Face it, you couldn’t resist reading this. After all, who knows what you could be missing if you don’t? The thought of something expiring or being taken away from us invokes our most basic primal response. Now more than ever, marketers use scarcity to creatively tap into this epicenter for behavior and emotion.
Scarcity can be invoked with time, money, offers, products—you name it. And when it is used responsibly, scarcity can have a big impact on whether or not a customer will respond to what’s being offered.
Let’s Take Scarcity Of An Offer, For Example.
Imagine an offer that says, “Get $20 off your purchase of $100 or more.” Customers will likely perceive 20% off as a good deal, perhaps even good enough to take advantage of it. However, there’s no indication of an expiration date, implying that this offer is good anytime—so perhaps if the customer isn’t currently in the market for the product being offered, they may choose to put off making a purchase decision.
Now Let’s Add The Scarcity Of Time To This Offer.
“Hurry! Visit a store before November 14th to get $20 off your purchase of $100 or more!” Making the offer time-sensitive creates a sense of urgency. And because there is a risk that the customer might not be able to take advantage of the offer for much longer, we’ve given them a reason to think twice about making their purchase decision.
We can apply the same tactic to a product along with time. “Hurry! Visit a store before July 14th to get $20 off your purchase of $100 or more while supplies last—only 100 units left!” Not only does this leave the customer feeling there’s a risk of not getting a great deal, but if they don’t make the purchase well before the expiration date, there might not be any product left to buy.
When creating any marketing campaign, whether an offer is provided or not, using the scarcity of time and creating a sense of urgency can only help drive your customers to respond and make a purchase decision. It’s easy to add scarcity to any campaign, it is FREE, and it’s something that should always be considered.
ONE FINAL NOTE
If you’re interested in adding direct mail to your marketing mix, then drop us a line. We’re standing by to answer any questions, and, most importantly, to help you get your mail opened.
Mike leverages his extensive customer service and sales history to lead clients strategically and to build meaningful partnerships to fuel their success in the direct mail channel. As a Business Success Manager, he helps nurture business opportunities, educate new clients on direct mail, and helps set up clients for success. As if that’s not enough, he’s the official agency geek, leading our efforts to build processes and tools enabling us to manage our clients’ businesses efficiently. Outside of agency life, Mike enjoys dining out, movies, visiting the California coast and fishing.
Search
Contact us today!
Strategy
Do You Need a Direct Mail Agency? 5 Signs to Know
Our agency talks to over one-hundred direct mail (DM) prospects a year. In a number of instances, I get the sense that prospects are left wondering, “Do I need a DM agency or can I do this myself?”
Read more
Strategy
Direct mail agency vs. DIY platform: Which is right for you?
By Jeff Tarran, Integrator, Gundir You’ve decided direct mail is worth testing. Now you’re facing a decision that trips up more marketers than it should: do you hire a full-service agency and let them own the program, or sign up for a self-serve platform and run it in-house? And if you pick wrong, are you […]
Read more
Agency
Gundir365™ Postage Promise: Lock in your direct mail postage rate for a year
The Gundir365™ Postage Promise locks in your direct mail postage rate for a full year and automatically credits you for the difference if USPS rates rise, up to your annual cap.
Read more