Most “Maybe Later” buttons are broken.
They just close the popup and waste the opportunity. Forever.
But Wikipedia does something different - and it helped them raise $169M last year:
When you click “Maybe Later” on their donation popup → they actually ask for your email to remind you later. That’s genius! 🧠
💡 The marketing idea: Add an email capture step after every “Maybe Later” click on your website popup. Then send smart reminders.
That’s it. So simple, but BRILLIANT.
🎯 Why this is so smart
A little cognitive bias called “the consistency effect”:
🧠 When someone clicks “Maybe Later” (vs. “No”), they have mentally committed to considering your offer.
💌 That’s why asking for an email feels natural. They’ll share their address to stay consistent with their first “maybe”.
💸 And when they get the reminder later, they're more likely to convert because they already said they were interested.
⚡️ How to apply the idea in 5 minutes
📝 Add the email catcher:
Update your homepage popups / trial ending notices / upgrade prompts / limited-time offers / exit intent popups — simply include an email box after people click on the “Maybe Later” button. Use this copy: “Want us to remind you later about upgrading? Drop your email below”🤖 Automate the reminder sequence:
Send a friendly reminder 24 hours later.
A follow-up a week later highlighting the benefits they missed.
And then a final nudge with a limited-time incentive.
💃 Make it super easy to say “yes”:
Always ask for one thing ONLY in the reminder emails (e.g. “Click here”). Remind them they’d already agreed. Minimize friction!⏳ Test the timing:
Experiment with when to send the reminders. Too soon, and they might feel spammed. Too late, and they’ve forgotten your product entirely.
See you next week ✌️
Tom
P.S. Here’s a fun test - try clicking “Maybe Later” on different websites. 99% just let you leave. Now you know better :)
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