Even if you’ve never heard the term urgency marketing, you’re probably familiar with the concept. As the name implies, this marketing method is all about instilling a sense of urgency in your customers to induce them to buy your product or service. If you want to convert more of your leads and prospects into clients, and turn more of your clients into repeat buyers, there are two very compelling reasons why you should consider using urgency marketing in your direct mail postcards:
Most people want what everyone else has – and they want it even more when they think they might not get it.
What is Urgency Marketing
Urgency marketing capitalizes on the fact that our brains tend to stop thinking rationally in urgent situations. The use of targeted techniques, along with specialized words and phrases, is a proven way to get people to bypass their analytical approach to buying (do I actually need it? can I really afford it?), and simply act on instinct.
Here are a few of the trigger words and phrases you’ll see regularly in urgency marketing copy:
- Buy Now
- Call Today
- Act Immediately
When we read words like these, we feel the need to respond quickly to an implied deadline or suffer the consequences of missing it.
One of the most common urgency marketing techniques is driven by the concept of scarcity: the notion that something is very limited, either in quantity or availability. This tactic is a favorite of the airline industry, and you’ve probably seen urgent messages like these displayed on their websites:
- “Only a Few Seats Left At This Price”
- “Seat Sale Ends Today”
Why is Urgency Marketing So Effective
A study of basic human psychology reveals that two of the key reasons why urgency marketing is so successful are that it speaks to our need to relate, and it plays on our fear of missing out.
- The Need to Relate
As humans, we have an inherent desire to not only stay socially connected with others, but to relate to them in some way. Urgency marketing resonates with this emotional need by showing us that other people, not so very different from ourselves, are already enjoying and benefitting from a particular product or service (“More than a million people have already subscribed – Sign Up Today!”) - The Fear of Missing Out
The Fear of Missing Out, or FOMO, is a well-documented psychological phenomenon that occurs any time we think we might not get something we really want – especially if we feel that “everyone else” is getting it. Scarcity-driven marketing tactics compound this fear by making it blatantly clear that if we don’t act now, we may not get another chance (“This is a One-Time Offer: Quantities Are Limited!”).
How to Use Urgency Marketing in Your Direct Mail Postcards
The best way to take advantage of urgency marketing in your direct mail campaign is through the use of:
- Punchy and compelling headlines
- Urgently worded messages
- Call-To-Action (CTA) design elements
- Vivid colors and appealing imagery
Although it may seem a little predictable and overdone, promoting a sense of urgency or scarcity in your would-be customers is still a pretty effective way to convince them to buy. But it doesn’t work on everyone. Even the very best marketing strategy can’t help you sell what someone doesn’t want. It’s vital that your direct mail postcards reach a qualified audience with a proven need or desire for what you have to offer.