How can you apply the FOMO principle to create urgency and scarcity in your emails?

I agree. I found that selling the SOLUTION (or benefits) rather than just the features works best here. For instance, you help people generate more revenue, not just email marketing. Offer the end benefits rather than the features or process.

This is one of the biggest traps brands are falling into, thanks to YEARS of abusing false marketing tactics. If a deadline isn’t set in stone - your audience will pick up on it. The “we’ve extended the sale for you” is so transparent it hurts. If you’re capping the number of seats/products sold (especially online ones), an explanation of why it’s capped will make you seem more credible. After all, why would you put a limit on how many online course you sell?

Set an internal deadline: Ask the reader where they want to be in a certain time frame (eg 6 months from now). Then paint a picture of where they could be if they buy your offer (and do the work if any work is involved in their part) and contrast it to where they will be if they do nothing. Set an external deadline only if it’s a definite deadline. Setting a deadline, then extending it destroys any trust you’ve built with your subscribers thus far. To create scarcity talk about the bespoke aspect of your offer and the value to your reader of the offer being structured that way. Again use this only if it’s true.

I see too many creators make mistakes with this. You set an urgency countdown timer that just resets every time a page refreshes, I think that loses credibility. Set a genuine timescale and stick with it.

FOMO and power words indeed work well, but there is a catch: they have to be genuine. It's important to use them scarcely, as if you overuse them, you can end up with subject line fatigue. For example, if your brand runs sales all the time and you use "Last chance" in the subject line, it will work the first couple of times but not so much afterwards. Your subscribers will be aware there is not a real urgency, since there will be another sale that comes after this one. So ensure you use power words when they're really true to maintain engaged audiences.

Very true, If there is no urgency, there is no reason to take action so creating a sense of urgency is an efficient way to get people to take action. You can strategically use this fear in your subject lines by adding an element of scarcity (limited availability) or urgency (limited time). Hurry! Your offer expires today Today only, earn double points

Urgency and FOMO typically come at the end of a campaign or flow. So use testimonials that mention the specific pain and objection "hold-out" customers have. If you can, consider including an image of the customer who gave the testimonial as well. Makes it feel less abstract.

Use social proof to demonstrate the transformation you offer. The FOMO will come from readers seeing what others have achieved and so is also possible for themselves. Getting your target audience right is key though.

An example of how one of your clients has made progress after using your product is likely to be more powerful and relatable than saying how many people have already joined. I often don't believe those stats anyway!

Social proof would be convincing to a specific type of buyer, and won’t necessarily increase FOMO. You want to provide that testimonial with the right context, otherwise it’s hard to really assess the success of that product/service.

Add urgency but be careful not to sound like every other urgent CTA with overused words. A top tip is to ask why? Why should your reader take that action? What will they gain from it?

Address your reader directly. Talk to your reader as if you were having a one-to-one conversation. The biggest mistake people make is to talk to the crowd, which creates an impersonal tone. Focus on one reader. Use language like ‘you’, ‘me’ and ‘us’. Write in the first person. Using conversational language to make a connection with your reader. Avoid corporate speak and jargon at all costs. Ask questions, tell stories and empathise with the problems and issues that your reader may be facing. Explain how your solution could help them.

Remind them what they miss out on by not buying. But also remind them what pain or problem they will continue to experience. Press on this. You can do this with a "fork in the road" section. Describe Option B - Their life if they ignore your offer and continue with their burning pain/problem. Then, describe Option B - Their much more amazing life if they take you up on your offer.

The emails that capture attention among the throngs of emails in an average inbox, are personalized vs. generic and customized based on the customer's engagement with the brand/product.

The best email subject lines work because they are targeted, they appeal to a specific audience and they make your readers feel a certain response. But bear in mind that what works for some businesses may not work for others so it’s all about figuring out what works best for you whilst allowing you to hone in on the approach that engages your audience the most.