Wikipedia's $169m "Maybe Later" trick ⏰

Jan 10, 2025

Most “Maybe Later” buttons are broken. Dead 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 (see above) → 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.

📝 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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