The Evergreen Funnel: How to Sell Your Course on Autopilot 24/7

You're Exhausted. And It Shows.

You've done four live launches this year. Each one consumed three weeks of your life—the webinars, the emails, the sales calls, the late nights answering DMs.

And here's the worst part: the moment launch week ends, so do your sales. You're back to zero, waiting for the next promotional sprint.

There's a better way. It's called an evergreen funnel, and it means your course sells every single day—whether you're at your desk, on vacation, or fast asleep.

What Is an Evergreen Funnel?

An evergreen funnel is an automated sales system that runs continuously, enrolling students into your course without requiring live launches or your real-time involvement.

Think of it as your 24/7 sales team. While you're creating your next course or enjoying dinner with family, your funnel is:

• Attracting new leads
• Nurturing them with valuable content
• Presenting your course offer
• Handling objections
• Closing sales

The magic isn't in any single piece. It's in how all the pieces work together, automatically.

Live Launch vs. Evergreen: The Real Tradeoffs

Both approaches have their place. Here's an honest comparison.

Live Launches Excel At:

• Creating urgency: Real deadlines drive action
• Building community: Everyone starts together
• Higher conversion rates: Typically 3-10% of your list
• Feedback loops: You can adjust messaging in real-time
• Bigger revenue spikes: Great for cash flow injections

Evergreen Funnels Excel At:

• Consistent income: Sales every week, not twice a year
• Reclaimed time: No more 80-hour launch weeks
• Scalability: Double your traffic, double your sales
• Testing: Optimize one variable at a time
• Sustainability: Avoid burnout and business-life balance

The choice isn't binary. Many successful course creators use both—and we'll cover that hybrid approach later.

The Evergreen Funnel Anatomy

Every high-converting evergreen funnel has five core stages. Skip one, and the whole system breaks down.

Stage 1: The Lead Magnet

This is your entry point. A valuable free resource that solves a specific problem and attracts your ideal student.

Effective evergreen lead magnets:

• Checklists and cheat sheets
• Mini email courses (3-5 lessons)
• Templates and swipe files
• Video training series
• Quizzes with personalized results

The key: your lead magnet should be the logical first step toward the transformation your paid course delivers.

Stage 2: The Nurture Sequence

Once someone downloads your lead magnet, they enter an automated email sequence. This builds trust and positions your course as the solution.

A typical nurture sequence includes:

• Welcome email with instant delivery
• Your story and why this work matters
• Quick wins and valuable tips
• Case studies and success stories
• Addressing common struggles

This sequence runs for 3-7 days, warming leads before they see your offer.

Stage 3: The Automated Webinar

Here's where the selling happens. An automated (or "evergreen") webinar presents your course in depth, builds desire, and makes the offer.

You record it once, then run it on autopilot forever.

More on this critical component below.

Stage 4: The Sales Sequence

After the webinar, an email sequence drives the decision. These emails:

• Recap the webinar's key points
• Share testimonials and case studies
• Address objections one by one
• Remind them of the deadline (yes, even in evergreen)
• Make the final call to action

Stage 5: The Follow-Up

Not everyone buys the first time. Your follow-up sequence re-engages non-buyers with:

• Additional value content
• New angles on the transformation
• Future enrollment opportunities
• Alternative offers (payment plans, different courses)

Creating Evergreen Urgency (Without Being Sleazy)

Here's the evergreen paradox: urgency drives action, but if your course is "always available," what's urgent?

Ethical urgency strategies that work:

Deadline-Based Approaches

• Rolling enrollment windows: "Doors close 72 hours after you watch the training"
• Cohort start dates: "Join the next cohort starting Monday"
• Bonus expiration: "This bonus bundle expires in 48 hours"

Scarcity-Based Approaches

• Limited bonus spots: "Only 50 students get live Q&A access this month"
• Price increases: "Price goes up on the 1st—lock in current rate"
• Payment plan availability: "Pay-in-full discount expires Friday"

The rule: whatever deadline you set, honor it. If you say the bonus expires, it actually expires. Your credibility depends on this.

Use countdown timers tied to individual subscriber behavior, not fake "ending soon" banners that reset for everyone.

The Automated Webinar Approach

Your automated webinar is the engine of your evergreen funnel. Get this right, and everything else becomes easier.

Webinar Formats That Convert:

On-demand webinars: Available instantly when someone opts in. Higher registration rates, but lower show-up urgency.

Scheduled automated webinars: Specific times each day or week. Creates real urgency to attend. Feels more "live."

Hybrid webinars: Automated presentation with live Q&A at the end. Best of both worlds.

Recording Your Evergreen Webinar:

• Teach genuine value: 30-40 minutes of actionable content
• Avoid date references: No "today is March 5th" or "this morning"
• Handle objections: Address why people hesitate to buy
• Clear call to action: Exactly what to do next and why now
• Professional production: Good audio is non-negotiable

Platform Options:

Popular choices include Demio, EverWebinar, WebinarJam, and EasyWebinar. Some course platforms like Kajabi have built-in evergreen webinar features.

Email Sequences for Evergreen Funnels

Your emails do the heavy lifting between funnel stages. Here's a proven structure.

Pre-Webinar Sequence (2-3 emails):

1. Registration confirmation: What they'll learn, when to show up
2. Day before reminder: Build anticipation, reduce no-shows
3. 15-minute reminder: Final nudge with direct link

Post-Webinar Sales Sequence (5-7 emails):

1. Replay + recap: For those who missed it or want a refresher
2. Case study email: Real transformation story
3. FAQ email: Answer top questions and objections
4. Bonus reminder: Highlight what they'll miss
5. 24-hour warning: Urgency without being pushy
6. Final call: Last chance, deadline approaching
7. Cart closed: Confirm the deadline was real

Long-Term Nurture (ongoing):

Non-buyers enter a slower nurture sequence. Weekly valuable content keeps you top of mind until they're ready—or until you re-offer.

Traffic Sources That Feed Evergreen Funnels

An evergreen funnel is only as good as the traffic flowing into it. Here's what works.

Organic Traffic (Long-Term Play):

• SEO content: Blog posts targeting buyer-intent keywords
• YouTube: Educational videos with lead magnet CTAs
• Pinterest: Pins linking to your opt-in page
• Podcast guesting: Mention your free resource

Paid Traffic (Scalable):

• Facebook/Instagram ads: Target lookalike audiences
• YouTube ads: Reach people watching related content
• Google ads: Capture high-intent searchers

Partnership Traffic:

• Affiliate programs: Let others promote your funnel
• Joint ventures: Cross-promote with complementary creators
• Guest content: Write for publications your audience reads

The beauty of evergreen: once your funnel converts profitably, you can scale traffic indefinitely.

When You're Ready to Go Evergreen

Not every course is ready for evergreen. Here's your readiness checklist.

Prerequisites for Evergreen Success:

• Proven offer: You've sold your course successfully at least once (ideally through live launch)
• Clear messaging: You know exactly what transformation you deliver and to whom
• Testimonials: Real success stories from real students
• Reliable traffic: A way to consistently drive new leads
• Tech infrastructure: Email platform, webinar tool, course platform
• Time to optimize: Evergreen requires ongoing testing and refinement

If you haven't launched live yet, do that first. Use live launches to validate your offer and messaging. Then automate what's proven to work.

Common Evergreen Mistakes to Avoid

These pitfalls tank evergreen funnels. Sidestep them.

Mistake 1: Set It and Forget It

Evergreen doesn't mean autopilot forever. Monitor your metrics weekly. Test new headlines. Update testimonials. Refresh your webinar annually.

Mistake 2: Fake Urgency

If your countdown timer resets when someone clears cookies, you're building distrust. Use behavior-based deadlines tied to real consequences.

Mistake 3: Skipping the Nurture

Jumping straight from opt-in to sales pitch feels spammy. Take time to build trust first.

Mistake 4: Ignoring Non-Buyers

Most people won't buy the first time. Your follow-up strategy determines whether they buy eventually or unsubscribe.

Mistake 5: Poor Webinar Quality

A boring, poorly produced webinar kills conversions. Invest in making this great—it's the highest-leverage asset in your funnel.

The Hybrid Approach: Evergreen + Periodic Live Launches

Here's the secret top course creators use: they run both.

Evergreen funnel: Runs continuously, generating consistent baseline revenue. Lower conversion rate (1-3%), but always working.

Periodic live launches: 2-4 times per year, to your accumulated audience. Higher conversion rate (5-10%), plus the energy and community of live events.

How This Works in Practice:

1. Evergreen funnel runs 24/7, enrolling students weekly
2. New leads who don't buy evergreen enter a long-term nurture list
3. Every quarter, you do a live launch to that nurture list
4. Live launch converts the "not yet ready" segment
5. After launch, non-buyers return to evergreen exposure

This hybrid gives you the best of both worlds: consistent cash flow plus periodic revenue spikes.

Your Next Steps

Ready to build your evergreen funnel? Here's your action plan.

This Week:

• Audit your current lead magnet (or create one if you don't have it)
• Map out your ideal student's journey from stranger to buyer
• Choose your evergreen webinar platform

This Month:

• Write your nurture email sequence (5-7 emails)
• Script and record your automated webinar
• Build your post-webinar sales sequence

Next 90 Days:

• Launch your evergreen funnel with existing traffic
• Monitor conversion rates at each stage
• Test and optimize one element at a time

The goal isn't perfection on day one. It's getting your funnel live, then improving it based on real data.

Next Step: Before you can automate sales, you need leads flowing in. Learn how to build an email list that converts and keep your evergreen funnel fed with qualified prospects.