It’s tax season, and Turbo Tax seems to be making about as much money as the IRS these days.

They’re everywhere.

A campaign I saw recently was clear, compelling and effective. We could break down entire campaign, but for now, I want to focus on one element that worked well for them. You may not even have noticed it.

But the element was this: Time is running out.

Brands find if they let the customer know when an offer is expiring, customers are much more likely to place an order. When a customer knows the opportunity is soon going to go away, they won’t delay.

In story structure, storytellers use an expiring time factor to make the story more exciting.

A guy has to disarm a bomb before it’s too late. A woman has to get the story written before the newspaper deadline and so forth. Adding an expiring time dimension to a story ramps up the dramatic tension and makes the story more compelling.

It works similarly in your marketing campaign.

Suddenly the ad feels more compelling, as though the hero of your story (the customer) needs to take action soon or they will miss out.

And of course, when it comes to filing taxes, we are all under a deadline.