How To Know What Type of Launch Is Right For You
When you’re launching in your business, one of the first questions that you’re likely to ask is, “what type of launch should I do?”
And it makes sense why you would ask this because in the online space, you see people launching all sorts of different ways, which means you have OPTIONS!
There’s masterclasses, workshops, week long challenges, video series, email campaigns, the list goes on.
But the thing with options is that it can feel overwhelming and sometimes even confusing because you wonder, “well… which one is the right option for ME?!”
As a launch copywriter and strategist, I’m here to tell you that there isn’t just one right way to launch. The way that you launch should be specific to you, your business, and your offer.
And I get it… it probably sounds really annoying to hear that, but it’s true. With that, however, there are a few things for you to take into consideration before deciding what type of launch you’re going to do.
In this blog post, I’ll walk you through some questions to ask yourself, as well as provide a few common launch examples so that you can hopefully feel a little more confident in making this decision for yourself!
4 Questions To Ask Yourself When Deciding What Type of Launch To Run
Before I get into the questions to ask yourself when deciding what type of launch to do, I want to remind you that a “launch” is simply a LIVE marketing event that happens in real time that has an offer attached to it.
And that offer can really be anything – a course, coaching program, done-for-you service, etc.
So, if you have your offer ready and you’re ready to launch it (or relaunch it) into the world, start by asking yourself these questions first:
- Who is my target audience and what type of content do they respond to best?
First things first, it’s important to fully understand WHO your audience is and what type of content they respond to best.
For example, if your target audience is busy, stay at home moms, it’s probably not wise to host a masterclass in the middle of their morning chaos. Instead, a nap time hour or even an evening hour might be a better fit.
Taking your audience into consideration is one of the first and most important things to do when deciding what type of launch to host.
- What do YOU like to create?
Next, while your audience is of course important, it also matters what YOU like to create and enjoy as well.
Some people are social butterflies and love to talk, which means that a masterclass or live video series might be music to their ears.
But other people are introverts (it’s me!) and might prefer pre-recorded workshops, email series, or even more personal outreach instead of a big production.
The key here is that you’re choosing a launch mechanism that YOU enjoy AND your audience will successfully respond to.
- What’s the timeline for the launch?
Crafting your launch timeline is one of the 5 key LaunchFlows™ that can’t be ignored and this timeline alone can be one of the determining factors for what type of launch you decide to do.
Hopefully you plan accordingly and are able to create your workflow to have plenty of time and margin to design the launch that you really want, but sometimes you may find that you have a shorter runway, which would require you to adjust things accordingly and choose a launch mechanism that’s a bit quicker.
- What type of launch makes the MOST sense for my offer?
Lastly, it’s important to consider what type of launch makes the most sense for your offer. It’s important that your offer and your launch mechanism are aligned so that it feels cohesive to your audience.
For example, in the past when I’ve launched Inbox Love, I’ve done it as an email only launch that sent people directly to the sales page. This made sense since the offer itself is all about EMAIL!
Now, most launch mechanisms can work for any offer, but it’s still something you want to strategically consider before deciding.
4 Common Types of Launches
The options that you have for the WAY that you decide to launch your offer are truly endless, but as mentioned earlier, that can feel a little bit overwhelming because of course you want to choose the type of launch that will WORK!
But hear me when I say: ANY type of launch can work when you design it strategically.
With that, however, I understand that sometimes it’s nice to have a few examples, so below I’ll walk you through 4 common types of launches that I tend to see in the industry and have worked with a lot of my clients to create!
- The Live Workshop 💻
I like to call this the LaunchFlow™ Recipe because it’s the exact launch mechanism that I chose when I created LaunchFlow™ Accelerator.
With this “recipe,” we launch 2-3 times per year and the pre-launch content always includes weekly blog content with corresponding emails and social media content, specifically on Instagram and LinkedIn, that aims to prepare the audience for what’s to come.
That content will typically invite people to download the LaunchFlow™ Roadmap and then have an invite to a live workshop on the backend.
After the workshop, attendees will be pushed to the sales page with an invite to apply for a spot in the cohort and to book a sales call. The open cart period for this type of launch is typically 2 weeks!
- The Live Challenge 🗓️
Another common launch style in addition to the workshop model are challenges and I’ve worked with many clients who go this route. Typically the live launch event is a 5 Day Challenge that is promoted through pre-launch content via ads, email, and social media.
Each day of the challenge, attendees typically learn a key part of something related to the offer and then on day 5, the offer cart opens. Follow up will happen through email and social media and the open cart period will run 7-10 days.
- The Live Masterclass 🎬
Webinars, often referred to as masterclasses, are one of the most common types of launch mechanisms out there and in my opinion used to be THE most effective way to launch.
In today’s online world, you’re seeing people get more and more creative and some people are moving away from the masterclass model, but trust me… it still works!
Live masterclasses typically work well for those offering a course or some type of cohort-based enrollment. Similar to other launch styles, pre-launch content will take place beforehand wherever you prefer to show up – podcast, blogs, emails, social, etc.
Sometimes that content will offer a lead magnet to get people into the funnel before inviting them to register for the masterclass and other times the content will directly invite them to register instead.
The masterclass will typically consist of a 90 minute presentation that offers small value nuggets for people to walk away with, but will primarily introduce the solution – aka your offer – and will be backed up with lots of case studies and testimonials before the pitch.
On the masterclass, attendees are often directed directly to the sales page to buy, unless you require sales calls beforehand. This method often creates urgency as there’s typically a bonus offered on the live presentation, as well as limited enrollment spots and a shorter open cart.
- The Video Series 🎥
Lastly, another type of launch mechanism that’s become super popular are video series and these are unique because they can be live OR pre-recorded.
In the past, I’ve had clients who send out 1 video via email every day for 3 days prior to opening the cart for their offer OR they will host live video sessions on Instagram or LinkedIn.
Typically, the video content will be crafted to meet the audience where they’re at, describe the problem they’re facing, and offer micro-solutions in each video before introducing the MAIN solution – aka your offer.
On the last day of the video series, the audience is often directed to the sales page to buy and the open cart period can range anywhere from 5-10 days.
❗️NOTE: These 4 examples are just a few of the most common ones that I see a lot! By no means are these your only options.❗️
In fact, most good launches will have a COMBINATION of these elements… but the exact ingredients and proportions need to come from YOU, not someone else’s formula.
Resources For Your Next Launch
At the end of the day, there really is no one perfect formula for a launch… it’s what you decide is best for you, your business, your offer, and your audience.
So, whether you’re gearing up for your next big launch or planning your first one, consider the questions above and explore the different launch methods that could possibly work for YOU specifically!
And if you aren’t sure how to start with this whole launch thing, I’ve got you covered!
- The LaunchFlow™ Roadmap – this roadmap was created to help you learn the 5 flows of fun and repeatable big money launches. 💸
- 4 Keys to Successful, Repeatable, and Sustainable Launches – this blog post walks you through the 4 things you need to have in place when planning your next launch
- 3 Ways You Can Prepare For the Unknown During Launches – this blog post helps you navigate how to prepare for the many unknowns that can happen during launching
Take what you need and connect here for more launch strategy and copywriting tips!