Harnessing the Fear of Missing Out During Small Business Season
December 4, 2023
Years ago, when Black Friday was one day and not six weeks long, I suffered from fear of missing out (FOMO) when it came to bargains. I felt (which was indeed the marketer’s goal) that I had to buy at that moment or risk being charged more later. Rarely was I ready to purchase but I did so because I didn’t want to miss the deal. FOMO is a powerful sales motivator, and the holiday season is one of the best times to leverage that tactic for extraordinary revenue. Here are some tips on how you can do just that.
How to Get More Sales Through Fear of Missing Out
Try these five effective tactics to drive more sales:
1. Limited-Time Offers:
Create a sense of urgency by offering limited-time discounts or exclusive deals. Ideas include:
- Flash sales: Offer deep discounts for a short period of time, like 24 hours or until supplies last. Post them on social media or share them to just your email list. Make sure people know only your special subscribers or those who sign up for texts or follow you will know of these incredible savings opportunities.
- Early bird specials: Reward customers who purchase early (or on a specific day) with a discount or bonus gift.
- Pre-order promotions: Offer exclusive benefits to customers who pre-order your holiday products or give them the opportunity for exclusive first looks.
2. Limited Inventory:
Anyone who remembers the 1983 Cabbage Patch craze will remember these shenanigans and how a limited inventory can inflate prices and drive interest. (They were not cute dolls, but every girl born in the 70s was convinced she needed one.) Highlight the limited availability of your products to create a sense of scarcity. Consider these tactics:
- Product countdowns: Display the number of items remaining in stock on your website and social media. When they’re gone, they’re gone.
- Limited edition products: Create special edition products or bundles that are only available for a limited time.
- Sold-out notifications: Let customers know when a product is sold out and encourage them to sign up for a back-in-stock notification.
3. Social Proof:
Nothing powers social media channels quite like seeing other people in your stream enjoying what you want. It’s likely half the people who went to Europe this summer and fall did so only after seeing on Instagram and Facebook how many of their friends and family were enjoying that continent.
“Listen” on the internet for mentions of you and your products/services and show potential customers that others are already enjoying your products and deals. “Everybody is doing it” is not only a reason to do something in high school but also a solid marketing strategy. Never has it been easier to convince others of this.
- Customer testimonials: Share positive feedback from satisfied customers on your website and social media.
- Social media buzz: Encourage customers to share their photos and experiences with your products using a branded hashtag.
- Live sales notifications: Show real-time updates of how many people are purchasing your products. This is also a solid way to entice people to buy online. Go to Goldbelly.com to see it in action.
4. Countdown Timers:
Add a sense of urgency and excitement (aka “Get it in your cart NOW!) by displaying countdown timers on your website and social media. These timers can count down to:
- The end of a sale
- The launch of a new product
- The deadline for free shipping (that’s the question that will be on everyone’s minds in a few days)
5. Exclusive Email Offers:
Build anticipation and encourage repeat purchases by offering exclusive deals and sneak peeks to your email subscribers. They’ll love:
- Early access to sales: Give your email subscribers a chance to shop your holiday deals before anyone else.
- Free gifts or discounts: Offer a gift or bonus item with purchase to incentivize email sign-ups.
- Behind-the-scenes content: Share exclusive content, like holiday gift guides or product sneak peeks, or unboxings with your email list.
Remember, when using FOMO marketing, it's important to be genuine and transparent. Don't create false scarcity or pressure customers into buying something they don't need. You want to drive sales but not at the risk of the customer relationship. Instead, focus on creating a positive and exciting experience that encourages them to engage with your brand and become loyal customers.
Wait. Don’t go yet. I don’t want you to miss these important final tips! (See what I did there?)
Here are three bonus tips for using FOMO marketing during the holidays:
- Use strong visuals and language to create a sense of excitement. Use a friendly, casual tone like you’re talking to your good friend.
- Promote your FOMO campaigns across multiple channels, including your website, social media, and email marketing. Think of it as a total strategy, not a quick post.
- Track your results and adjust your tactics as needed.
By leveraging FOMO effectively, you can drive more traffic, boost sales, and make this holiday season your most successful yet while building excitement among your audience.
This article published by the Leavenworth-Lansing Area Chamber of Commerce with permission from Frank Kenney Chamber Pros Community.
Small business owners are usually not short on ideas. You have them in the shower, in the car, halfway through a client call, and even in the middle of the night. Ideas for a new service. A better way to onboard customers. A partnership you should pursue. A social post series that would actually sound like you. No, the problem is not creativity. The problem is action. Most good ideas don’t die because they were bad. They die because they never get translated into a next step while they’re still exciting. That’s why you need the 48-Hour Rule. The rule is simple: If an idea doesn’t have a next action plotted and scheduled within 48 hours, it’s not a plan. It’s entertainment. This is not a judgment on your executing abilities. It’s your business. The urgent pulls harder than the important. And once an idea slips behind payroll, customer emails, and the Tuesday fire drill, it rarely climbs back out. So, let’s talk about how to make the 48-Hour Rule work in real life with time limits. Why 48 Hours Works (And “Someday” Doesn’t) A new idea creates a burst of clarity. You can see the path. You can picture the result. You feel a little lighter because you’ve imagined a better version of your business. But clarity fades fast. In 48 hours, two things happen: Reality returns. Your current workload reasserts itself or you start doubting your abilities, your team’s abilities, your customer’s interests, or any other number of things that begin to cause… The idea starts to feel bigger than it is. You forget the simple version and only remember the “perfect” version. This becomes next to impossible to put into action. The 48-Hour Rule protects your idea from both. It forces you to do one thing before the moment passes: choose the next action . Not the whole plan. Not the branding. Not the full rollout. Just the next action. The Difference Between an Idea and a Next Action An idea is fun, creative, exciting, while a next action is specific, physical, and schedulable. It’s something you can do without needing another meeting with yourself. Shy away from your action being “research.” It’s easy to get lost in it with little to show. Here are examples: Idea: “We should improve customer follow-up.” Next action: “Draft a two-email follow-up template and save it in the CRM.” Idea: “We should partner with another business.” Next action: “Write one partnership pitch email and send it to two businesses by Friday.” Idea: “We should raise prices.” Next action: “List top 10 services, current prices, and margins in a spreadsheet by Thursday at 10 a.m.” If you can’t schedule it, it’s not a next action. How to Implement the 48-Hour Rule Without Blowing up Your Week If you’re excited about your new idea, get something scheduled, even during a busy week. Try this: Step 1: Capture the idea in one sentence. Not five paragraphs. One sentence. Put it in a running note on your phone or a single “Idea Parking Lot” document. Step 2: Write the smallest next action. Ask: “What’s the first move that would make this 5% more real?” Step 3: Schedule it inside the next 48 hours. Not “this week.” Not “soon.” Put a 15–30-minute block on your calendar. Treat it like a client meeting. Because it is. Your future revenue is sitting in the lobby. Step 4: Give it a finish line. The goal of that block is not perfection. It’s progress you can point to. A draft. A message sent. A decision made. A file created. The “Two-Track” Trick for Busy Seasons If you’re in a truly slammed stretch, use this adjustment: you only have to schedule one of two things within 48 hours : The next action or A decision to deliberately defer it (with a date) That second option matters. Because “not now” can be a smart business decision. If you can’t do the action, schedule a 10-minute decision block: “Do we pursue this in Q1 or not?” That keeps you moving. What This Looks Like Over Time The magic of the 48-Hour Rule isn’t that every idea becomes a big initiative. Instead, your business becomes a place where ideas get handled, not hoarded. You’ll start to notice: Fewer loose ends rattling around in your brain Faster follow-through (which customers feel immediately) More momentum inside your team Better instincts about what’s worth doing, because you’re testing ideas in small bites Action compounds in the way that matters reducing chaos and increasing innovation. A Simple Challenge for This Week Pick one idea you’ve been sitting on. Just one. Write the next action. Schedule 20 minutes for it in the next 48 hours. Then do it. That’s how businesses grow—small, consistent moments of follow-through. Ask the Chamber If you’re thinking, “I have ideas, but I need the right people, resources, or a push,” you’re not alone. That’s exactly what a chamber of commerce is built for: turning good intentions into traction. Use your chamber for the kind of next actions that matter: Ask them to make an introduction that leads to a partnership or something specific you need Attend one event and meet your next vendor or client Join one committee and get closer to decision-makers Ask one question and get practical insight from business owners who’ve been there Your idea may be game changing, but you won’t know until you execute. You may not have time to get it completely worked out and implemented, but you do have time to start with a 20-minute next step. Try the 48-Hour Rule this week. Then let your chamber help you turn that first step into a path. Read More: Embracing Imperfection to Strengthen Your Business How Small Businesses Can Lead Innovation How to Make Time for Innovation Revenue Without Regret: Designing Offers You're Proud to Sell Scaling Your Impact: From Dore to Delegator to Developer -------------- Christina Metcalf is a writer and women’s speaker who believes in the power of story. She works with small businesses, chambers of commerce, and business professionals who want to make an impression and grow a loyal customer/member base. She is the author of The Glinda Principle , rediscovering the magic within. _______________________________________ Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor LinkedIn: @christinametcalf5
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75% of hiring managers have encountered lies on resumes, posing a challenge to the trustworthiness of applicant qualifications. Pruning outdated or irrelevant job experiences from resumes can help applicants highlight their most recent and pertinent skills. Checking for employment gaps can uncover important character traits or red flags, such as incarceration, which can be further explored through background checks. Up to 85% of job seekers admit to lying on resumes about aspects like job duties and skills, making independent verification crucial. Handling discovered resume discrepancies with professionalism and aligning hiring decisions with organizational values are key. Investing in thorough verification processes, despite initial costs, is essential for reducing long-term expenses related to unproductive wages, training, and turnover. 554 words ~ 2.5 min. read In today's job market, it's quite common for applicants to exaggerate on their resumes. A surprising find by CareerBuilder shows that 75% of hiring managers have spotted lies on resumes. This highlights a big problem in hiring - how can employers trust what's on a resume? With the honesty of candidate qualifications on the line, it's important for hiring managers to find reliable ways to check the accuracy of resumes to make good hiring decisions. Read on to discover three strategies to help you fast-track the fact-checking process. Prune Old Jobs Pruning old jobs simply means removing any outdated or irrelevant information. For example, if an applicant lists a job that they held 10 years ago and haven't worked in that field since, there's a good chance their skills are no longer up-to-date. The hiring platform Indeed reminds job hopefuls to prioritize their most recent and relevant experience , so including historical work experience may also signal a lack of confidence in applying for an intended position. Check for Gaps Another way to verify the accuracy of an applicant's resume is to check for gaps. This means looking for any periods of time where there is no employment listed. These gaps could be due to a variety of reasons, such as taking time off to raise a family or going back to school. However, they could also be due to something less savory, such as incarceration. Including a background check will reveal gaps due to jail time but also other important things you may want to know like criminal arrest records or driving history. Resume gaps aren’t always a bad thing, of course. They may reveal an applicant’s character or important values, with gaps devoted to honing their leadership skills through volunteering for schools or charitable organizations. What you do with your understanding of these blank spaces is what’s important — use them to weed out applicants or to ascertain if a candidate is a value match during the interview process. Fact-Check Claims According to Good Hire up to 85% of job seekers have admitted to lying on their resume. What are they lying about? Most often, dishonest claims relate to job duties, work experience, and job skills. While it may be easy to verify if an applicant has indeed graduated from Harvard or won Teacher of the Year, it can take much more time and resources to fact check work history and job duties. For that reason, many employers rely on independent recruiters and agencies to verify resume details. What should you do if you discover something that doesn’t check out? When hiring managers spot a lie on a resume, it's important to handle it with care and professionalism. First, double-check the facts to avoid any misunderstandings. If the lie is real, talk to the applicant about it and listen to their side of the story. Then, based on how serious the lie is, decide if you still want to consider the candidate. In the end, your decision should align with your organization’s values. If you do hire someone and later discover the lie, experts recommend confronting the employee to learn more. If you want to terminate the employee, get legal counsel first. Takeaway Devoting time and resources to outside services will increase your hiring costs upfront. However, when you factor in the price tag for unproductive wages, in addition to training, firing, and rehiring costs, investing in a thorough verification process becomes a vital hiring and retention strategy. Read More: 10 Ways to Get the Most from your Chamber Membership Hiring in a Tight Market: Your Local Playbook for Finding and Keeping Great People The New Employee Benefit Everyone is Talking About The Power of 'Entry Interviews' and 'Stay Interviews' Strategies for Improving Employee Retention in Small Businesses --- The Leavenworth-Lansing Area Chamber of Commerce is a private non-profit organization that aims to support the growth and development of local businesses and our regional economy. We strive to create content that not only educates but also fosters a sense of connection and collaboration among our readers. Join us as we explore topics such as economic development, networking opportunities, upcoming events, and success stories from our vibrant community. Our resources provide insights, advice, and news that are relevant to business owners, entrepreneurs, and community members alike. The Chamber has been granted license to publish this content provided by Chamber Today, a service of ChamberThink Strategies LLC.
