Imagine this: you’ve crafted the perfect marketing message, either as an email, a campaign, or another type of message. It’s witty, informative, and targets your intended audience perfectly. You hit publish, ready to see the intended response, But then—crickets. No sales, no responses, no sign-ups.
What went wrong? A weak or missing Call to Action (CTA).
A CTA is the bridge between your audience’s attention and your marketing goals. Without a strong, clear CTA, your audience is left stranded and never ventures into the land of conversions. Persuading your audience to convert relies on catchy CTAs and providing benefits to the audience.
Use MArketing CTAs in a Variety of Places:
· Website—use CTAs in different sections and different pages to give many opportunities for people to click through and convert. Keep the CTA front and center.
· Social Media—Sponsor ads on various social media platforms, using the “Learn More” buttons to use with your CTAs.
· Email Campaign—send an email blast to your email list, with CTAs in the body of the email.
Why CTAs Matter:
· Create Action: CTAs are the catalyst transforming a glancing look into active engagement. Prompting your audience to take the next step, whether it’s signing up, subscribing, or making a sale, is a game-changer.
· Boost Conversions: Well-crafted CTAs can improve conversion rates by moving customers towards conversion points on your landing page or website.
· Enhance User Experience: Clarity and direction, and helping users navigate through your website easily is helped with a CTA. Use them to eliminate guesswork and create a positive user experience.
· Measure Success: Providing valuable insights into the effectiveness of a marketing campaign with a CTA allows you to track click-through rates and conversion metrics. You’ll be able to effectively gauge the impact of your messaging and make changes as needed.
· Builds your Customer Base: Continually directing people to your website builds brand awareness and helps people learn about your products and company.
How to Craft a Marketing CTA that Gets Results!
· Clear and concise. Your CTA shouldn’t be a guessing game. You need to tell your audience exactly what you want them to do next, whether it’s “Sign Up for this
Workshop”, “Start Your Free Trial”, Attend our Open House”, or “Pre-Order Your Copy Now”. Clearly communicate the desired action.
· Embrace action verbs. Now is the time to use the thesaurus and finesse the verbs. Make them direct, action-based and focus on getting them to do something. “Learn more” isn’t as powerful as “Transform”, Unlock”, “Discover”, or “Subscribe”.
· Make FOMO real. (Fear of Missing Out) can pack a powerful punch. Play up the audience’s need to be in the know and not left out. Use CTA’s like “Get my Discount”, “Don’t Miss Out”, “Act Now”, or Limited Time Offer”, to create that sense of urgency or for a time-sensitive deal.
· Speak their language. Knowing your audience is the key. Targeting busy professionals is different that targeting a busy parent. Keep it simple or make it lengthy depending on the “language” needed.
· Test, test, tweak. Testing is the best way to know if it’s working. What works one time, may not work the next. A/B test different versions to learn what resonates.
· Offer value. Highlight the benefits of clicking on your CTA. Whether it’s solving a problem, receiving exclusive content, or saving money, emphasize what’s in it for the user. This creates motivation for them to click through to your website.
· Scarcity may work. If there is a limited supply of goods, service, or attendance, let your audience know. CTA’s like “Download Before it’s Gone”, “Only 3 Days Left” create a sense of urgency.
· Share the benefits. Letting your audience know what’s in it for them. Explain why it is important for them to respond, buy, attend, etc. Make it an easy decision.
· Get creative but clear. A CTA doesn’t have to be a boring button. Try an intriguing question or a benefit-driven statement as the CTA button, such as “Feel Healthier with our Plan”, “Save 40% Now”. Experiment with button shapes, emojis, colors, fonts, and the language used.
· Optimize for mobile devices. Most of us browse on our mobile devices, so ensure your CTAs are optimized for smaller screens. Are they easy to tap and easy to read? While you’re at it, how does your website appear on mobile devices?
CTAs are the cornerstone of a successful marketing strategy, leading to conversions and engagement. Implementing these tips and refining your approach can increase the effectiveness of your CTAs and bring meaningful results. As your marketing strategist, our Burgie MediaFusion team is here to help you take your marketing to the next level.