One of the most effective methods to increase your conversion rates (by as much as 30%!) is implementing an authentic evergreen funnel. This technique uses real urgency by employing deadlines. A lack of credible deadlines can lead customers to postpone their purchasing decisions, and as a result, they may never make the transaction. And that’s the last thing you want, right? This article will analyze why the authentic evergreen funnel is so effective and how to implement it in your campaigns using tools like VSLs, automated webinars, and tripwires.
What is an authentic evergreen funnel?
An authentic evergreen funnel is a type of automated sales funnel that runs continuously, offering products or services on an ongoing basis (hence the term “evergreen” – always relevant, always available). The key element that differentiates authentic funnels from standard evergreen funnels is the credibility of the deadlines and time constraints being used.
In traditional marketing campaigns, deadlines and time-sensitive promotions are powerful tools that create a sense of urgency. The problem arises when these same techniques are transferred to evergreen funnels, which operate endlessly. Customers quickly figure out that the “urgent” offer is always available, diminishing the urgency’s authenticity. As a result, the funnel may lose effectiveness, and customers may defer purchasing, thinking the offer will always be available.
In an authentic evergreen funnel, the deadlines and promotions are genuine, and the terms are individually generated for each user.
Automated and personalized deadlines
In an authentic evergreen funnel, every new user entering the funnel is presented with a uniquely generated offer deadline, often synced with a countdown timer on the website and in emails. This allows the customer to see a believable, personalized deadline that applies only to them. Even if the evergreen offer is always available, the customer feels like their opportunity is truly limited.
Synchronization of deadlines on the website and in emails
It’s essential to keep in mind that communication with potential customers often happens across multiple platforms, meaning the same person may receive offer emails while also being redirected to sales pages or demo material pages. Tools like Apresly help create countdown timers that synchronize across sales pages and email campaigns. This ensures the customer sees the same time remaining on the offer, whether they are on the website or checking their inbox.
Personalized communication
Through dynamic content in emails and on pages, the offer becomes more convincing. The customer knows the deadline applies specifically to them and isn’t just a general message for everyone. This sense of individual attention can significantly boost conversions. You can also use AI to personalize messages emphasizing how little time is left to take advantage of the offer. These messages are dynamically generated and tailored to the recipient, reinforcing the perception that the deadline is real. In this case, tools like Apresly are also a great help, as they can automatically generate the mentioned messages without requiring additional effort from you.
Restricted access after the deadline
An essential aspect of authenticity is that once the deadline passes, the customer truly loses access to the offer (or the special price). There’s no option to “reset” the deadline – after the promotion ends, the offer may disappear, or its price may return to the regular amount. This is key to ensuring that the offer feels authentic and credible to potential customers.
Authentic evergreen funnel in practice
An example of a creator using this technique effectively is Grant Sabatier, an American entrepreneur, best-selling author of Financial Freedom, and the founder of the popular blog Millennial Money. His philosophy centers around building financial independence through earning more, saving, and investing mindfully. Sabatier effectively uses authentic evergreen funnels in many of his sales campaigns, enhancing their effectiveness and conversion rates.
Using authentic deadlines in VSLs (Video Sales Letters)
A VSL (video sales letter), allows you to present a complete offer in video format. It can be a short video explaining the product, outlining its benefits, and leading to a call to action. Adding an authentic deadline to a VSL can significantly boost its effectiveness.
How can this work in practice? After the video ends, a time-limited offer (One Time Offer – OTO) appears, for example, a 50% discount on a course available for only 48 hours. With Apresly, you can automatically set up a countdown timer and synchronize it with an email sent to the customer right after watching the video. It’s important to remind them about the passing of time – this will create urgency and increase the chances of a purchase. Sabatier, as previously mentioned, uses VSLs to present key information about his products, explaining how they can help achieve financial freedom. These videos are embedded on pages with Time Offers, where the time limit to buy is reinforced by a countdown timer showing the actual time left until the offer expires.
Automated Webinar with an authentic deadline: The key to scaling sales
Automated webinars are a fantastic tool that allows for repeated replays of pre-recorded webinars (we wrote about the automatized webinar here, be sure to check it out if you want to learn more). This means you don’t have to be live to sell your product. But how can you introduce an authentic deadline into a webinar that motivates customers to purchase?
During the webinar, you can include a segment where you discuss a special offer available only to attendees of that specific webinar, such as a 48-hour window to purchase at a lower price. As you already know, Apresly allows you to synchronize the countdown timer on the site with the email you send to webinar attendees immediately after the session ends. AI-powered personalized messages can effectively remind the customer that their chance to benefit from the offer is dwindling. For instance, Sabatier uses pre-recorded webinars that are available for a limited time after registration. Participants have a few days to take advantage of the opportunity, motivating them to make a quick decision. The webinar ends with an offer for a course or another product, and thanks to the authentic deadline presented at the end, participants are encouraged to make an immediate purchase.
Tripwire and authentic deadlines
A tripwire is a small, low-cost offer designed to put the customer in a “buying mode.” Even in the case of a tripwire, a deadline can significantly boost its effectiveness.
Let’s assume you’re offering an eBook for $7 as part of your tripwire. After the purchase, the customer is offered a more advanced course with a 20% discount, but only for the next 24 hours. This is where the countdown timer comes into play, showing how much time remains for the offer. Using Apresly timers will create a sense of urgency and encourage the customer to make a decision. You can also automatically send reminders about the deadline, personalized based on how much time is left before the offer expires. In the case of a tripwire, a deadline can be just as effective as the product’s low price.
Other Forms of Evergreen Funnels and the Importance of Deadlines
In addition to VSLs, automated webinars, or tripwires, there are many other forms of evergreen funnels where deadlines play a crucial role. These include, for example:
- A series of promotional emails where each one reminds the recipient of the expiring time to take advantage of the offer.
- Challenge funnels, such as a 7-day challenge, after which the client receives access to a time-limited offer for an advanced course.
- Sales quizzes, where after completing the quiz, the customer receives a personalized offer with an expiration date.
In all of these cases, implementing an authentic deadline can significantly impact sales results. When a client sees a time restriction, they are more likely to act.
Case Study: Authentic Evergreen Funnel Step-by-Step
Now that you’re familiar with the possibilities of an authentic evergreen funnel, see how easily you can incorporate it into your marketing campaign. Here’s an example of how to apply this strategy:
Step 1: Develop and Create an Evergreen Webinar
As you already know, an evergreen webinar is a pre-recorded session that users can watch at their convenience. This type of webinar offers tremendous flexibility in reaching a broad audience. To make this process even more effective, you can segment contacts based on their behavior or interests. By integrating with available email marketing systems, you can properly segment your audience and tailor communication.
However, tools like Apresly can further enhance your strategy and allow you to create truly personalized experiences, which will increase the chances of conversion.
Step 2: Utilize Urgency with Authentic Deadlines
Once the webinar is launched, it’s time to implement a strategy that creates a sense of urgency. A key element of this strategy is setting an authentic deadline. This is where Apresly plays a pivotal role — with its precise timer function, you can set a unique deadline for each participant. Whether the recipient is watching the webinar on a website or checking emails, they will see the same synchronized time left until the offer expires.
You can also boost the effectiveness of this strategy by sending automated reminders about the time running out. Apresly enables you to generate these messages in a personalized way. This makes your sales funnel more interactive and engaging, increasing the likelihood of quick action from recipients.
Step 3: Offer a Replay of the Webinar with Limited-Time Access
After the webinar ends, it’s important to maintain communication with potential customers. One proven way is to offer a replay of the webinar with limited-time access. You can set a deadline that expires after 48-72 hours, creating a sense of exclusivity and urgency. The use of dynamic timers showing the remaining time to watch the replay encourages immediate action.
Make sure that after the deadline passes, access to the replays is blocked, which builds trust in your brand and shows that the deadlines are real and not artificially created.
Step 4: Maintain Continuous Contact with Potential Clients by Sharing Additional Content
As the customer journey continues, you can deliver more video content that complements the educational process. Embedding videos on sales pages or in emails that include a timer with a set deadline helps to further strengthen the sense of urgency. Thanks to advanced tracking and dynamic features from Apresly, each user interaction will be synchronized with the current time, ensuring consistency and smooth communication.
Step 5: Close the Process — One-Time Offer
When your audience is well-acquainted with your offer and educated, you move to the final stage — the product purchase proposal. This is the perfect moment to offer a One Time Offer on one of your products. An authentic deadline becomes a key tool here in motivating action. Use the reminder feature about the upcoming deadline, which will be integrated with both emails and the sales page. A good example of using a timer on the One Time Offer page is the strategy by Grant Sabatier, as mentioned earlier.
Step 6: Final Reminders
Sending final reminders about the expiring deadline is one of the most effective ways to close a sale. It is important that the countdown timer, which appears in both emails and on the site, is consistent and precisely tailored to the individual user. This way, the recipient receives a clear signal that the deadline is approaching, motivating them to act quickly. After the countdown ends, it’s worth replacing the timer with a graphic confirming the end of the sale, such as the following:
Summary
Authentic evergreen funnels are a crucial element that can determine the success of your online sales strategy. In today’s automated world, customers are becoming increasingly aware of artificial marketing techniques, which is why it’s so significant that deadlines are credible and effectively motivate decision-making. Whether you use VSLs (Video Sales Letters), automated webinars, tripwires, or other forms of sales funnels, introducing an authentic deadline can increase the sense of urgency among your audience, thereby improving conversion rates.
VSL enables you to deliver a strong sales message, and if you combine it with a time-limited offer, you can significantly increase sales of courses or e-books. Automated webinars work similarly – even if you don’t run it live, properly integrated with the evergreen deadline system makes the offer presented during the webinar gain credibility. Tripwire, on the other hand, is a great tool for introducing customers into “shopping mode” thanks to a small, attractive offer – but it is only a time-limited upsell that shows the true potential of this method.
Tools like Apresly are the ideal solution for online creators who want to maximize the effectiveness of their evergreen campaigns. With the ability to synchronize timers on the sales page with emails, as well as the use of AI to personalize messages, Apresly ensures that your deadlines are authentic and engage customers’ imagination. Moreover, personalized messages that dynamically highlight the passing time make customers more likely to make quick purchasing decisions.
Reminding once again, the key aspects of an effective authentic evergreen funnel are:
- Authenticity of deadlines – each customer sees an individually generated deadline, which is binding and after it expires, the offer becomes unavailable or its price returns to standard.
- Synchronization of counters on the website and in emails – this creates a consistent experience for the customer who sees the same deadline, regardless of the channel they use.
- Personalization of communication using AI – dynamically adapts content to the recipient, reinforcing emotions and time pressure.
Applying these principles not only increases sales but also builds trust in your brand. When customers see that deadlines are genuine and that the offer truly expires, they are more likely to make a purchase rather than postpone their decision.
