lead magnet needs to be like your person’s favorite flower—something your perfect people can’t ignore because it speaks to their deepest wants and desires.
Step 2: Create the Enchanted Customer Journey
People don’t just buy after a single touchpoint. You need to move them through stages of intimacy—like how relationships naturally develop. (You wouldn’t go from eye contact to full-blown marriage in one step, right?)
Your evergreen funnel should lead people through six key stages:
Resonance – They discover you (through a blog, social post, podcast, ad).
Connection – They opt into your lead magnet.
Integration – They commit to a small win (attend a workshop, buy a mini-offer, watch a free training).
Transformation – They experience a shift before buying.
Ascension – They purchase your core offer.
Expansion – They tell everyone about you.
If you skip steps? It feels like a creepy dude proposing on the first date. Hard pass.
Step 3: Make It Work Without You (So You’re Not in a Content Hamster Wheel)
A real evergreen system doesn’t require you to be constantly churning out content or posting 24/7. Instead, it creates a watering hole—a central hub people keep coming back to because they know it delivers what they need.
Your funnel should include:
A nurture sequence that actually nurtures (not just three emails and a sales pitch).
An evergreen sales sequence that makes buying feel inevitable, not pressured.
Traffic sources that feed the system consistently (SEO, Pinterest, YouTube, ads, etc.).
Step 4: Optimize Your Sales Page for Conversions
Most people don’t buy because they’re still on the fence. And your sales page is where you remove friction and make saying YES feel effortless.
Your people. Stuck on the fence. (Ouch!)
💡 ACTION STEP:
Add real testimonials or case studies (even if it’s your own results).
Clearly explain who your course is for (and who it’s NOT for).
Use call-to-action buttons throughout the page so buyers don’t have to scroll forever to find the purchase button.
Add FAQ to tackle common objections.
Step 5: Keep Feeding the Ecosystem (SEO, Ads & Content Strategy)
Once your evergreen funnel is set up, you need to keep bringing new people into it consistently.
Ways to do this:
SEO-optimized blog posts (like this one!) that drive organic traffic to your freebie
YouTube videos that link back to your funnel
Pinterest marketing (great for long-term evergreen traffic)
Targeted paid ads (small ad budget = more consistent leads)
💡 ACTION STEP:
Choose at least one organic traffic method (blogging, YouTube, or Pinterest) to keep feeding new leads into your funnel.
If you’re open to ads, start small—test a $5/day ad to your freebie and refine it over time.
Ready to Compost Your Course Graveyard?
When you create an Evergreen Ecosystem instead of just throwing up a sales page, your course becomes a living, breathing part of your business—one that sells without you needing to hustle for every single sale.
If you’re ready to build a system that works for you (not just the bro marketers), Evergreen Ecosystem will be on sale March 19-31, 2025.
