6 Ways to Add Urgency to Your Marketing

You’re probably familiar with the concept of FOMO—the fear of missing out. It’s a psychological principle that marketers often use to generate conversions; essentially, they try to create the idea that everyone is buying a particular product or service, and that those who don’t act in kind will be left in the dust.

This can work well in some instances, but there is an even broader issue here for marketers to consider—and that’s the notion of urgency. One of the most effective ways to close sales is to provide your customers with a sense that they need to act now—whether motivated by FOMO or by something else altogether.

And indeed, there are a number of ways to add urgency to your marketing. Here are a few strategies to consider.

1. Start with Value

First and foremost, the product you’re offering needs to be something people actually want—something that they innately care about on some level. After all, if it’s not a product that people want, then all the discounts and all the limited-time offers in the world won’t make any difference.

You can only create urgency around a product that already has some appeal—meaning it solves a problem, addresses a pain point, or promises some tangible value to the end user.

2. Make it Time-Sensitive

Something else to consider when trying to instill urgency is providing your buyers with a deadline.

Consider this: If the consumer thinks your product will always be there, then he or she can drag their feet, or remain indecisive. But if they think it’s now or never, that puts a fire under them.

Provide products or particular deals for a limited time only—and make it very clear in your marketing materials what that timeframe actually is. Alternatively, make note of the products that have small quantities; ecommerce giants as big as Amazon use this tactic to create a sense of urgency around their products.

3. Include the Right Verbiage

Sometimes, all it takes is precise word choice to make your marketing content feel more pressing. In particular, words related to time can be useful—words like now, last chance, one-time only, don’t miss out, etc.

Similarly, the verbs you use in your calls to action can subtly inject some insistence into your copy. Advising your buyers to act now or saying something like don’t delay underscores the time sensitivity of your offer, and encourages swifter decision-making.  

4. Incentivize Quick Purchases

Another strategy you might consider is making it worth the customer’s while to act now rather than later—throwing in some kind of bonus incentive that’s only available for a short time. For example, maybe you have an evergreen product that doesn’t lend itself to limited time offers; a way to add urgency is to promise free shipping on that product for those who buy within a certain timeframe.

There are other variations on this approach, too—for example, for everyone who buys within a certain timeframe, you could throw in a coupon for 15 percent off the next order, or something similar.

5. Use the Appropriate Colors

Believe it or not, even the colors you use in your marketing materials can play into that sense of urgency. That’s because colors have documented psychological effects, and impact the buyer’s mind frame in different ways.

So which colors are the most effective at making your customers want to take quick, decisive action? Generally speaking, the warm ones—yellow, orange, and especially red. When choosing color schemes for your CTA buttons, try to focus on these colors as best you can. At the same time, make sure your CTAs stand out from the rest of the page.  

6. Follow Up