A call to action (CTA) is a marketing strategy that marketers use to get the audience to take the desired action. It corresponds to a prompt text like Add To Cart, Start Free Trial, Click Here, etc.
You should add calls to action to your website, social media posts, ads, etc. The type of call to action will depend on your business goals, you can use calls to action for lead generation, generate social sharing, incentivize purchases, among other objectives.
But adding CTA’s does not guarantee results! You need to use CTAs that actually work. In this article, we have a list of recommendations and examples to guide you in creating an effective call to action.
1. Include strong action words
You should be direct and concise in your CTAs. Sometimes you will be able to write a phrase along with your CTA but most of the time a CTA needs to be short. This way, you should use strong action words to get straight to the point and be persuasive.
> Are you trying to sell your products? Use, for example: buy, shop, order, add to cart, etc.
> Are you trying to advertise free demos? Use, for example: try, get started, get a demo, etc.
> Do you want to advertise your freebies? Use, for example: download, get, claim, etc.
> Do you want people to subscribe to something? Use, for example: subscribe, join, sign up.
> Do you want people to dive deep into your content? Use, for example: learn more, read more, check it out, etc.
2. Use the power of emotions
A very effective persuasion technique is to use the power of emotions to get users to perform some action.
How can you use the power of emotions?
> Add numbers: “Buy now and get 50% off!”
Numbers help people perceive the advantages of your offer that they would otherwise struggle to see.
> Add adjectives: “Book your dream trip with us!”
Add adjectives it’s also a good strategy in order to describe characteristics of your offer that are relevant to your target market.
> Make a promise: “Lose 20 Kg in 6 weeks!”
Another effective persuasion strategy is to use promises because people know exactly what they will gain and so they are more willing to convert on that offer.
> Influence their FOMO: “Limited time offer”
FOMO (the Fear Of Missing Out) is another great strategy because people are afraid of losing the opportunity to get something. That’s why creating a sense of urgency around your offers is so effective.
> Play up your value propositions: “Order a bio-veggie burger now!”
If you have specific value propositions it can also be good to add them to your call to action. For example, hand-made, bio, or eco-friendly are some value propositions that people are increasingly caring about nowadays.
> Decrease the uncertainty: “No credit card required” or “Cancel Anytime”
Uncertainty is a really powerful emotion. If people have doubts about your offer they will not take the desired action. That’s why you should anticipate possible doubts or fears regarding your product and include solutions.
3. Use creativity
In order to have a good call to action you shouldn’t limit yourself to some action words, instead, you should be creative and create your own CTAs. This way, you’ll be able to grab the users’ attention and have a greater and more positive impact.
A good example of creativity in calls to action is to play with the brand name or products because you are creating a unique CTA that may stick in people’s minds.
4. Carefully choose where to add your CTAs
Now that you have written a good call to action you need to attract attention to the call to action.
If you are going to add the call to action to your website, it should be placed in strategic places. Think: where are people most likely to convert to your offer? Where will the CTA get more impressions?
It’s a good idea to add several CTAs for the same offer at different positions on the website. Play with colors and sizes to ensure your call to action doesn’t go unnoticed.
Moreover, you should also decrease distractions. For example, if you have a button for your call to action and below a link for other stuff, then people may click on that link instead of taking the desired action.
In social media posts or ads, CTAs should be placed at the end of the post. Give some relevant information first and then incentivize people to take some action.
To Sum Up…
Writing a good CTA is challenging, but will definitely bring results to your business! In order to have an effective call to action don’t forget to be clear, straight to the point, creative and add the CTA in strategic points. Test often in order to analyze results and adapt in order to achieve better results.