One of the beautiful things about email is how versatile of a tool it is for marketers. It can complement any campaign, target any audience, and support any part of the customer journey.

But email has traditionally had one key shortcoming, at least compared to other marketing channels and tools: it’s not great for creating urgency or building immediate anticipation.

Fortunately one simple tactic, embedding a countdown timer in email, can mitigate that weakness and create the compelling ‘fear of missing out’ feeling that marketers love so much. Read fast, this blog will self destruct in 10…9…8…

The Power of FOMO

The inclusion of urgency in marketing is a time-honored art that has evolved into a sophisticated science. As marketers have come under more and more pressure to drive immediate contributions to the bottom line, they’ve needed to find new ways to generate quick conversions.

From broadcast commercials to direct mail, display ads to Facebook posts, marketers’ messages are often jam-packed with urgency. Act today! Download now! Register before it’s too late! Order before we’re sold out!

There’s a reason marketers try to build a fear of missing out within their campaigns: it works, especially among digitally-connected consumers and younger generations.

Nearly 70% of millennials report experiencing FOMO, and 60% report making purchases because of it.

As Eventbrite reports, “For millennials, FOMO is not just a cultural phenomenon, it’s an epidemic. In a world where news feeds and social media broadcast what friends are experiencing, the fear of missing out propels millennials to show up, share and engage: a driving force behind the experience economy.”

Leading verticals able to take advantage of this sensation include travel, events, and food/dining, though it has a place among almost any industry.

Email: Fuel for the FOMO Fire

Email is an incredibly effective marketing channel, but traditionally has not been the go-to tool for inciting FOMO.

The channel lacks some of the capabilities that make catching the eye and inciting an immediate action easy. There’s no emotional music cues, no eye-catching stickers, no spoken dialogue, and little exciting video.

But the situation isn’t hopeless. It’s still possible to inject exigency into the inbox and increase conversion rates.

One of the most effective options for generating this urgency is to insert an email countdown timer.

From rocket launches into outer space to time bombs requiring immediate disarmament, there’s something about a ticking clock that builds up unmatchable and anxiety and anticipation.

This simple yet powerful tool is the perfect way to motivate immediate action in your email marketing. Just a few of the things you can do with it:

• Show the limited time left available to take advantage of a special offer or sale
• Count down to a major sale, limited-time deal, or product release
• Build excitement as a big event like a concert, holiday, festival, or journey approaches
• Automatically display the time remaining until a personal milestone, like a birthday or loyalty program anniversary

It’s never been easier to insert active countdown timers into your emails. Innovative real-time email technology means your embedding a countdown clock in email can look great on any device. Timers can be customized to display time ticking away down to the fraction of a second. Expertly-implemented timers even adapt to the client they’re opened in to display a live running clock or a still image that refreshes every time the email is opened!

3…2…1… GO!

Subscribers aren’t the only ones “on the clock.” Marketers are also racing to get ahead, differentiate their email experience and drive conversions. The good news is that results-generating tactics like embedding countdown timers in email have never been more accessible.

Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to add urgency and FOMO to your emails! (See what we did there?) Click here to see the power and capabilities of countdown timers in email for yourself.