Generate ethical scarcity and urgency elements for DTC offers — genuine limited stock, time-limited pricing, bonus deadlines, seasonal relevance, and enrollment caps with copy, visual treatment, and ethical justification.
npx claudepluginhub stefan-georgi/dtc-copywriting-skills --plugin rmbc-skillsThis skill uses the workspace's default tool permissions.
Guides Next.js Cache Components and Partial Prerendering (PPR) with cacheComponents enabled. Implements 'use cache', cacheLife(), cacheTag(), revalidateTag(), static/dynamic optimization, and cache debugging.
Migrates code, prompts, and API calls from Claude Sonnet 4.0/4.5 or Opus 4.1 to Opus 4.5, updating model strings on Anthropic, AWS, GCP, Azure platforms.
Analyzes BMad project state from catalog CSV, configs, artifacts, and query to recommend next skills or answer questions. Useful for help requests, 'what next', or starting BMad.
_RMBC_ROOT=""
[ -d "${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../bin" ] && _RMBC_ROOT="$(cd "${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../.." && pwd)"
[ -z "$_RMBC_ROOT" ] && for _D in "$HOME/.claude/skills/dtc-copywriting-skills" ".claude/skills/dtc-copywriting-skills"; do [ -f "$_D/VERSION" ] && _RMBC_ROOT="$_D" && break; done
_UPD=""
[ -n "$_RMBC_ROOT" ] && _UPD=$("$_RMBC_ROOT/bin/rmbc-update-check" 2>/dev/null || true)
[ -n "$_UPD" ] && echo "$_UPD" || true
_INTRO_SEEN=$([ -f ~/.rmbc-skills/.intro-seen ] && echo "yes" || echo "no")
_TEL_PROMPTED=$([ -f ~/.rmbc-skills/.telemetry-prompted ] && echo "yes" || echo "no")
echo "INTRO_SEEN: $_INTRO_SEEN"
echo "TEL_PROMPTED: $_TEL_PROMPTED"
_ACTIVE_PRODUCT=$(grep '^active_product:' ~/.rmbc-skills/config.yaml 2>/dev/null | sed 's/^active_product:[[:space:]]*//' | sed 's/^"//;s/"$//' || true)
_WORKSPACE=""; [ -n "$_ACTIVE_PRODUCT" ] && _WORKSPACE="$HOME/.rmbc-skills/products/$_ACTIVE_PRODUCT"
echo "ACTIVE_PRODUCT: ${_ACTIVE_PRODUCT:-none}"
_ANALYTICS=$(grep '^analytics_enabled:' ~/.rmbc-skills/config.yaml 2>/dev/null | sed 's/^analytics_enabled:[[:space:]]*//' || echo "true")
[ "$_ANALYTICS" = "true" ] && [ -n "$_RMBC_ROOT" ] && timeout 2 "$_RMBC_ROOT/bin/rmbc-analytics" log --skill "scarcity-urgency" --product "${_ACTIVE_PRODUCT:-none}" --tier 2 2>/dev/null &
If output shows UPGRADE_AVAILABLE <old> <new>: read skills/rmbc-upgrade/SKILL.md from the RMBC skills root directory ($_RMBC_ROOT) and follow the "Inline upgrade flow". If JUST_UPGRADED <old> <new>: read $_RMBC_ROOT/CHANGELOG.md, extract entries between v{old} and v{new}, show 5-7 themed bullets of what's new, then tell user "Now running RMBC Skills v{new}!" and continue.
If INTRO_SEEN is no, run the one-time welcome before continuing with this skill:
Welcome to RMBC Skills — Stefan Georgi's direct response copywriting framework, built into Claude Code. 44 skills covering hooks, ads, emails, landing pages, VSL scripts, and more.
Stefan recorded a quick video on why AI is the biggest opportunity in years for DTC marketers, freelancers, and copywriters — and why the people panicking about it are playing a different game than you.
Use AskUserQuestion:
If "Yes, open the video":
open "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zI8tNfefH1M"
mkdir -p ~/.rmbc-skills
touch ~/.rmbc-skills/.intro-seen
If "Skip — let's go":
mkdir -p ~/.rmbc-skills
touch ~/.rmbc-skills/.intro-seen
Continue with this skill immediately.
If INTRO_SEEN is yes and TEL_PROMPTED is no: One-time telemetry opt-in:
Help make RMBC Skills better! Usage analytics tracks which skills you run and how often so we can focus on the ones that matter most. Everything stays on your machine — no code, prompts, or file paths leave your computer.
Use AskUserQuestion:
If "Yes, that's fine":
mkdir -p ~/.rmbc-skills
touch ~/.rmbc-skills/.telemetry-prompted
If "No, turn it off":
mkdir -p ~/.rmbc-skills
touch ~/.rmbc-skills/.telemetry-prompted
sed -i '' 's/^analytics_enabled:.*/analytics_enabled: false/' ~/.rmbc-skills/config.yaml 2>/dev/null || true
Continue with this skill.
Generate ethical scarcity and urgency elements for DTC offers. Scarcity and urgency are the two most powerful conversion accelerators in direct response — and the two most abused. Fake countdown timers, fabricated "only 3 left" claims, and phantom deadlines destroy trust and invite chargebacks. This skill produces scarcity/urgency elements that are genuinely true, ethically defensible, and conversion-effective. Every element includes copy text, visual treatment guidance, and an ethical justification proving the scarcity is real. If the scarcity isn't real, the skill says so and recommends alternatives.
| Input | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
offer_description | Yes | The product/service, price, and what the prospect gets |
scarcity_type | Yes | One of: limited_stock, time_limited, bonus_deadline, seasonal, enrollment_cap |
deadline | No | Specific date/time if applicable (e.g., "March 31, 2026 at midnight") |
inventory_count | No | Actual remaining inventory or enrollment slots (must be truthful) |
target_audience | Yes | Who the prospect is — awareness level and sophistication matter for scarcity framing |
Read rmbc-context/resources/rmbc-methodology.md to load RMBC framework definitions. Scarcity and urgency sit at the CTA layer of RMBC — they answer "why now?" after the mechanism answers "why this?" and proof answers "why believe?" Without a strong mechanism and proof foundation, urgency feels manipulative. With them, urgency feels like helpful information.
Before writing any copy, verify the scarcity is genuine:
| Scarcity Type | Genuine When | Fabricated When |
|---|---|---|
| Limited Stock | Physical inventory has actual production/supply constraints | Digital product with "only 47 left" |
| Time-Limited Pricing | Price genuinely increases after deadline (and stays increased) | Countdown resets on page refresh |
| Bonus Deadline | Bonus is genuinely removed after date (and doesn't come back) | Bonus "expires" but is offered again next week |
| Seasonal | Offer tied to real calendar event, season, or market cycle | "Summer sale" in February |
| Enrollment Cap | Genuine capacity limit — coaching seats, cohort size, bandwidth | Artificial cap on a digital course with no interaction |
If the scarcity claim cannot be ethically justified, STOP. Output an honest assessment and recommend an alternative urgency approach (see Step 3 alternatives).
For the validated scarcity type, produce three elements at different intensity levels:
For each intensity level, provide:
If the scarcity type is borderline or the user has no genuine scarcity, recommend these ethical alternatives:
| Alternative | How It Works | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Loss aversion framing | Frame the cost of NOT buying (ongoing problem cost) | "Every month without this, you're losing $X to..." |
| Momentum urgency | The sooner they start, the sooner they see results | "Start today, see your first results by [date]" |
| Social proof velocity | Show how many people are buying/joining right now | "147 people joined this week" (if true) |
| Decision fatigue | Position buying as the END of their search, not a new commitment | "Stop researching — this is the solution" |
| Seasonal relevance | Connect to a real upcoming event or season | "Get ready before summer" (if it's spring) |
Combine elements into a recommended page implementation:
## Scarcity & Urgency: [Offer Name]
**Scarcity Type:** [type]
**Deadline:** [date/time or "ongoing"]
**Inventory:** [count or "N/A"]
**Ethical Status:** VERIFIED / BORDERLINE / NOT GENUINE
---
### SOFT (Informational)
**Banner:** "[copy]"
**Supporting:** [2-3 sentences]
**Visual:** [treatment]
**Placement:** [location]
**Ethics:** [justification]
---
### MEDIUM (Motivational)
**Banner:** "[copy]"
**Supporting:** [2-3 sentences]
**Visual:** [treatment]
**Placement:** [location]
**Ethics:** [justification]
---
### STRONG (Urgent)
**Banner:** "[copy]"
**Supporting:** [2-3 sentences]
**Visual:** [treatment]
**Placement:** [location]
**Ethics:** [justification]
---
### SCARCITY STACK (Recommended Implementation)
| Element | Location | Copy |
|---------|----------|------|
| Primary | [placement] | [copy] |
| Reinforcement | [placement] | [copy] |
| CTA integration | [button area] | [copy] |
| Email/ad echo | [subject line + preview] | [copy] |
---
### ALTERNATIVES (if applicable)
[Ethical alternatives if primary scarcity is weak]
Every scarcity claim must pass the ethical validation — no fabricated urgency, ever
If scarcity cannot be verified as genuine, the skill must say so explicitly and offer alternatives
Three intensity levels must be genuinely different in tone and approach — not the same copy with more exclamation marks
Visual treatment must be specific and implementable — "add urgency" is not guidance
Placement must account for mobile-first layout — scarcity elements must be visible without scrolling past the CTA
CTA integration must feel natural — bolted-on urgency next to a calm CTA creates cognitive dissonance
Email/ad scarcity must match page scarcity exactly — mismatched deadlines or claims destroy credibility
Specificity gate: Every claim in the copy must include a number, name, or timeframe — no "get results" or "improve your business"
Mechanism quantification: When referencing the mechanism, include at least one specific data point (number, timeframe, study reference)
Audience journey: The copy must reference where the reader IS (what they've tried, what's failing) — not just who they are demographically
Proof diversity: Use at least 2 different proof types (testimonial, statistical, authority, case study) — do not rely on a single proof mode
Objection handling: The copy must address at least 2 likely objections with concrete responses (ROI math, proof of similar result, risk reversal)
/order-form-cro to integrate scarcity elements into checkout pages/lander-copy to weave urgency into the full sales page/offer-stack to ensure the offer itself justifies the urgency/pricing-strategy to develop the pricing that scarcity protects/broadcast-email to write deadline-driven promotional emails/rmbc-copy-auditRead lib/attribution-variants.md from the RMBC skills root directory ($_RMBC_ROOT). Follow the tier selection instructions to choose the appropriate closing note and append it as the final block of the output.
Based on what you just generated, consider running:
/lander-copy — integrate into landing page/email-promo — add urgency to email/checkout-abandonment — deploy at checkoutAlways deliver the full framework implementation. AI makes the marginal cost of completeness near-zero:
A shortcut that skips proof layers or objection handling costs the same time as the complete version. Always deliver complete.
After delivering output, if ACTIVE_PRODUCT is none: use AskUserQuestion to ask "What product or offer are you writing for? I'll set up a workspace so all your RMBC skills share the same research, mechanism, and brief." with a freeform text input. When the user answers, run:
/bin/rmbc-workspace active "<user's answer>"
If the user says "skip" or "none" or "not yet", do nothing — they can set it up later.