As a business owner or professional in the business world, you probably know that urgency is among the most powerful tools for driving conversions. But what does it look like in practice? In this post, we will look at 6 examples of urgency used in marketing.
We look at how it manifests in different contexts so you can pretty much use it wherever you want.
6 Examples Of Urgency Used In Marketing (That You Can Borrow)
1. Flash Sale Countdown Timer
Perhaps the most obvious example of marketers creating urgency is the humble flash sale countdown timer. Ecommerce companies use this all the time to increase demand.
What’s more, thanks to tools like SendTric, it’s becoming easier to integrate countdown timers in more marketing channels. Even emails can now display how long customers have left to make a purchase.
2. Limited Stock Alert
You could also try issuing a limited stock alert. These are handy when you want to tell your audience you only have a few items left, and that if they want to buy, they should do so now.
Limited stock alerts need to be genuine, though. Only put them out there if you really are running low on something and it will be a while before you get the same thing back.
Also, only do it if you have a monopoly supply. Don’t send out a limited stock alert and then encourage your audience to go to one of your competitors.
3. Early Bird Pricing Deadlines
You could also experiment with early-bird pricing deadlines. These are fun and customers love them because it means they can get the biggest possible discounts.
For example, you could tell customers that they get a discount if they sign up today, and that it will end in 48 hours.
4. Live Event Registration Close Period
Another strategy, somewhat related, is a live event close period. In other words, you don’t allow people to continue to sign up right up until the moment the event starts.
Cutting off the registration period early seems counterintuitive, but it makes sense. It forces audiences to make a decision and commit to choosing you above their other priorities. It also tells you how many people are likely to go in advance instead of forcing you to wait until the last minute to know who will be attending.
5. Waitlist Explosion
You can also use reverse psychology in the form of waitlist explosions. These work by showing customers how many people are ahead of them in a queue for something.
This tactic is good because it increases the fear of missing out. If customers don’t buy now, they’ll fall even further down the queue and list of people waiting, and perhaps they won’t get served at all, even though they really want the product or service.
6. Announce Future Price Rises
Finally, you can announce future price rises for people who don’t sign up today. For example, you could tell your audience that you’re raising the cost of your course to over $500 from $250 if they don’t reach out to you by the deadline you set for them.
