My name is Erik Huberman and I’ve spent my career building brands by focusing on what actually drives revenue. Here’s the uncomfortable truth: most teams don’t know their buying cycle. They talk about clicks, cost per lead or return on ad spend. But they ignore the number that makes these measures useful or useless.
My position is simple. If you don’t know how long it takes for a prospect to buy, you’re flying blind. The buying cycle anchors your goals, your budgets and your patience. Ignore it and good campaigns seem broken. Know this, and weak campaigns are quickly exposed.
“The most important metric people don’t talk about…the most critical number in your marketing. »
The central argument
Let’s define it in simple terms. The buying cycle is the period from when someone first hears about you (through an ad, a friend, a post) until they make a purchase. This gap is your reality. It sets the clock for how you measure results.
“From the first time someone becomes aware of you… to the moment they buy, what is that time frame? »
Here’s why it’s important. If your average purchase lead time is 45 days, you won’t see the actual return on that week’s spend in this week’s numbers. This doesn’t mean your marketing has failed. This means your expectations are wrong. Poor deadlines silently kill good strategies.
Evidence from the trenches
At Hawke Media, I ask the same question of every new brand: “Do you know your buying cycle? I hear far too often: “We’re still getting there.” Then budgets are reduced by two weeks in a campaign that needs eight weeks to mature. Teams panic, creations are exchanged, channels are deactivated. All because the clock was wrong.
“Do you know your buying cycle?… We’re still getting there.
When I helped grow Ellie.com from the beginning, we respected this rule. We mapped the time from first touch to sale. Then we checked performance after this period, not before. This discipline allowed us to gaslight winners and cut losers without guessing. It’s not chic. These are just honest calculations.
Some resist and say, “We just look at the ROAS of the platform.” »It’s risky. Platforms often credit the last click. But the journey began weeks earlier. If your sale happens on day 30, your day 2 report will still lie to you. Short-term readings reward luck; real readings reward patience and process.
How to measure and use it
You don’t need a lab to figure this out. You need clear steps and a willingness to wait a full cycle before judging.
- Mark first touch actions: ad views, clicks, or first site visits.
- Define a clean cohort by start date.
- Wait a full cycle before calling results.
- Calculate average days from first touch to purchase.
- Set reporting windows to match this average (or a little longer).
- Align budgets and cash flow to this schedule.
Once you have it, treat that number like a ruler. If your cycle is 30 days long, stop rating campaigns on the seventh day. If you need cash faster, adjust your offering, improve your funnel, or prioritize higher-intent channels, but don’t pretend that time doesn’t matter.
Common pitfalls to avoid
Don’t confuse speed with success. A cheap prospect that never closes burns money more slowly, but it still burns. Don’t judge creativity in a window shorter than your buyer’s decision-making process. And don’t look for week-to-week gains when your client decides the month-to-month schedule.
Know your buying cycle and you’ll know when to hold, when to fold, and when to scale. It’s the difference between guessing and managing.
The essentials
I am not asking you to add other reports. I ask you to anchor your marketing to reality. Map out the time your buyer needs. Set your expectations on this clock. Then measure, learn and adjust with confidence.
Do this now: choose a start date, mark first touches and track purchase days. In 30 to 60 days you will have the truth you need. Stick to the cycle and your growth will stop feeling random and start feeling earned.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is a buying cycle in simple terms?
This is the average time from when someone discovers your brand to when they purchase. This window should guide how you judge marketing results.
Q: How do I determine my buying cycle if I’m new?
Start tracking the first contact dates of new visitors or leads, then record their conversion. After a month or two, calculate the average number of days between these events.
Q: What happens if my results look bad before the end of the cycle?
Don’t rush the call. Wait for the full cycle to complete. If results are still low, test offers, creative channels, or higher intent channels.
Q: Can different products have different purchasing cycles?
Yes. Expensive or complex items generally take longer. Track cycles by product line or price bracket to judge each one fairly.
Q: How often should I update my purchase cycle number?
Review it quarterly or when you make significant changes to prices, offers, or channels. Buyer behavior is changing and your timing needs to reflect this.
