What is a Launch?
Are you visualizing your exciting yoga career, your first retreat or your own yoga studio? I’m sure you often dream about doing something new and taking the next step towards the realization of your calling. I know this feeling of excitement and anticipation. This article will focus on a launch, and how it sets the wheels in motion for the realization of your dream!
What is a Launch?
A launch is just a marketing term that describes a phase of growth and the mindful fruition of a new idea. It can mean the debut of your very own yoga studio, your next retreat, online course, or even your yoga career. It signifies the time when your new offering emerges and becomes available to your students.
A launch is very different from business as usual.
Some Examples
As we discussed in How much time should I spend on marketing?, “Business as Usual” and “Phases of Growth” are very distinct stages in your teaching journey.
Even experienced business owners make the mistake of treating launching like business as usual, but you know better. It is imperative to think about your growth mindfully, think things through, and plan your launch well in advance. Examples of a launch in your yoga journey include:
- Your yoga career
- Your very own yoga studio
- A workshop
- A retreat
- An online course
- Your website
- Your own YouTube channel
- Your Yoga Podcast
- A new collaboration with a studio
- A new offering or teaching program
It’s never too early to launch your growth!
When is the best time to start a launch? As soon as you envision your calling. The moment you start feeling it and thinking about it and planning it in your head, embrace your growth and start talking about it. Create a hype, build expectations, let your students know, and start sharing your plans.
Your new offering is awesome and valuable, and students need to get excited about it. Make them excited. That is a launch! Even if you don’t have all the details sorted out yet, give your students enough information to anticipate its arrival.
Some things to consider
1. A launch comes in stages
A launch is not a singular activity. Rather, it happens in stages that coincide with your growth and the realization of your vision. Make sure to plan and allow time and resources for the following:
- Before the launch, it’s time to get people excited. Create a buzz about six months earlier and commence early bookings about three months before.
- During your launch, communicate everything clearly (especially timings) and offer specials like ‘bring a friend’ or ‘early bird’, and bonuses like a free spot or a gift.
- After the launch, make sure to collect feedback and testimonials. Both will prove valuable when the time comes for your next endeavor. Never underestimate the period after your launch when you can gather feedback on how to improve, and testimonials of the great job you did. Both will be very valuable when the time comes for your next launch.
You can read about those stages in more detail.
2. Align with your students
Make sure your vision and your values align with your students’ values. Ensure they are on board and ready for your offering. Talk to them, communicate your vision, and if they are not yet ready, spend more time nurturing them and exploring your vision and your mission.
When you are launching a new program, studio, workshop, or retreat, you also need to ensure alignment with the people you work with to achieve all this. Studio owners, venue owners, sponsors, or collaborators in planning, executing, or marketing need to be in complete alignment with your vision and your timings.
3. Find clarity and focus
Finding clarity is invaluable when you are planning a launch, both internally and externally. You need to have clarity for yourself, but also in your communication with your students. The simpler your message, the more likely it is to reach their minds and hearts. Focus all your communication, your messages, and social media posts on this one offering. The more focused your message and your efforts, the higher the chance of success of your launch. Make sure to use the words that resonate with your following and remain consistent.
Last words: Be Brave
As with your life, be a warrior when it comes to your launch. Don’t be afraid to push boundaries in order to grow. Follow your passions and dreams. Your ideal students are waiting for you to reach them and to help them with your offerings. A great launch will take you to them. Plus, once you have clarity on your vision, your launch and overall marketing will automatically become authentic and honest, and attract the right people.
Always remember that your yoga marketing is the tool that will help you to offer value and serve your tribe. If you are in a phase of growth and need some help, I will be happy to plan and execute your launch with you. Use my contact page and let’s connect!
Join the discussion. Share your thoughts in the comments.
