If you’re preparing to launch a program online, there is likely going to come a time when you want to throw up your hands and hire someone to just handle the entire launch for you. Yep, there are people who do that! Launch managers & launch coordinators are two types of people that you may want to consider adding to your team. Both launch managers and launch coordinators help you with your launch plan, but there are some differences between them.
What is a Launch Manager?
At their core, launch managers manage everything having to do with your online launch. No surprise there, right? Launch managers often have a team of people dedicated to making sure every single part of your online launch goes off without a hitch. This can include copywriters, ad managers, tech specialists, graphic designers and video editors, which means they can handle pretty much everything in house.
If, during the course of your launch, a launch manager finds a problem that needs solving, he or she will identify the right person to solve the problem and handle it for you.
What is a Launch Coordinator?
A launch coordinator is someone who helps you put together the tasks and timeline for a launch. Launch coordinators make sure that nothing is being missed and that the launch stays on schedule, but he or she typically either uses your existing team to get things done or helps you to identify the people you need to add to your team to get the launch completed. Although sometimes a launch coordinator will have a working relationship with people that will be a good fit for the tasks you need done, the people they work with are not necessarily on their team.
Pros & Cons of Launch Managers
As manager of everything surrounding your launch, launch managers have tremendous responsibility. They are the keeper of the keys. This means that not only are they very expensive, if something happens to them or your relationship goes south, you can lose access to your entire launch team in one fell swoop, setting your launch back tremendously.
Working with a launch manager also means that you won’t have as much control over, or access to, the people that are working on your launch. While this can be nice if you don’t want to worry about individual components of a launch, it also gives you less flexibility on pricing or in choosing the perfect people to join your own team.
On the flip side, if you’re a busy entrepreneur with an outside business who can afford the money but not the time that a full-scale launch takes, it is very comforting to know that you only have to be coordinating with one person during your launch.
Pros & Cons of Launch Coordinators
Launch coordinators offer great flexibility in how they work with you, but they don’t often come with a ready made team. This means that even though you will be communicating primarily with the launch coordinator on your launch tasks, you may also be asked to weigh in on hiring choices for the various tasks that need to be outsourced.
One of the benefits of having a launch coordinator help you build your team is that when the coordinator is done working on your launch, they won’t be taking your team with them. You’ll be able to continue to use the contractors to work on other parts of your business – and they’ll be trained for your business.
The cost of a launch coordinator is also less than a launch manager primarily because they don’t have to cover the costs of all of the team members who will be working on your launch.
If you’re trying to launch an online program, a launch manager or launch coordinator can be a good option for you to consider, particularly if you feel overwhelmed by launching or want someone to guide you through the process and make sure no launch task is missed. Launching is hard, and you’re more likely to close cart on a successful launch with a helper by your side.
Did you know that I am a launch coordinator? If you’d like help organizing and coordinating your launch, we should talk! You can set up an appointment here.
