How to Use Email Countdown Timers to Drive Campaign Action

Your subscribers are already drowning in email. If your campaign doesn't give them a reason to act now, it's easy to ignore.

A countdown timer is one of the more direct ways to create that urgency. TouchBasePro's drag-and-drop template builder now lets you add one to any campaign in a few clicks.

The timer is live and self-updating. Set your deadline, drop the element into your template, and it counts down automatically for every reader who opens the email.

Countdown timer best practices

These guidelines come from our friends at Campaign Monitor.

1. Be clear about what you're counting down to. If readers have to guess what the deadline means, the urgency is lost.
2. Use timers selectively. Drop one into every send and it loses its impact fast. Use it when the deadline is real.
3. Keep it above the fold. A timer buried halfway down the email won't create the same pressure. Put it where readers see it first.
4. Place your CTA right next to it. The timer creates the urgency; the CTA captures it. Keep them close and make the CTA copy count.
5. Keep the design simple. A countdown timer is already a moving element. Pair it with a GIF or other animation and the email becomes noise. Let the timer do its job.
6. Test it. Use TouchBasePro's A/B testing feature to measure whether the timer actually moves the needle with your specific audience.

The countdown timer is available to all TouchBasePro subscription clients. To get it set up for your next campaign, reach out to the sales team at sales@touchbasepro.com.