A Guest Post by Martin Henke, Co-founder of DeadlineEasy
Welcome to the dynamic world of digital marketing. It's no secret that scarcity marketing has a strong impact, as marketer Neil Patel simply puts it, it "works because it creates a fear of missing out." Using tactics like scarcity and authentic deadlines can be a game-changer. These strategies alone, according to a study by HubSpot, can boost conversion rates by as much as 30%. In this article, we will explore these tactics in-depth and learn how a tool like ActiveCampaign can power these techniques effectively.
Understanding Scarcity and Authentic Deadlines
Ever noticed how items limited in supply or time seem more attractive? That's scarcity marketing at work. By showcasing your product or service as limited, it creates an urgency for customers to act quickly. So, they're more likely to make a purchase to avoid missing out, and that's how you boost your conversions!
Tactics such as limited time offers, flash sales, and ‘only X items left’ messages all tap into this mindset. Just take a look at the fashion retailer Zara—they've honed their scarcity marketing by producing limited quantities of each design. Likewise, airlines often show the few remaining seats at a specific price to encourage customers to book tickets quickly.
Authentic deadlines pair perfectly with scarcity, sparking actions within a fixed time frame. Their real strength shines when they're applied honestly, as this boosts customer engagement and conversion rates. As revealed by EmailMonks, 59% of people confessed to making a purchase due to a marketing email that stressed a time limit.
The Power of Evergreen Funnels
Evergreen Funnels stand out due to their ability to provide ongoing, personalized experiences. They deliver content and deals depending on when a potential customer enters the funnel. This approach enhances the perceived value and improves the chances of conversion. According to a study by MarketingSherpa, segmented email campaigns, which are a key aspect of Evergreen Funnels, could boost revenue by an impressive 760%. As leadership coach and best-selling author Michael Hyatt points out, the beauty of evergreen content is that it's always 'now' for whoever is reading, listening, or watching.
Implementing scarcity and authentic deadlines in Evergreen Funnels
Grasping how to weave scarcity and authentic deadlines into your marketing plan is crucial for their maximum impact. Let's examine an evergreen automated webinar funnel following Jeff Walker's Product Launch Formula to see how ActiveCampaign and DeadlineEasy work together to craft a unique, urgency-driven path for your potential customers.
Step One: Setting Up an Automated Webinar
An automated webinar is a pre-recorded presentation that plays at scheduled times or when a user chooses to view it. Unlike traditional webinars, which are held live, automated webinars allow for greater flexibility and reach.
ActiveCampaign plays a crucial role in the management and interaction process around automated webinars. It doesn't host the webinars but helps define and segment the target audience based on specific criteria such as their behavior and interests. Furthermore, ActiveCampaign makes it easy to create engaging, scarcity and deadline-focused emails, allowing for better and more effective communication with potential customers.
Step Two: Creating Urgency with DeadlineEasy
Once your webinar is set up, it's time for registration. At this point, you can introduce an authentic deadline with DeadlineEasy, kick-starting the sense of urgency in your prospects. However, to keep this urgency alive and persuasive, even when the deadline isn't immediately looming, you can deploy additional tactics.
Sending regular email reminders about the approaching deadline, providing progress updates like 'spots filling up fast,' or offering tiered bonuses for early registrants are all effective strategies. These reminders and incentives not only keep your prospects engaged but also encourage immediate action, maximizing your registration numbers.
And the best part? No matter how your prospects interact—whether they delete cookies, browse incognito, or switch devices—DeadlineEasy's unique tracking keeps the urgency front and center, ensuring a consistent experience that nudges them towards action.
Step Three: Webinar Replay and Follow-Up Emails
After the webinar, engagement continues with a follow-up email offering a replay of the webinar. At this stage, you introduce another authentic deadline for the replay access using DeadlineEasy, reinforcing the sense of urgency.
The timing of this deadline can vary based on your target audience and the nature of your offer. However, a general best practice we've found is to allow replay access for about 48-72 hours after the live session. This shorter window creates a stronger sense of immediacy and encourages prompt engagement.
Keep in mind that the aim here is to balance urgency and accessibility. While you want to nudge your audience to act quickly, you also want to give them a fair opportunity to view the replay at their convenience, considering different time zones, work schedules, and other commitments.
And remember, no matter when or how your prospects choose to view the replay, DeadlineEasy's advanced tracking capabilities ensure that the deadline remains consistent, keeping the sense of urgency alive and compelling them to take action.
Step Four: Engaging with Value-Packed Videos
The journey continues with three information-rich videos embedded either on the Funnel/website Builder Pages or in ActiveCampain Pages and sent via ActiveCampaign. Each video comes with a DeadlineEasy-set deadline, promoting continuous engagement and maintaining the urgency through advanced tracking.
Step Five: Registration and Checkout—Amplifying Scarcity
Once you've established trust and educated your prospects, you open registration for your product or service. Setting an authentic deadline for the registration period using DeadlineEasy raises the urgency levels, encouraging immediate action. The checkout process also features a deadline for closure, enhancing the effectiveness of scarcity and pushing conversion rates.
Step Six: The Final Stretch—Reminder Emails
Two reminder emails dispatched by ActiveCampaign, complete with DeadlineEasy countdown timers, give a final push as the checkout process nears its end. The imminent deadline and impending scarcity prompt quick action.
This thorough run-through of incorporating scarcity and authentic deadlines in Jeff Walker's Product Launch Formula highlights their strategic value. ActiveCampaign's automation capabilities and DeadlineEasy's reliable deadline tracking together transform your marketing funnel into an engaging and converting journey. Authenticity is maintained, and personalization is enhanced, paving the way to digital marketing success.
Conclusion
Pairing scarcity and authentic deadlines with your Evergreen Funnels, fueled by ActiveCampaign and strengthened by DeadlineEasy, creates a winning strategy. An Ascend2 survey found that a whopping 91% of successful business marketers deem automation crucial for their cross-channel marketing. It's clear—these tactics are vital for your business to flourish in the online world.
Robert Cialdini hit the nail on the head when he said, 'Scarcity—People want more of those things they can have less of.' This fundamental truth is the bedrock of effective scarcity marketing. Genuine deadlines give rise to this sense of scarcity, nudging customers to move quickly. Adding to this, DeadlineEasy's one-of-a-kind tracking feature ensures deadlines stay consistent across various browsers and devices, underlining their authenticity.
While scarcity marketing is undoubtedly powerful, it's also crucial to tread carefully. Avoid overuse or false scarcity claims, as these can erode trust and damage your brand reputation. Similarly, don't impose unrealistic deadlines, as this can frustrate potential customers and lead to lost opportunities.
It's this blend of scarcity, authenticity, and advanced tech, handled thoughtfully and ethically, that makes ActiveCampaign and DeadlineEasy a powerful duo for constructing high-converting evergreen funnels. Success in digital marketing hinges on understanding and utilizing these principles of scarcity and urgency, while also avoiding common pitfalls.
For a deeper understanding of these concepts and to dodge typical pitfalls in scarcity marketing, sign up for the free webinar, "Skyrocket Your Conversions: Avoid These 8 Biggest Scarcity Mistakes.
