If you've got a big event, occasion, promotion, or birthday coming up, you'll want to know how to do a birthday countdown to get your friends and followers involved!
This guide will explain how to put a birthday countdown on Facebook, how the function works on Instagram, and tips for choosing the best birthday countdown app for business.
Creating Birthday Countdowns On Social Media
Let's start with socials and a quick guide on the countdown features on Instagram and Facebook.
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Using Facebook Birthday Countdowns
Countdown clocks on Facebook display on your wall, and you can select a countdown from various integrated apps, depending on the style and format you want.
To set up a countdown timer, you'll need to:
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- Log in, and search for countdown clocks, viewing more results to get the complete list of options.
- Choose an app that suits you, and install the countdown timer.
- Enter the details (time, date, colors, etc.), and voila!
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Using Instagram Countdown Story Stickers
Instagram Countdown is a Stories feature, and it works well, with the drawback that you can't use it as an ongoing post on your main feed.
All you need to do is create a Story as you usually would, go to the stickers section, and click on the timer to add it to the twenty-four-hour post.
How To Choose A Birthday Countdown App
Now, if you're after a countdown timer for business, you're probably looking for a plugin or app that offers a little more flexibility.
You can use timers in multiple ways to add urgency, appeal, and excitement, and we'll explore a few of the best options shortly!
In the meantime, if you need a countdown timer outside of social media, here's what to consider:
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- Ease of use: Unless you're a programmer or coder, you're unlikely to be keen on writing complex code to embed a bespoke countdown clock on your website!
- Design flexibility: A clunky clock that doesn't conform to your branding won't look great, so choose an app with templates you can customize to fit your site's font, style, and shading.
- Speed: If you've got a big promo coming up, getting your countdown timer up and running needs to happen quickly, so an app that integrates seamlessly with any website is ideal.
The POWR Countdown Timer is a great option, ticking all the boxes in terms of efficiency, versatility, and templates to inspire your creative side!
Using A Countdown Timer To Boost Business Engagement
So, what returns can you expect from a countdown app, and why would you use one for a business site?
While birthday countdowns on social networks are primarily for personal celebrations, they can also produce strong results in a commercial setting.
Here's why:
- Counting down to a forthcoming sale or event creates buzz, building anticipation to engage customers with your brand.
- Time-sensitive discount codes perform well, with customers feeling that they're getting an extra-special price (as long as they get in before the countdown ends!).
- Speed is a compelling motivator. Businesses can use countdown timers to count down the number of products left in stock, count up the purchases made, or show when the delivery window is running out.
- Moving, ticking countdown timers create urgency and are a visually attractive web page feature that's harder to overlook than static text.
If you're eager to motivate purchases and convert casual visitors into loyal customers, you can provide them with a countdown timer, which is an excellent tool to encourage them to act now.
The Do's And Don'ts Of Using Countdown Apps
Are you new to harnessing countdown timers as a conversion booster? There are a few ways to maximize exposure and avoid common mistakes.
Do this:
- Take the time to tailor your countdown timer to your brand. It needs to look uniform with your imagery and styling.
- Use countdowns sparingly. Overuse means it becomes a standard part of your site, not something unique to grab attention occasionally.
- Embed timers within the same block as a product or promotion you're emphasizing. Timers in header banners tend to move out of sight as the customer navigates the page, so make sure it's visible and in focus.
- Pick and choose the events, items, or promotions that you advertise. Having the same timer reset over and over again is off-putting.
Don't do this:
- Use a countdown timer in a poorly placed popup that disrupts the customer journey through your sales funnel.
- Have the same countdown on every sales page or every product. Showing that your entire catalog is about to sell out isn't a good look!
- Push too hard. Consumers know that countdowns are a marketing technique, so making them overly insistent can cause basket abandonment and higher bounce rates.
- Replace every finished countdown with a new one. An event is interesting if it's exclusive, unusual, or significant, so be cautious about making a big noise about minor launches that aren't a primary business focus.
Used right, it's hard to exaggerate the persuasive power of a ticking clock, and countdown apps can be an excellent way to use these handy social media tools where your customer engagement matters most.
Just to show you how easy it is, let's watch 6-year old Ben make a birthday countdown for Instagram!
