What is FOMO?
FOMO – the fear of missing out is that gnawing, anxious feeling we get when it looks like we’ll miss out on something – be that an event, and experience, or a product. It likely comes from our survival and self-preservation instinct, but can now be set off easily by social media and advertising. FOMO can really incentivise action, so it’s no wonder that marketers use it readily.
How Does FOMO Work?
Our fear of missing out gets alerted whenever there’s an attractive opportunity that feel we could miss out on. So flash sales only available for a limited time – sometimes even bolstered with a large, visible countdown timer – sets off our FOMO. Exclusivity and the sensation that we’re not a part of a privileged group also kicks our FOMO into high gear.
[2025 UPDATE] I would never advise anyone to use falsified scarcity or urgency unless such a limit really does genuinely exist. As of 2025, updated UK online trading legislation tackles the problem of deceptive scarcity, fake countdown timers, and practices that pressure consumers into making hurried purchasing decisions.
But with that in mind, how can you use FOMO in your marketing?
Well, if you genuinely only have space for 5 more clients, then lead with that!
Any situation where you’re genuinely limited in terms of time, supply, capacity, or “seats at the table,” can be worth communicating in your marketing. But always stay guided by ethical practices and the spirit of the law.
With that in mind, what FOMO-harnessing marketing ideas can you conjure up?
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