Ever heard of Heady Topper? I have a friend who’s arguably obsessed with beer.

Last week he gchatted me saying “the focus right now is on finding Heady Topper.”

After a quick Google, I learned Heady Topper is an IPA made at a small brewery in Vermont called The Alchemist.

I asked why he wanted to try it so badly, when there are plenty of delicious beers available at great bars (and breweries) in DC.

He responded that it’s the only beer on BeerAdvocate with a 100% rating. Impressive, right?

Here’s the thing: Heady Topper is incredibly hard to find because The Alchemist doesn’t do much distribution outside of Vermont. I don’t even like IPAs, yet I found myself spastically scouring the internet to see if I could order a can or two. No luck. Why was I going out of my way to find a beer that I probably wouldn’t even like?

I couldn’t help but think. Did BeerAdvocate only rate Heady Topper so high because it’s so hard to find? Because it’s so sought after? Because it’s so exclusive? The psychology of exclusivity is a phenomenal concept; we’re all manipulated by its duress from time to time (see also: every time a new iPhone is released).

As free agents in an online world, consumers have seemingly infinite choices. As marketers there must be ways to tap into the connection between exclusivity and desire. By closely examining a few specific cases, we’ll gain a better understanding of the psychology behind buying and see consumer desire soar.

Wait Lists

Expensive pre-schools, sceney new nightclubs, Birkins -- these are all things that are incredibly exclusive (and maybe a little elitist). The fact that a wait list or a line barrs a person from automatically gaining entrance to or possession of something, for one reason or another, makes these items all the more desirable. In fact, Spinnakr experienced its first encounter with wait lists after launching in June. A higher than expected influx of sign-ups thanks to some excellent press meant that we had to begin putting customers on a wait list.

We worried about how this might affect customer sentiment, but in fact, our fears were met with even more interest from soon-to-be users. Handfuls of emails came in from customers asking how they could gain faster access to the product. Though we didn’t anticipate needing a wait list, the result was overwhelmingly positive. Whether or not a waiting list is intentional, the presence of one - if handled properly - can foster relationships and communication with future customers and drive demand.

Continuously Limited Supply

There are plenty of examples of how an eternally limited supply of goods helps businesses thrive. For instance, take the Cronut (now trademarked). The Cronut is as much famous for its wild scrumptiousness as it is for the desire and attention surrounding it. While Cronuts aren’t a digital product, the existence of social media has spurred so much interest and emotion from consumers who just want 1 measly (albeit $5) pastry. This has fared well for Dominique Ansel, whose bakery still experiences lines forming at 6am each morning.

How do they keep customers coming back? They only make about 300 cronuts per day. If Twitter (or the internet) didn’t exist, it’s hard to believe that Cronuts would be so highly regarded and desired - there would be no constant reminder of the pastry’s limited supply. Another company who’s doing the limited supply thing perfectly is Lululemon, who never users sales or promotions to reel in customers. Instead, they rely on the superiority of their product, and they keep stocks low. Their shoppers know that items are limited, so it gives them a great reason to buy.

How does this relate to startups and other web companies? You’ll notice that most companies offer a free trial or even a free version of their product. Though this does bring in potentially valuable customers who simply may not be willing to pay just yet, this model can often cannibalize customers, giving them absolutely no reason to pay for your product. If the free version is perfectly usable, what’s the incentive to purchase a premium version? With so much instant gratification in the digital world (“free 30 day trial,” “no credit card required”), putting no limits on supply will ultimately drive down your demand.

Time Limits

Flash sales and daily deal sites have become so popular in the last 5 years, they have their own special tab in the new Gmail setup. These business models work because there’s an expiration date on the opportunity to purchase. I just bought a winter coat in the middle of the summer. Why? Because I only had 4 days left to get it on sale. What if they sold out of my size or color? The urgency was very real and my credit card statement is the proof.

The idea of FOMO, or fear of missing out, is often sardonically considered a part of life in the digital age; but to every marketer’s delight, FOMO rears its ugly head each time a potential customer is pushed to buy, knowing that the offer may no longer stand. Just like you don’t want to miss out on any of the 3 events you’re invited to on Saturday, you don’t want to miss out on having access to a killer product while there’s a special incentive. So how can you make time limits and FOMO work for your company? Offer a deal on your products or services, but only make the offer valid for for 24, or even 12 hours. This could be the final push for any potential customer who’s sitting on the fence about buying.

Patrick Renvoise and Christophe Morin’s book Neuromarketing affirms that humans make decisions emotionally, then justify them rationally. We like to think that we’re rational - even when we’re not - so buyers will convince themselves that purchasing something is okay, as long as there’s enough of a reason to think so (i.e., ‘it was on sale,” “it was only on sale today,” “it was going to sell out,” or “it’ll never go on sale”). The existence of one of these factor that differentiates your product or business from similar ones is what you should harp on to cultivate desire for your product.