Instilling a Sense of Urgency Makes Better Copy
“Biggest blow-out of the year!”
“Don’t wait, buy today while prices are at their lowest ever!”
“We’ll never slash prices like this ever again!”
“Hurry! Sale ends Monday at 5:00 PM!”
You don’t believe these ads. Or do you? You are bombarded with these “sales” messages every day — on TV, on the radio and on most Internet ads. The sense of urgency produced probably tends to get tiresome. You stop hearing the repetitious phrases and block out the so-called call to action they imply. Or do you?
Buy Now! It Works
A sense of urgency in your marketing copy can help to double, triple or even quadruple your conversion rates. Why? Because it works.
Groupon has made excellent use of the urgent call to action by limiting not only time that its deals are available, but also the number of people who can claim them. The Asheville, NC-based Rug & Home advertises on television with an obnoxious young blond who tells viewers that the big sales always end on “Monday” or after a big holiday sale when, in fact, the sales never end. Prices rarely change.
Psyched Up
While it may seem unproductive and illogical, the fear of missing out drives many buying decisions. John B. Watson, the founder of behaviorism in America, worked for one of the biggest ad agencies in New York City. He believed that consumers make buying decision based on one or more basic human emotions — fear, love or rage.
A sense of urgency in your marketing copy appeals to the innate fears most people possess — the fear of missing out. And the ubiquitous nature of social media only confirms this idea. People fear missing out on something more than they fear anything else.
Consider the enormous risks people take texting while driving just to ensure they don’t miss a thing. Mediums like Facebook allow users to get notified about every move made by anyone who means anything, whether or not it is important.
Just in Case
So you may not actually believe the advertised sale is for a limited time. You may know instinctively that if you don’t act within the next 24 hours, you will lose your sole chance to buy that cool thing. Nevertheless, if you’re like most people, you think, “Maybe it’s true this time.” It’s kind of like the agnostic who won’t go all the way to embrace atheism “just in case.”
So build a sense of urgency into your copy. Make your sales last for just the weekend. Set time limits on your special offers. Tell consumers that if they don’t want to miss the biggest deal in town, they should act today. Because otherwise your message will get lost in the fog of all the other “sales” messages.
Ray Access is a content marketing firm that delivers targeted words to empower your business. Contact us about your specific project to receive a quote or discuss your needs. We write website copy, blog posts, e-newsletters and more. Everything we do is thoroughly researched, professionally edited and guaranteed original.
