Fitness Tracker App Launch Timeline

Launch Date: 60 days from today (Day 60)
Target: 500 signups
Budget: $10,000
Team: 3 people

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Timeline Overview

Pre-Launch Phase (Days 1-53): Foundation, asset creation, testing, audience building
Launch Week (Days 54-60): Final prep, coordinated release, multi-channel activation
Post-Launch Phase (Days 61-90): Monitoring, optimization, user engagement, iteration

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PRE-LAUNCH PHASE (Days 1-53)

Week 1-2 (Days 1-14): Foundation & Asset Creation

Critical Priority

• Finalize app store listings (iOS/Android): Screenshots, descriptions, keywords
• Create landing page with waitlist/pre-registration form
• Set up analytics tracking (app + website): Google Analytics, Mixpanel, or Amplitude
• Define 3-5 core value propositions and messaging framework
• Create launch creative brief: brand colors, tone, key messages

High Priority

• Build email marketing infrastructure (Mailchimp/ConvertKit/Beehiiv)
• Design 5-7 social media announcement graphics (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter/X)
• Write 10 pre-launch social media posts
• Create 30-second explainer video showcasing app features
• Draft FAQ page content

Medium Priority

• Research fitness influencers/micro-influencers (10-50k followers) in budget range
• Create press release draft
• Set up social media profiles if not already established

Dependencies: Landing page must be live before running any traffic campaigns. Analytics setup blocks campaign optimization.

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Week 3-4 (Days 15-28): Beta Testing & Content Development

Critical Priority

• Recruit 20-30 beta testers from target audience (friends, family, fitness communities)
• Distribute beta version and collect structured feedback (surveys + in-app)
• Fix critical bugs identified in beta testing
• Create email nurture sequence (5-7 emails) for pre-launch signups
• Write 3-4 blog posts: fitness tips, app benefits, use cases

High Priority

• Gather 5-10 beta user testimonials and screenshots
• Create case study or before/after story from beta tester
• Design App Store screenshots with testimonial quotes
• Reach out to 10-15 fitness influencers for partnership discussions
• Set up Facebook/Instagram ad account and pixel tracking

Medium Priority

• Create social proof badges (“As featured on…”, “Join 200+ beta users”)
• Build referral program mechanics (if applicable)
• Draft partner co-marketing templates

Dependencies: Beta testing must complete before testimonials. Testimonials inform final ad creative.

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Week 5-6 (Days 29-42): Audience Building & Paid Campaign Prep

Critical Priority

• Launch waitlist campaign: Share landing page across all channels
• Create 3-5 Facebook/Instagram ad variations (image + video)
• Set up ad campaigns targeting fitness enthusiasts (age 25-45, interests: fitness apps, health tracking)
• Allocate initial $2,000 to pre-launch ads for list building
• Send first email to pre-launch list (value content + countdown to launch)

High Priority

• Finalize influencer partnerships (2-4 micro-influencers, $200-500 each = ~$1,500)
• Create influencer content kits: talking points, promo codes, graphics
• Schedule influencer posts for launch week
• Build out content calendar for Days 43-75 (social posts, emails, blogs)
• Create launch day giveaway/contest mechanics (e.g., “First 100 users get premium free”)

Medium Priority

• Submit app for App Store/Google Play review (allow 1-2 weeks processing)
• Prepare Product Hunt launch draft and visual assets
• Research relevant subreddits, Facebook groups, fitness forums for organic promotion
• Create Google My Business listing if applicable

Dependencies: Ad campaigns require landing page + tracking. Influencer partnerships need time to negotiate and schedule.

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Week 7-8 (Days 43-53): Final Polish & Launch Rehearsal

Critical Priority

• Final QA testing on iOS and Android (all critical user flows)
• Confirm app approved on App Store and Google Play
• Pre-schedule launch day social posts (6-8 posts across platforms)
• Pre-schedule launch email blast to waitlist (send Day 60, 8 AM)
• Prepare launch day monitoring dashboard (app downloads, signups, server performance)

High Priority

• Brief entire team on launch day roles and responsibilities
• Create launch day FAQ/response templates for social media comments
• Set up customer support system (email, in-app chat, or helpdesk)
• Record video demos for YouTube and social media
• Confirm influencer posts scheduled for Day 60

Medium Priority

• Send “48 hours until launch” teaser email to waitlist
• Post countdown content on social media (Days 50-60)
• Prepare contingency plan for server issues or app crashes

Dependencies: App store approval must complete before launch. All assets and campaigns must be pre-scheduled by Day 53.

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LAUNCH WEEK (Days 54-60)

Day 54-56: Final Countdown

Critical Priority

• Send “24 hours to launch” email to waitlist with clear call-to-action
• Double-check all pre-scheduled posts and emails
• Test app download links (both platforms)
• Verify analytics tracking firing correctly
• Activate $3,000 ad budget for launch week across Facebook/Instagram

High Priority

• Post daily countdown on all social channels
• Engage with fitness communities and forums (warm outreach, no spam)
• Monitor server capacity and app performance under simulated load

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Days 57-59: Launch Prep & Early Access

Critical Priority

• Day 57: Send early access email to top 50 waitlist members (VIP preview)
• Monitor early access feedback and fix any critical issues
• Day 58: Post “Tomorrow is the day!” teaser on social media
• Day 59: Send final launch reminder email to full waitlist (send evening before launch)

High Priority

• Coordinate with influencers to confirm launch day posts
• Prepare real-time response team for social media engagement
• Set up launch day communication channel (Slack/Discord) for team coordination

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Launch Day (Day 60)

Critical Priority

• 6 AM: Verify app is live and downloadable on both app stores
• 8 AM: Send launch email to waitlist (~500-1,000 people if pre-launch went well)
• 9 AM: Post launch announcement on all social channels
• 9 AM: Influencers publish sponsored posts
• 10 AM: Submit to Product Hunt (if applicable)
• All day: Monitor analytics dashboard every 2 hours
• All day: Respond to comments, questions, and support requests within 1 hour

High Priority

• Post user testimonials and screenshots throughout the day
• Share milestone updates (“50 signups in first hour!”, “200 downloads!”)
• Engage with every social media comment and share
• Monitor ad performance and adjust budgets/targeting in real-time
• Thank beta testers and early supporters publicly

Medium Priority

• Post in relevant subreddits, Facebook groups, fitness forums (follow community rules)
• Send personalized thank-you messages to influencers and partners
• Document launch day wins and challenges for retrospective

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POST-LAUNCH PHASE (Days 61-90)

Week 9-10 (Days 61-74): Optimization & Engagement

Critical Priority

• Analyze Day 1-7 results: signups, activation rates, churn, feedback
• Send welcome email series to new users (Days 1, 3, 7)
• Fix top 3 bugs or issues identified by users
• Optimize ad campaigns based on performance (pause low performers, scale winners)
• Monitor daily active users (DAU) and retention rates

High Priority

• Collect user feedback via in-app surveys (NPS score, feature requests)
• Share user success stories on social media (before/after, testimonials)
• Send “Week 1 recap” email to community highlighting milestones
• Re-engage waitlist members who didn’t download yet
• Continue influencer content (2-3 additional posts from partners)

Medium Priority

• Create referral incentive campaign (“Invite a friend, get premium features”)
• Publish case study blog post with beta tester results
• Submit app to review sites and directories (e.g., AlternativeTo, Capterra if applicable)
• Plan content for Weeks 11-14

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Week 11-12 (Days 75-90): Scaling & Retention

Critical Priority

• Evaluate goal progress: Are you on track for 500 signups? Adjust strategy if needed
• Launch retention campaign: Re-engage inactive users with personalized emails
• Optimize onboarding flow based on user drop-off data
• Allocate remaining $1,500-2,000 budget to best-performing channels

High Priority

• Create user-generated content campaign (encourage users to share workout screenshots)
• Run limited-time promotion or discount to drive final signups
• Publish “30 days post-launch” results blog post/email
• Collect video testimonials from satisfied users
• Plan feature roadmap based on user feedback

Medium Priority

• Build case studies from active users (3-5 detailed stories)
• Conduct team retrospective: What worked? What didn’t? Lessons learned
• Document launch playbook for future reference
• Thank all contributors, partners, and supporters publicly

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Success Metrics by Phase

Pre-Launch Metrics

• Waitlist signups: 500-1,000 (10-20% convert at launch)
• Beta testers activated: 20-30 users
• Email open rate: 35-45%
• Social media engagement rate: 3-5% per post
• Influencer partnership commitments: 2-4 partners secured

Launch Week Metrics

• Day 1 signups: 150-200 (30-40% of goal)
• App downloads (Day 1): 200-300
• Email open rate: 40-50%
• Social media reach: 10,000-20,000 impressions
• Paid ad CAC: $5-15 per signup (aiming for $20 or less)

Post-Launch Metrics (Days 61-90)

• Primary Goal: 500 signups by Day 90
• Day 7 retention rate: 40-50% of Day 1 users still active
• Day 30 retention rate: 25-35%
• NPS score: 40+ (promoters minus detractors)
• Support response time: <2 hours during business hours
• User-generated content posts: 20-30 across social platforms

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Budget Allocation ($10,000)

Category	Amount	Percentage
Paid Ads (Facebook/Instagram pre-launch + launch)	$5,000	50%
Influencer Partnerships (2-4 micro-influencers)	$1,500	15%
Creative Assets (video, graphics, landing page)	$1,500	15%
Email Marketing Tools (2-3 months subscription)	$300	3%
App Store Optimization Tools/Services	$500	5%
Giveaway/Contest Prizes (launch incentives)	$700	7%
Contingency/Miscellaneous	$500	5%

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Risk Mitigation

App Store Approval Delays

• Contingency: Submit app by Day 35 (allowing 3 weeks buffer)
• Monitoring: Check approval status daily starting Day 40

Low Signup Conversion

• Contingency: Increase ad spend by $1,000-2,000 in Week 9-10 if under 300 signups by Day 70
• Monitoring: Daily signup tracking with milestone alerts (100, 250, 400 signups)

Technical Issues at Launch

• Contingency: Have developer on-call for Days 60-62; prepare rollback plan
• Monitoring: Real-time server monitoring, error tracking (Sentry, Bugsnag)

Poor Ad Performance

• Contingency: Pivot to organic channels (Reddit, Facebook groups, fitness forums) if CAC exceeds $25
• Monitoring: Check ad metrics daily; pause underperforming ads within 48 hours

Influencer Non-Delivery

• Contingency: Have backup content ready; reallocate influencer budget to ads
• Monitoring: Confirm influencer posts 48 hours before scheduled date

Team Burnout/Availability

• Contingency: Prioritize only “Critical” tasks if team capacity drops; defer “Medium” items
• Monitoring: Weekly team check-ins on workload and morale

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Key Dependencies & Critical Path

1. Days 1-14: Landing page + analytics setup (blocks all paid campaigns)
2. Days 15-28: Beta testing complete (blocks testimonials, final app polish)
3. Days 29-42: Influencer partnerships secured (blocks launch week coordination)
4. Days 35-45: App store approval received (blocks launch on Day 60)
5. Days 43-53: All assets and campaigns pre-scheduled (blocks smooth launch execution)
6. Day 60: Successful launch (blocks retention and optimization in post-launch phase)

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Total Checklist Items: 98 tasks across 3 phases
Critical Priority Items: 42 (must complete on time)
Team Coordination Points: 8 (team briefings, launch day sync, retrospectives)