13 FOMO Email Marketing Examples To Inspire Your Campaigns

What is FOMO email marketing?

FOMO email marketing, like all FOMO marketing, is based on stimulating the feeling known as FOMO, or fear of missing out, which is the anxiety we face when we feel like we’re being left out or missing out on something important or valuable. Email messages that evoke this feeling can help brands boost conversions and reduce abandoned carts. Although this may sound manipulative, it isn’t really that bad because FOMO emails also inspire hesitant and potential customers to get proactive and try something new.   

The FOMO effect became obvious with the start of the social media era when people got the unprecedented chance to observe others’ social lives in detail 24/7. Remember the feeling you get when you see all your friends except you enjoying themselves at some party? Or when your colleague boasts a new luxury bag she bought half-price at a sale you knew nothing about? That’s FOMO. 

FOMO is so powerful because it involves three psychological effects: Social Proof, Urgency and Scarcity. The Social Proof effect was discovered by behavioral scientists and shows how humans tend to value social norms more than common sense. The Urgency effect shows how we choose to perform urgent tasks with short completion windows. The Scarcity effect shows how we tend to value limited items.

Combined, these three phenomena become efficient tools for marketers, helping them persuade customers to buy more. Here’s how this works in real-life email campaigns.

13 effective FOMO email marketing examples and tips

Most of us have experienced FOMO email marketing and even got used to some common FOMO-based marketing methods. Now, let’s explore some of the best FOMO email marketing examples that illustrate how you can use these techniques in your own marketing strategy. 

Limited stock or availability

There was a famous experiment conducted in 1975 by Adewole, Lee and Worschel. Psychologists asked participants to rate the desirability of cookies in two jars: a full one and a nearly empty one. The nearly empty jar was more desirable. No need to say that the cookies were identical.

Marketers often use this effect to stimulate FOMO. When a banner says “2 items left in stock” in an online shop, a customer is much more likely to purchase the product immediately. That’s because the banner makes them feel the product is popular, plus the scarcity makes the item more desirable.

This approach works great in online stores too, when a seller lets customers know that stock levels are low. In the email below, the item’s limited availability is highlighted by the “Soon to sell out” line in the hero image. This is reinforced by the “Last few remaining” line right under the CTA, which ensures the FOMO effect will be as strong as it gets. 

Exclusive offer

Another great FOMO technique is presenting your best offers to the customer as exclusive deals with limited access.

Check this email from Dollar Flight Club which encourages subscribers to try Premium Plus+ only for $1. The deal is available for the next 6 hours and unlocks flight deals discounted up to 90%. The newsletter contains some delicious deals for flights available on the Premium Plus+ Plan. Wouldn’t you seize the opportunity?

Special offer with a deadline

Time-limited sales are super typical. They help brands and stores to get rid of the products reaching their expiration date, cut down storage costs, and simply sell more.

The opportunity to purchase a valuable product at the best price if you catch the time window with other first buyers really boosts the FOMO effect. In the example below, Brooklinen goes even further and promises that the prices offered are the best for the decade to come. Plus there also are some limited edition products to check out in the email, along with the links to the respective website pages.

Here’s another nice example of a limited-time offer email. Here, the offer is very simple: use the promo code on time and get 20% off your energy drink.

Compelling visual design

More trendy pictures, less text. Use visual design to make your offer simple and bright. Large high-quality pictures, big font sizes for your brief offer, and a prominent call-to-action are welcome if you want to make the most of your email design.

Countdown timer

The FOMO effect works great when you offer a good discount for a limited time, and emails can deliver this offer to your customers when it is most relevant. Adding a countdown timer to your promotional email can boost the sense of urgency, make the deadline as obvious as possible, and encourage impulse purchases.

Seasonal sale

Seasonal sales let businesses make certain products appear more special. For example, pumpkin latte in the fall or mulled wine in the winter are something hard to find during other seasons, which makes them more desirable.

From the businesses’ perspective, end-of-the-season sales give a great opportunity to get rid of the products not relevant for the upcoming season. The email below promoting the end-of-summer sale with a delicious visual is a good example of using this strategy. Because the email itself is so focused on the image, the FOMO effect is implemented in the subject line that says “Inside: a big end-of-summer treat (for two days only)”.

A marketer can also add some extra FOMO effect to the summer sale by providing secret offers and creating intrigue. The mystery summer sale promoted in the email below is also limited in time which makes it FOMO as hell.

Free shipping

Free shipping can also increase conversion in online shopping. And free delivery that is limited in time motivates customers to purchase immediately. Check out this bright and super trendy example of an email that offers a free shipping code that is only available for the next 24 hours.

Offer that is valid one time only

Another great FOMO method is providing a single-use offer — i.e., a compelling offer that can only be used once. In the example below, Elysium and Basis promise a whole free month of subscription to those who opt for a 6-month or a 1-year plan within a limited time period using a promo code provided in the email. To make sure subscribers see the offer, they also emphasize it in the subject line that reads “A One-Time Offer. Reorder Basis Now”.  

Back-in-stock notice

Back-in-stock notifications can persuade customers that the product is very popular and people have been waiting for it to be back. It also stimulates the sense of scarcity and can make customers think the brand is offering unique items that might be out of stock again soon.

The email below has a great trendy design, contains huge high-quality product photos, demonstrates the product in natural situations, tells the product legend, and provides customer reviews all at once.

Holiday sale

Holiday sales are similar to seasonal sales but might be even more effective since people are looking for presents around the holidays. The Christmas sale promo email from Apple shown below promotes a time-limited sale that ends soon and promises some exclusive online shop offers. There is a note about an option to use Apple Pay without registrations or filling out any forms, which makes the idea of clicking on the CTA button that reads “See All Offers” even more compelling.

Black Friday is not exactly a holiday, but it marks the beginning of holiday sales in many countries — and it is also the real FOMO celebration for marketers. You get numerous great deals and they all are available for just one weekend. It stimulates spontaneous purchases dramatically and gives businesses a great opportunity to increase sales.

The email below contains a high-quality detailed picture of the watches the business offers. The entourage shows that it’s Christmas, and the delicious 60% discount is in focus. There are also buttons for several product categories at the top and at the bottom of the email, which is another good way to potentially increase conversion and sales.

Need more inspiration? Check out other outstanding examples of Black Friday campaigns — email and beyond.

Final thoughts

FOMO email marketing is based on stimulating specific physiological processes. However, it doesn’t make this technique necessarily manipulative — especially when you are skilled in personalization and able to provide the right offer to the right person at the right time. While unthoughtful FOMO email marketing can make your business appear annoying, giving your customers the right offer they have been waiting for makes it a powerful tool for increasing conversion and growing sales.

Some of the most effective FOMO marketing methods to make your offer more desirable include:

• Limited-time offers and special deals
• Seasonal and holiday sales
• Limited stock notices
• Single-use offers
• Back-in-stock notices

Free shipping and discounts can make your offer even more desirable. Combine stimulating senses of urgency and scarcity in your strategy with promising perks and offer the best deals to increase your sales via FOMO marketing tools.