When Is The Best Time to Launch a Course? Your Essential Guide

Picture this: You've spent weeks, perhaps months, pouring your heart and soul into creating your new online course. The finish line is in sight and you’re ready to unveil and launch your new online course to the world. 

Congrats on making it this far! Here’s a question though… When are you going to launch it?

You might be tempted to answer, “Now, of course!”. And while I commend you on your enthusiasm, did you stop to consider the timing of your course launch? 

Does timing even matter when launching a course? Is there a magic month, week, or even day that promises the most sales? I’ll answer these questions and more in this primer on course launch timing and strategy that will set your course up for success. 

When Should You Launch an Online Course?

It doesn’t take you long into a Google (or AI) search on this topic will lead you down a rabbit hole of confusion.

You’ll find advice from dozens of self-proclaimed experts on the “best time” to launch a course, touting a specific season or day of the week. But what does this elusive "best time" even mean? 

The ideal launch time for a course on say, developing a social media strategy, may be a world away from the perfect month to launch a course on tax preparation. So here's what you need to consider when deciding when you should launch your own course:

Let’s examine these factors in depth.

The Audience for Your Online Course

If your course launch is going to be successful, then knowing your target audience is always your first, most critical step.

This isn't just about making sure that your course will sell. The more you understand your audience's mindset, the better you can synchronize your course launch with their buying habits. Knowing who your course is for and what their daily routines, habits, and lifestyles are can heavily influence your launch timing. 

For instance, if you're creating a course targeted towards busy professionals looking to upgrade their skills, then launching during a typical vacation period, like the holidays or the summer, might not be your best bet. After all, people are generally more focused on family time or travel during these periods. 

The Course Topic

The topic of your course can play a massive role in nailing the perfect launch time too.

For example, if you're offering a course on tax preparation, you might want to launch it a few months before the tax season kicks off. This gives people enough time to digest and apply their newfound knowledge. Or let's say you're selling an SEO course. Q4 might be your sweet spot for this, as many businesses are reviewing their year's traffic metrics and planning for the next year at that point. 

When it comes to timing and the topic of your course, think about when your course is most needed and sought after by your audience. If you’re unsure of when that might be, a tool like Google Trends is a handy tool to get a sense of when different terms are most popular. This can give you some insight into when your target audience is most interested in your course topic. 

In the grand scheme of things, your launch timing should be in tune with both your audience's characteristics and the topic's relevance throughout the year. It’s a delicate dance that demands thoughtful planning. And remember, don't rush it! It's better to be a little patient and launch when your audience is ready and the topic is most relevant to them. It can make or break your course's success.

Is There a Best Time of Year to Launch an Online Course?

A quick search online will overwhelm you with guides promising the ultimate blueprint of what to launch and when - January for this, February for that, etc. But how much truth and evidence lies beneath these claims? Is there really a magic day and hour to launch your course?

There isn't a one-size-fits-all answer because it hinges on the factors I’ve discussed above, mainly the course's topic and its target audience. However, there are certain times during the year when people are generally more inclined to start new learning projects. Being aware of these periods can help maximize the success of your course launch (Google Trends is your friend here too).

Generally speaking, summertime can be tricky for courses oriented toward businesses due to the slowdown that comes with people taking time off for vacations.

Remember, these are just broad brushstrokes. To find your ideal launch time, align these general tendencies with specifics about your course topic and audience. Be prepared to adapt based on feedback, and remember, a successful course launch always involves trial, error, and plenty of flexibility.

How Long Does It Take To Create And Launch An Online Course?

As if I haven’t used this phrase enough already… it depends! 

I've covered this topic in depth in my ultimate guide to how much it costs to create an online course because the time investment (and cost) will depend on the type of course you create.

For instance, a mini-course or challenge could be whipped up in a few days. A more intensive course that requires filming videos and creating a workbook could take a week or more of your time. And a comprehensive boot camp may take weeks of designing and testing before you're ready to launch. And let's not forget the time you'll need to invest in crafting a marketing and sales strategy for your course launch.

Much like the timing of your launch, the time investment will depend on the type of course you create. 

Common Launch Mistakes People Make When Selling An Online Course

It’s so tempting to dive headfirst into the exhilarating waters of creating and launching a course. But before you take the plunge, let me throw a lifeline of caution your way. 

Creating and launching a successful course isn't easy, especially if you’re starting from scratch. I’ve learned this the hard way through countless courses I’ve sold over the years, as well as working with business owners like you who are trying to build a new revenue stream for their business. Here are three of the most common mistakes I see course creators make, whether they're newbies or veterans. 

Launching Too Quickly

It's a common mistake to rush the course launch without proper preparation and promotion. A successful course launch needs a well-planned marketing strategy that builds anticipation and desire among potential students. Make sure that you've allowed enough time to presell your course and generate interest and excitement.

Waiting Too Long To Launch

The flipside of rushing is waiting until everything is absolutely perfect. 

You know what they say - perfect is the enemy of good. If you are a perfectionist like me, it’s tempting to keep refining a course until it’s just right. But every day you spend polishing and re-polishing your course is a day that the course is not making money for your business. 

You can always tweak your course as you collect feedback from students, but don’t let the fear of it not being perfect delay you from selling it and gathering insights from your students. 

Not Having A Sales Strategy

In the interest of launching your course quickly, you might be tempted to just wing it and figure out the odds and ends of a sales strategy later. 

Don’t fall into this trap. 

Launching a course without a sales strategy is akin to baking a batch of crispy, golden croissants without a recipe - the end product could be anything from a decadent treat to a culinary disaster! At the very least, you’ll need a basic sales funnel and a solid sales page optimized to convert. These are the building blocks of an effective sales strategy that you can refine over time. 

Here’s A Hack To Speed Up Your Course Creation And Launch Process 

Even if the timing isn’t everything, you can see that there are a lot of factors to juggle for successfully creating, launching, and selling a course. And it can cost a fair amount of time and money.

So why leave so much of creating your course up to chance? 

There’s a hack you can use to speed this process up quite a bit: purchase a ready-to-go, brandable course.

From SEO and social media to sales skills and productivity, we have a wide range of courses that you can browse and start selling to your audience right away. 

Ready to get started? Check out our shop and start selling your first course today.