In Business, Focus on Rhythm rather than Timing
Photo from @evstyle on Unsplash
I often get questions related to "timing"...
“What is the right time to post on social media?”
“When should I launch my next program?”
Here’s what I say in response:
What is your rhythm, and are you following it?
Asking about “timing” means two possible things are going on:
- You have a fantasy that timing will make or break your social media visibility or product launch.
- You are tempted to use “timing” as an excuse to delay, for fear of rejection or disappointment.
Your Fantasy re: the Timing of Social Media Postings
“If I post at the right time, the response could be huge.
If I don’t get the timing right, it’ll fall flat.”
This is a myth.
Here's what you'll discover when you get enough experience posting on social media:
1. If something is valuable to your audience, you can post it at 3am in the morning and it’ll go viral within days.
2. If something is so-so, you can post it at the ideal social media time, and the response will still be flat.
It’s more about the quality of your post, not the timing.
But please don’t use that as another reason to delay. (“Ok so I need to perfect my post, before I post it!”)
When it comes to content and offerings, quantity leads to quality, so the faster you are willing to post/publish/launch, the sooner you will understand what your audience cares about. You learn what “quality” means to them by providing more quantity. You can’t understand "quality" by guessing. You’ll almost certainly be surprised.
It’s not that timing doesn’t make a difference. It does. But it is only an amplifier, not the deciding factor. Posting at 3am will get you great response (within days) if the content is what the audience wants.
And if something is getting above-average response? Simply post it again at a more ideal time.
Your Fantasy re: The Timing of Launches
I have launched online programs during the year-end break, between Dec 26-Dec 31. It did pretty well, even though “everyone” was supposed to be offline.
I’ve also launched things during the supposed ideal times of January-March or Sept-Nov. And some of those launches have fallen completely flat!
Again and again, it comes back to the question: am I giving something the audience cares about?
How will I really know what the audience cares about?
Only by launching.
Yes, conversations with audience members will give you ideas and deepen your understanding of them. Surveys can also help.
But only by launching will you know whether or not they will actually buy.
Therefore: launch quickly and often. This is why I launch something every month. No launch is that big of a deal. I am gentle with myself, giving very little pressure, because I know I’ll have another chance the next month, and the next month, and the next.
My definition of "launch" is simply “A concerted effort to announce a new product/service.”
I do minimalistic launches:
- Two emails to my "invitations" list
- One Facebook event (examples)
- Two Facebook ads (example)
If you launch only once a year or quarter, then there’s a lot more pressure for each launch. You’re only giving yourself only 1-4 chances per year to create revenue.
Because I launch each month, I give myself 12 chances a year.
This brings us to the important topic of Rhythm.
Your Rhythm of Content & Offerings is the Heartbeat of Your Business.
Imagine if your heart says:
“I’ll just beat when I feel inspired / when I feel ready.”
“I’ll beat really fast for 30 days of a video challenge, and then exhausted, I’ll be resting for months.”
You hope your heart doesn’t say that!
Instead, you want a consistent, gentle heartbeat. This is also true for your rhythm of content and offerings: consistent and gentle.
Aim for lots of real learning from low-pressure, casual action, and you'll earn consistent audience growth as a result.
Beware of the thoughts “I’ll do it when I feel inspired / when I feel ready.” Like a heart, this kind of thought virus will lead to the death of your business.
Instead:
Just do it, and then you’ll feel more ready to do it.
Take action, and then you’ll feel inspired.
For the life & growth of your business, rhythm is the most important thing.
Recommended Next:
- The 3 Stages of Content
- Quantity Leads to Quality
- Most importantly, go and tend to your rhythm ❦