3 Factors to Determine the Length of Your Launch
When you’re inviting folks into a program, service, or event, “launching”—that time from when you first open up for enrollment or open your cart until when you stop enrolling or close the cart—can feel daunting!
Among the many questions and details, one of the most common ones is:
How long should my launch period be?
Believe it or not, these three main factors will not only help determine the length of your next launch, they’ll also provide you with insight into other aspects of your launch like whether you do sales calls or spend time warming up your audience first.
FACTOR #1: Price Point
What’s the investment price for your program or service? If it’s less than $500 USD, that’s considered an “easy yes” for many people.
In other words, you likely won’t need to set aside time to meet 1-on-1 with clients before they feel ready to purchase what you’re offering.
On the other hand if you’re launching a high-ticket offer ( and want to be more exclusive about the people you’re accepting into your program or offering your services to, consider building in time for those individual conversations — and therefore extending your launch period!
FACTOR #2: How long is the experience you’re offering?
If what you’re launching has a turnaround of a day or two or even a few weeks — maybe it’s an online event or workshop — your audience will be able to quickly decide if they can commit to that time. Small, finite periods of time = easier time to decide how it fits into a schedule.
On the other hand, if you’re launching a 6-month coaching program, give your potential clients (and yourself!) the gift of time to decide if they’re ready for the investment, the time commitment, and the dedication you’ll be asking of them to be successful within your program.
That way, everybody wins!
FACTOR #3: What’s the temperature of your audience?
It’s so much easier to kick off a launch when you’ve already been showing up consistently for your community whether through email, social media and/or a group you’re running. You’re aware of their needs and they’re used to your work and your voice. In other words, they are likely pretty warmed up to you by now.
Before launching, ask yourself:
“Have I been regularly showing up for my community? How often am I posting in my Facebook group? When’s the last time I sent a newsletter? How much time have I spent engaging with my connections on LinkedIn?”
Just like any relationship, nurturing your audience takes time. If you have not been engaging with your community, you may have a fairly “cold” audience, in which case I strongly recommend you build in a period prior to launching to strengthen connections, share content, and provide value. Becoming a regular, friendly face in their inbox or notifications tab not only builds trust with your potential buyers, but it will give you the practice you need to feel more comfortable about putting your ideas and offers in front of people.
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With clarity on these three factors, you’ll have a pretty good sense for how much time to allow for your launch. Some rules of thumb you can go by: if your offer is high-ticket, multi-month, and you have a warm audience, 3-4 weeks will likely be sufficient. If your offer is low-ticket, short-term time commitment, and you have a warm audience, 3-7 days should be fine. Conversely, if your offer is high-ticket with a cold audience, allow yourself 60-90 days, and if it’s low-ticket, then a few weeks. These are not hard-and-fast timeframes so adjust according to what best suits your workflow, your capacity, and your goals for your launch. But with a thoughtful approach to establishing a timeframe for your next launch, you’ll naturally put yourself in a stronger position to realize success.
Have a comment? Or a specific question about what you just read?
Email me—I really will respond. I love getting email from readers, and I’m happy to give you a quick strategy or tip to make sure you’re rocking your message and your marketing feels fun and productive!