The Perfect Launch Timeline: What to Do and When
Launching your course, membership, or program can feel overwhelming – especially if you’re not sure what to do or when to start.
Should you focus on building your audience? Creating your content? Writing emails? The list of tasks seems endless, and without a clear roadmap, it’s easy to feel stuck.
That’s why I’ve created this guide to a launch timeline that allows plenty of time to get everything done without feeling too overwhelmed. In this post, I’ll walk you through exactly what to focus on during each stage of your launch: pre-launch, launch week, and post-launch.
By the end, you’ll have a proven step-by-step plan to follow – saving you time, reducing stress, and setting your launch up for success.
The 3 Stages of a Successful Launch
Before we dive into the timeline, let’s break your launch down into 3 key stages:
1. Pre-launch (12–8 weeks before launch)
This is the foundation of your launch. During this phase, you’ll focus on building your audience, warming them up, and creating buzz around your upcoming offer.
2. Launch week (cart open to close)
This is when the doors to your offer are officially open, and your main goal is to drive sales.
3. Post-launch (1 week after launch)
Once your cart is closed, your focus shifts to delivering your offer, nurturing your audience, and optimizing for future launches.
Now let’s dive into each stage, step by step.
Stage 1: Pre-launch (12–8 Weeks Before Launch)
The pre-launch phase is where all the magic happens. It’s your opportunity to set the foundation for a successful launch by building your audience, warming them up, and getting them excited about what’s to come.
Here’s what to focus on:
12 Weeks Before Launch
Set your goals: Decide what you’re selling, your revenue target, and how many people you need to enroll to hit your goal.
Create your timeline: Mark key dates on your calendar, like your cart open and close dates, webinar dates, and deadlines for content creation.
Plan your content strategy: Outline the blog posts, videos, emails, and social posts you’ll create to nurture your audience during pre-launch.
10 Weeks Before Launch
Create your lead magnet: Build a free resource (like a checklist, guide, or webinar) that solves a small, specific problem for your audience. This will help you grow your email list with potential buyers.
Build your opt-in landing page: Make it simple, clear, and optimized to turn visitors into leads.
Plan your email sequence: Write a follow-up sequence to nurture new leads and get them excited about your offer.
8 Weeks Before Launch
Start creating buzz: Share valuable content on social media that speaks to your audience’s struggles and gets them thinking about the solution you’ll offer.
Promote your lead magnet: Use social posts, ads, and collaborations to grow your email list.
Stage 2: Launch Week (Cart Open to Close)
This is the big moment – your offer is live, and your focus is on selling. Here’s how to maximize your results during launch week:
7 Days Before Cart Opens
Prep your audience: Send teasers via email and social media to let your audience know something exciting is coming.
Host a live event: Run a webinar, challenge, or workshop that delivers value and transitions into pitching your offer to officially kick off your sales.
Cart Open Day (Day 1)
Announce your offer: Send a big email to your list, post on social media, and officially open the doors to your offer.
Create urgency: Use early bird bonuses or limited-time discounts to incentivize people to buy early.
Mid-Launch (Days 2–4)
Send daily emails to build momentum, share details about your product, and answer questions.
Highlight testimonials or case studies: Show your audience how your offer has helped others achieve results.
Answer FAQs: Address common objections in your emails, social posts, or a live Q&A session.
Cart Close Day (Day 5 or 7)
Send cart-close emails: Most sales happen on the final day, so don’t be afraid to send multiple reminders. I recommend 3-4 on the last day (feels scary but it works!)
Go live or post stories: Create urgency by reminding your audience of the deadline.
Stage 3: Post-launch (1 Week After Launch)
The post-launch phase is just as important as launch week. It’s your chance to wrap things up, nurture your audience, and optimize for future success.
Here’s what to do:
Send a thank-you email: Thank everyone who joined – and even those who didn’t – to keep the relationship strong.
Deliver your offer: Onboard your new clients or students and make sure they’re set up for success.
Review your metrics: Analyze what worked and what didn’t, including your email open rates, webinar attendance, and sales page conversions.
Take notes for next time: Write down lessons learned and brainstorm ways to improve your next launch.
Your Next Steps
By following this timeline, you’ll take the guesswork out of planning your launch and set yourself up for success.
Build your audience early.
Warm them up with valuable content.
Go all-in during launch week.
Reflect and optimize after your cart closes.
💡 Want to simplify your launch even further? Check out All Access, my Launch Template Library, where you’ll find done-for-you templates for every part of your launch – including launch management, a launch calendar, email sequences, sales pages, webinar slides, and more.
