Values-First Marketing

Are Honest Urgency and Scarcity Techniques Worth It For Higher Conversion Rates?


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Is the urgency and scarcity hype just manipulative marketing? We are diving into this debate with perspectives on both sides, specific examples, as well as bringing in the psychology and the hard data on when and whether it works. We are exploring if and how we can use urgency and scarcity without compromising integrity.

First, let me emphasize for clarity that this conversation is about honest urgency and scarcity. Obviously, if it’s false urgency or fake scarcity—that’s NOT okay. Ever. This is something that should go without saying, but I do want to acknowledge these tactics that we have all seen or experienced if you have been in the internet marketing space for any length of time. 

This episode discusses the psychology and the data behind these tactics. We'll also explore whether and how they can be used with integrity. My goal is to provide you with the data, and both sides of the story, so that you can make an informed decision that feels good to YOU.

00:04:00 Acknowledge the widespread use of unethical tactics and explore ethical ways to use urgency and scarcity.
00:08:00 Ethical Use Perspective
00:10:00 Two reasons why some avoid these techniques
00:12:00 Urgency Examples
00:15:00 Scarcity Examples
00:16:30 Psychology Behind These Techniques
00:20:00 What the data tells us

EPISODES AND LINKS MENTIONED:

  • Forbes on “The Proper Way To Create A Sense of Urgency For Higher Conversion Rates”
  • Data from Adoric, Abmatic.ai, Experian.com, and ChangingMinds.org
  • The Cookie Jar study on why urgency works from the American Psychological Association
  • Effective Copywriting Strategies To Maximize Conversions 

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Prefer to read this episode as a blog? It is published here https://www.megankachigan.com/are-honest-urgency-and-scarcity-techniques-worth-it-for-higher-conversion-rates/

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Values-First MarketingBy Megan Kachigan