How to plan your course launch timeline for a stress-free launch
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Planning a course launch can feel like juggling a thousand moving pieces, and it’s all too easy to get overwhelmed before you even begin. As a Launch Manager with a knack for streamlining the chaos, I’ve helped lots of clients successfully launch their courses, making sure they can focus on what they love—coaching and teaching—while I handle the nitty-gritty details.
In this guide, I’ll show you how to create a course launch timeline that covers everything you need, from using past data to set your strategy, making your launch materials stand out, to wrapping things up smoothly after the cart closes. This is your step-by-step plan to make sure your launch is as smooth and successful as possible.
If you’re ready to take the stress out of your launch and make the process easier, follow along with this guide and let’s make it happen!
Make sure you don’t miss a thing–grab my free Course Launch Planner & Checklist to guide you step-by-step.
Decisions to make before creating your launch schedule
Before you jump into setting up your launch schedule, you need to make some important decisions:
Choosing a launch date
Picking the right launch date is a big deal. Let’s line it up with when your audience is most engaged and when you have the bandwidth to give it your all.
Here are some tips for picking a launch date:
- Avoid big holidays or events that could distract your audience.
- Consider industry-specific happenings like conferences where your audience might be extra tuned in.
- Give yourself plenty of prep time for all your promotional content and strategies, ideally finishing early to test everything out.
Understand your audience
Start by understanding who your course is for. Build buyer personas to understand their needs and how your course fits in. Think of a buyer persona as a character sketch of your ideal student, covering their goals, challenges, and how your course is the answer they’ve been searching for. This understanding will help you create messaging and CTAs that really connect.
Stirring excitement
Once you have your audience insights nailed down, it’s time to generate buzz. Plan to start at least a month before your cart opens. The cart is usually open for 5 days to 2 weeks, but this can vary. Consider using a launch event to grow your list and build excitement. Decide whether a challenge, webinar, or giveaway works best for your course topic.
I also take into consideration YOUR preferences: do you like doing a live webinar, or would you prefer hosting a challenge? There are many ways to build buzz for your launch, and they all work. What works best depends on what you like doing, because your energy and excitement is what’s going to get your audience excited!
Planning your launch schedule
Here’s a typical course launch timeline I use with clients:
Week 1: Strategy and planning
Gather data from past launches or marketing efforts. Tools like Google Analytics or Instagram Insights can give you a good sense of what resonated with your audience. Analyzing this data helps you make smart choices about your launch strategy.
Weeks 2 – 4: Copy, design, and tech setup
Time to get creative! Write copy for emails and pages, design your sales and registration pages, and set up your checkout process. Use tools like Canva for design and a scheduling platform like PlannThat for social media. Want to whip up social posts quickly? Check out my Social Media Launch Toolkits.
Design your course sales page.
Your sales page is the bridge between interest and enrollment. Make sure it clearly explains the value of your course and gives all the info potential students need to decide. Bring in testimonials, lay out pricing clearly, and have CTAs that pop. Need some help with the design and tech bits? Check out my Sales Page Design service.
Creating your course content, lead magnets, and more.
Your content should really speak to your audience, keeping them engaged and pumped up. Interactive elements like quizzes or assignments can boost value. Build your list with lead magnets.
Use one of my Ebook & Workbook Templates to save hours creating lead magnets and workbooks for your course. Have everything ready and polished for launch day so you’re not scrambling.
Week 5: Finalize assets and start promoting
Add those final touches and dive into promoting your event. The goal? Spark excitement and get people curious!
Building excitement pre-launch
Create buzz by giving sneak peeks or offering exclusive bonuses. Social media teasers and email campaigns can energize your audience and build anticipation. Read How to create a launch content calendar for social media for more details.
Want to get your social media launch content done fast? My Social Media Launch Toolkit has 50 caption templates for every phase of your launch, 200+ Canva templates, a guide on how to adjust caption templates to different platforms, and suggested posting schedules so you know what to post when.
Week 6: Host your buzz-builder and open the cart
Offer something of value. Whether it’s a webinar, Q&A, or challenge, give people a taste of the benefits they’ll get from your paid offer.
Save time on creating your webinar slides with one of my Slide Deck Templates.
You can also offer some sort of bonus to motivate enrollment, like extra resources or access to a private community. You could offer an early bird bonus for those who sign up in the first day(s), or have a bonus that lasts throughout your launch, or even a combination of both.
The day before you open the cart, double-check that everything’s running as it should.
All throughout your launch, make sure you or your team is available to answer questions, provide support, and engage with your community.
Week 7: Engage your audience, answer questions, and close the cart
Highlight the benefits of your offer. Use testimonials, answer questions, and keep enthusiasm high right until the cart closes.
Follow up with potential buyers and gather feedback from new participants.
Week 8: Review and reflect
Dive into your metrics. What worked? What didn’t? Look into conversion rates, feedback, and engagement levels. This will help you with your next launch!
Wrapping it up
A thoughtful course launch timeline is your key to success. By sticking to a detailed plan, you’ll spark interest, draw in the right students, and boost enrollments. Start lining up your launch timeline now with my free Course Launch Planner & Checklist to make sure you’ve got it all covered.
Ready to make this your best launch yet? Let’s work together!
I'm Anouska
I help you create and launch digital products, so your business keeps working even when you rest.
I’m here to manage the behind-the-scenes of your launch while you focus on coaching and teaching.
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"I'm now able to focus on what I love, coaching and teaching. Thanks to Anouska, I've had several smooth and successful course launches!"
— Rebecca Tolin, Mind-Body Coach
"I LOVE my new sales page. I’m really, really proud and happy with it! I raised my price and more people joined."
— Erika Vieira, YouTube Coach
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Overwhelmed by all the moving parts of your course launch?
Do you want to launch with a clear, organized plan?
My free Course Launch Planner & Checklist will help you:
- Set and achieve meaningful goals without burnout
- Follow a comprehensive checklist that covers every detail—from pre-launch excitement to post-launch follow-up
- Manage your time and energy every step of the way
Say goodbye to chaos with a clear course launch plan that covers every step, so you go into your launch feeling prepared and confident.