Hurry, Read This Before I Delete It!

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10, 9, 8, 7… Okay, I’m bluffing. I’m not really going to delete this post.

But I probably SHOULD. Why? Because the topic I’m going to discuss is a “top secret,” highly classified marketing strategy that has been boosting conversion rates for centuries.

You can call it “urgency” or “scarcity” or whatever, but the idea is still the same, whether your selling online training courses or limited-edition art prints. It’s the practice of creating a sense of urgency by limiting the availability of an offer.

You already know all about this strategy. You see the words “Limited Time Offer” on almost every single discounted item in the retail universe. So what’s so top secret about it? The fact that it works…

There’s a reason marketers have been using the LTO for centuries, folks, and it’s not because there’s always a limited or unreliable supply of products. It’s because it creates urgency and pressure the fence-sitters to take action. It’s that simple.

Most “limited time offers” aren’t even truly limited. Usually, if you ask a customer service representative to honor a discount the day after the sale has ended; you’ll get it.

What makes this strategy amazing is that it actually works across all media. It doesn’t matter if your talking TV commercials, magazine ads, Facebook ads, or even email… it boosts responsiveness.

In fact, MEC Labs recently conducted an experiment to test the use of urgency in a webinar emails, and of course, their test proved that urgency boosted CTRs by 15%.

Don’t be fooled, while 15% may not seem like a blockbuster figure, it’s actually pretty huge when you consider the fact that the only difference between the versions was THREE FREAKING WORDS: “Limit 1,000 Attendees.”

Here’s the thing. The limit was real. The “Web Clinic” capacity was 1,000 attendees… however, they most likely don’t get even half that number to register for a webinar, much less to attend.

Check out the experiment for yourself below.

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One Comment

1. 

   Colleen

   June 26, 2012 at 2:58 pm

   Hi!
   Great article. I want to tweet it but there is no Twitter button. Can you please add one?

   My Twitter account and contacts are the ones I discuss improving my business with whereas my Facebook is more for personal friends.

   Thanks!
   Colleen

   Reply