The value of a call to action (CTA)
What makes a good one and where to use them
One of the most important parts of marketing copy (social posts, blogs, website pages etc.) will always be the call to action (CTA).
This is something that is often overlooked by online businesses, but these little words can make or break a sale. You need to think of your call to action as a way of directly telling your customer what you want them to do.
And you should get into the habit of using these CTAs anytime you’re ‘talking’ to your audience – from social posts, web pages, blogs and newsletters.
Escaping the mundane ‘buy now’ CTA
We’ve all seen the ‘buy now’ CTA. Sure, it’s direct and tells you exactly what to do, but don’t you feel it’s been a bit overdone? CTAs do need to be direct, but there are ways to make them a little bit more fun for your business.
Here are some examples as an alternative to Buy Now:
Get stylish, You know you want it, Yes you need this, Get the ‘new shoe’ thrills, Feed me, Express ship this to me, Get in my cart, Buy today pay later
And here are some other little beauties that work and that you can adapt to suit your business (and have a bit of fun with):
Discover – delicious meals, comfy pjs, your new ride, fresh flowers delivered today
Book a demo/class/phone call
Start a free trial
Try it now
Get 25% off today
Create your free account
Download my free eBook!
Start/Stop – Start getting stronger today, Stop making excuses
Reserve your spot
Let’s check out where to use your call to actions
1. Facebook Ad CTAs
Facebook Ads can be highly effective if they’re done well. Not only do you need to have a heading and image/video that stands out, but you want people to click on your button. Simple buttons like, ‘Learn More’ can work if your visuals are appealing enough.
You also have limited space (and people are scrolling – not reading), so putting your biggest benefit and CTA up the top makes sense too. For example – Looking for shapewear that won’t roll down? Get 70% off today only!
2. Instagram Ad CTAs
As Instagram is more of a visual platform, you don’t want to overload it with text and buttons.
You keep your CTAs fairly simple on Instagram. Things like, ‘visit my profile’, ‘install now’, ‘swipe up for more information’ and so on.
A great way to do it is to put a picture of your product, then have your offer combined with the most beneficial selling point. For example, you could have a big box of your cookies and then a line such as, ‘All this for $10. Too good to share!’.
3. Website CTAs
Every page on your website needs a CTA at the bottom and scattered throughout. Think about when you’re scrolling through a website. If you get to the bottom of the page and it’s just finished, what do you do? Flick away, scroll back up, try another search?
This is why you need to have a CTA at the bottom of your web or landing page. You need to tell your audience exactly what you want them to do – sign up, start a trail, contact you etc.
You can also scatter various call to action buttons throughout your web page where it’s appropriate. Long sales pages often have buttons throughout to encourage those who may have read enough to sign up.
And you’ll notice that many home pages will have buttons throughout them that lead you to other pages within the site or to contact pages.
4. Emailers/eNewsletter CTAs
People often overlook the importance of CTAs on emailers and eNewsletters. It’s another marketing medium and way of reaching your audience, so like all marketing, you need to tell them what you want them to do.
You can set emailers up with some information about your products/services and then have links through to your website. You can offer special deals with links to the sales page. You can direct them to read your blogs and so on.
How are your CTAs working for you?
If you’re not using CTAs, get on them! You always need to tell your audience what you want them to do – everywhere! If you need help, I’d be happy to have a chat with you.
And if you’ve used any winning CTAs, I’d love for you to share them with us.