A relaunch is one of the best moves a course creator can make. You already have the course, the testimonials and the audience. But if your videos still mention last year's bonuses, old prices or a deadline that already passed, buyers notice.
I spent three years editing course and launch videos for the team behind Product Launch Formula, plus two years on launches for a health and wellness brand. Here's how I'd prepare your videos for a relaunch.
Step 1: Audit everything that's dated
Watch your course and launch videos with fresh eyes and make a list of anything that gives away their age:
- Dates, deadlines and "this year" references
- Prices, payment plans and bonuses that have changed
- Screenshots of tools or websites that look different now
- Old branding: logos, colors, fonts, lower thirds
- Links, email addresses and community platforms you no longer use
Put the time code next to each item. That list becomes your editor's work order.
Step 2: Decide what to re-edit and what to re-record
You almost never need to re-record the whole course. A simple rule:
- Re-edit when the teaching is still right and only the wrapping is dated: new intros and outros, updated graphics, cut-outs of old references, tighter pacing.
- Re-record when the advice itself has changed, or a lesson never really worked. Short pickups can often be cut into the old lesson so the whole thing feels new.
Most relaunches need a sharp edit, not a new course.
Step 3: Refresh the "first five minutes"
New students judge the whole course by the welcome video and the first lesson. Those are worth the most attention. Re-record the welcome if you can, update the branding, and make the first lesson tight enough that people finish it and want the next one.
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Get my free audit →Step 4: Rebuild your launch videos
Your prelaunch content and your sales video carry the whole relaunch. Even if the course is the same, these should feel new:
- Prelaunch videos. Update the stories and add new student results since the last launch. Fresh proof is the biggest advantage a relaunch has.
- Sales video. Re-cut around the current offer, the current bonuses and the current deadline.
- Short clips. Cut vertical clips from your prelaunch videos to send new people to the free content.
Step 5: Plan backwards from cart open
Launch dates don't move, so your video schedule shouldn't either. Start from the day the cart opens and work backwards:
| When | What's finished |
|---|---|
| 4–6 weeks before | Course refreshes and new lessons |
| 3 weeks before | Prelaunch video series, reviewed and approved |
| 2 weeks before | Sales video and launch promo clips |
| Launch week | Only small fixes. Nothing is edited the night before. |
Step 6: Organize your files before you hand them off
The fastest way to save money on editing is to send organized footage. One folder per video, clearly named files, your brand kit (logo, fonts, colors) and your list of time-coded changes from Step 1. Your editor spends their time editing, not searching.
Relaunch checklist
- Every dated reference listed with time codes
- Re-edit vs. re-record decided for each lesson
- Welcome video and first lesson refreshed
- Prelaunch series updated with new student results
- Sales video re-cut around the current offer
- Video calendar planned back from cart open
- Footage and brand kit organized in one place
Planning a relaunch and want an editor who's done this at scale? See how I edit course and launch videos, or send me the details for a quote.