How to Run a Japanese-Inspired Flash Sale for Online Courses
When was the last time a sale put a smile on your face?
For me, it had been a while. I like running a flash sale as much as the next solopreneur, but hadn’t had a lot of creative ideas.
But all that changed when I found myself scrolling on Instagram at the end of 2024 and discovered Fukubukuro bags!
What’s Behind My Japan-Style Mystery Sale Concept?
Fukubukuro is a New Year tradition from Japan in which shops fill red gift bags and sell them at a special price. Buyers don’t know what they’re getting - it’s a surprise! In my sale, people could buy a digital “lucky bag” for $25, which would give them a surprise course from an existing list.
The concept felt perfect for my language learning business, because
I have a solid range of products to include, so the mystery would be genuine
Me and my audience love learning about different cultures and languages
I was excited to offer my audience an offer that felt like a gift. 🎁
Behind the Scenes: How I Ran My Mystery Course Sale
Here’s what happened after purchase:
The buyer received an instant invoice and note that the course will be manually delivered so it’s not instant.
I sent the buyer’s details to a Google Sheet using Zapier.
I then allocated their lucky dip using the randomizer in Google Sheets.
I sent a personal email with the big reveal 🎁.
I delivered the course in Teachable, and sent a welcome email using Kit (affiliate link).
All in all, once the process was practiced it only took a few minutes per customer. It’s suitable for a limited edition sale like this one, and felt very rewarding to me when I could tell them what they would receive!
All purchases involved manual work, which is why they came as a limited edition of 25. It could easily be outsourced to a VA or team member once you’ve got the first 3 sales under your belt.
My Lucky Bag Sale Results Revealed
Fukubukuro really was good luck for all! Students loved it, and I achieved my goal. I increased revenue and fun by offering an order bump option to “double up”, meaning the buyer could add another course for another $25.
Benefits:
It was fun! The mystery element worked like gamification, and one buyer even came back for seconds after they’d received their first course.
Great for the community. A lot of inactive students logged back in to their courses, even if they didn’t buy. The instant reaction from my audience was brilliant! People wrote feedback emails thanking me for the lovely initiative
The limited edition meant natural scarcity. Within 4 days I had sold 19 bags, and they were sold out by day 7. I also decided to add a deadline, so the sale would have ended on day 8 either way.
Mystery means opportunity. Many buyers got the opportunity to discover a course they may never have bought at full price, and go deeper into my teaching style.
Manual, but not complex. The delivery was easy, as I didn’t have to create any new courses or bonus materials. This was because I wanted to avoid giving anyone a course that they had already bought..
My Easy Marketing & Planning Strategies
It was easy for me to plan using my pre-made Notion template, which is designed for flash sales and includes
Key Information for the sale such as offer summary, dates, and promo channels.
A quick tech checklist to help me make sure I’ve created all the tech bits I need.
A marketing checklist with ideas for promo and links to email templates I’ve accumulated in the past.
Shout out here to Sandra van der Lee, whose templates I used and adapted for the Lucky Bag sale.
And shout out (fwiw) to ChatGPT for the writing assistance.
A debrief sheet helping me review my sale once it’s done and track which emails performed best.
Thinking About a Mystery Sale for Yourself?
If you're thinking of bringing a bit of mystery to your own teaching world, here's what I'd suggest:
What to Do Before You Dive In
Have a good look at what you could offer, and consider giving it a seasonal twist. Make your prices fair and fun, and be sure that you have all the tech elements set up that you need.
Select an offer that makes you smile
Create the tech: You need a checkout, payment button, or coupon for existing products
Check your thank you page and delivery plan is solid
Launch Time: Getting Your Mystery Flash Sale Off the Ground
Announce your sale by email and make sure you don’t forget to include an FAQ message in there. If you have affiliates, give them a heads-up too because offers like these are fun to talk about.
Make sure you have a good graphic or two (I used Depositphotos and Canva*)
Email your affiliates an offer summary and a copy of their link
Pre-write and schedule your sales emails
What to Do While Your Mystery Sale Is Live
Be ready to answer questions if they come up, and of course prepare for the occasional customer service request. Keep the excitement going even after 3-4 days and don’t be afraid to repeat your core message. Especially on social media, few people actually see what you post.
Commit to mentioning your offer every day while it’s live
Be ready to support buyers if they get stuck with logins etc.
Ask happy customers to spread the word for you
3 Must-Know Tips for Your Mystery Sale
Keep it Simple
Keep things simple and avoid overcomplicating the offer. My ‘double-up’ bump was as simple as adding another lucky bag for $25.
Offer Your Best
Offer your best courses or products—those lucky buyers who got a $297 course for just $25 were thrilled, and it made the mystery all the more exciting.
Be Organised
Organisation is key. I made sure all my marketing was scheduled in advance, so I could focus on providing the best customer experience.
Feeling Inspired to Run Your Own Mystery Sale? Let’s Make It Happen!
You might be buzzing with ideas for your own mystery sale right now. It’s a great idea, but it does take careful planning to get it just right. If you’re ready to create a sale that gets people talking, I’d love to help.
Book a 45-minute coaching session with me, and we’ll brainstorm and organise your mystery sale together.
From crafting the perfect concept to setting up the details, you’ll leave with a clear plan and the confidence to pull it off.
Spots are limited, so click here to book your session today!
