{"id":69523,"date":"2020-09-25T08:23:02","date_gmt":"2020-09-25T07:23:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.solopress.com\/blog\/?p=69523"},"modified":"2023-10-28T20:08:35","modified_gmt":"2023-10-28T19:08:35","slug":"how-to-construct-a-call-to-action","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solopress.com\/blog\/copywriting-typography\/how-to-construct-a-call-to-action\/","title":{"rendered":"How to construct a call to action"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A lot of hard work and investment goes into digital marketing activity, so businesses need to be able to see returns. That means getting customers over the line by inspiring them to act.<\/p>\n

But for digital advertisers, that challenge is only getting tougher. Busy, cynical audiences are now vastly more likely to ignore a button than they are to click on it. Everyone is hustling for their attention and they\u2019re wise to evil scammers, hardworking marketers \u2014 and everyone in between.<\/p>\n

Modern audiences require something rather more sophisticated than \u201cClick here\u201d to prompt them to take action. That\u2019s why we\u2019ve brought together 7 handy tips to help you create a call to action button that\u2019s engaging enough to stand out from the crowd and inspire your audience to act.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \n

    Decide what YOU need\u2026<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n
  2. \n

    \u2026Then write for what THEY need<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n
  3. \n

    Be realistic about what you can achieve<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n
  4. \n

    Be human, and appeal to human nature<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n
  5. \n

    Be aware of Size. Shape. Colour. Position<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n
  6. \n

    Put it to the A\/B test!<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    But before we get into details about putting these tips into action\u2026<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    What is a call to action<\/strong>?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    In the world of digital marketing, a \u201ccall to action\u201d \u2014 or CTA \u2014 usually means a perfectly positioned button featuring a few carefully chosen words that will stimulate your target audience to act.<\/p>\n

    Digital marketers are ceaselessly creating PPC ads, online campaigns, landing pages, and marketing emails. Why? Because they want their audiences to do something<\/strong>. That\u2019s when you need them to follow your \u201ccall to action.\u201d<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Tip 1: Decide what YOU need\u2026<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    You need to be clear from the outset what it is you\u2019re looking to achieve from your ad campaign or page. So what\u2019s your goal?<\/p>\n

    Sales<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    Nearly all campaigns will have sales as an end goal, but you should refer to Tip 3<\/strong> to see if you\u2019re ready for a quick conversion, or whether you need to advance your leads a little further down the sales funnel first\u2026<\/p>\n

    Data gathering <\/strong><\/h3>\n

    For products and services that require a greater commitment from the customer, it can be enough to register their interest and gather data (in accordance with GDPR).<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    This invitation from Squarespace to \u2018Create a Portfolio\u2019 is a nicely conceived data-gathering exercise. Once you click the CTA, you find yourself submitting various answers about the nature of your business, ostensibly so that Squarespace can provide an appropriate portfolio template, but actually helping to populate their database.
    \n<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Lead generation<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    Build a data-gathering strategy that\u2019s specifically aimed at handing your sales teams hot leads and allowing them to work more efficiently.<\/p>\n

    Increase traffic<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    For sites that rely on ad revenue, boosting page impressions is the number one goal. The term \u201cclickbait\u201d describes clich\u00e9d and even exploitative ads that deliver disappointing content. However, there\u2019s no shame in tempting visitors to your page to by leveraging curiosity through your CTA and following that up with useful or entertaining content.<\/p>\n

    Sign-ups, Entries, and downloads<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    Free content and competitions are all great ways to pique their interest and gather contact details and win email subscribers. A CTA that promises prizes, free resources, webinars, and white papers will help you harvest leads.<\/p>\n

    Likes, Subscribes, Views, Shares<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    Before all social media activity, decide whether you\u2019re directing traffic to a landing page, or boosting your presence on the platform itself. Building a strong following can be its own reward for brands chasing awareness or content creators seeking ad revenue or sponsorship.<\/p>\n

    Takeaway: Think hard about your objective and make sure your CTA is focused on achieving it.<\/strong><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Tip 2: \u2026Then write for what THEY need<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    We\u2019ve zeroed in on what we want to get out of our CTAs, but let\u2019s be real for a minute \u2014 our audience doesn\u2019t care! They care about what\u2019s in it for them.<\/p>\n

    Know your audience <\/strong><\/h3>\n

    A CTA is a two-way street. It only works when both you and your audience stand to benefit. But what is it your particular audience is craving? It might require some research to gain an accurate picture. You might not have the resources to gather focus groups or conduct customer interviews, but online surveys coupled with experimental A\/B testing can be even more valuable.<\/p>\n

    Say it clear<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    If you know what they want, and you\u2019re geared up to provide it, make sure you communicate those facts in the most explicit and attractive terms possible.<\/p>\n

    It\u2019s not enough to say \u201cDo this!\u201d \u2014 make sure you\u2019re CTA is saying \u201cDo this because\u2026\u201d and give them a good reason to click.<\/p>\n

    \u201cBuy now\u201d invites the question \u201cbut why?\u201d \u2014 but \u201cbuy now and save 50%\u201d adds an incentive. It doesn\u2019t have to be a cost-saving \u2014 a USP (unique selling point) works well here too. Be guided by your research when choosing what to offer up as a carrot.<\/p>\n

    Risk-free, hassle-free clicking!<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    It might take a bit of effort to define what your audience wants, but you can be sure that they don\u2019t <\/strong>want extra risk or hassle.<\/p>\n

    Presenting your \u201cfree trial\u201d as a \u201cno risk-free trial\u201d immediately shifts the response from \u201cwhy would I want that?\u201d to \u201cI might as well get that!\u201d.<\/p>\n

    Also, avoid presenting them with anything that looks like a chore. The promise of a good outcome is more likely to attract a click than highlighting the hoops they have to jump through.<\/p>\n

    So if you want subscriptions or competition entries, for example, avoid a CTA that focuses on: \u201cFill in our form\u201d or \u201cEnter your details\u201d<\/p>\n

    Instead, go for positive language like: \u201cget started\u201d \u201cgrab exclusive offers\u201d or \u201cwin\u201d.<\/p>\n

    Takeaway: Add an incentive to your call to action with a clear promise to solve a problem or improve a situation without effort or obligation.<\/strong><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Tip 3: <\/strong>Be realistic about what you can achieve<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    When we ask customers to take action, we need to have an appropriate expectation about what we can ask them to do. Aim too high, or get too pushy and we could scare them off.<\/p>\n

    What status are the leads you\u2019re targeting?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    The customers we reach through PPC ads, are often likely to be strangers. There\u2019s a strong chance they haven\u2019t interacted with our business before. They may have been targeted through their interests and behaviours online, but it\u2019s possible they\u2019ve never heard of our brand. These are customers at the very top of our sales funnel, so our CTA needs to be clear about what we do and how we can help without trying to whisk them straight to checkout. \"\"<\/a>Customers viewing a landing page however have already taken an important step by navigating to your site. These customers are further down the sales funnel so you can potentially expect greater buy-in from them.<\/p>\n

    Subscribers that are reading your campaign email are yet more invested in your brand as they\u2019ve had to opt-in to receive them. Plus you can leverage all kinds of information about them such as sales history in order to target them with the right messages. You\u2019ll find you can serve these subscribers with more ambitious CTAs with a reasonable expectation of success.<\/p>\n

    Are they ready to \u201cbuy now\u201d?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    A CTA like \u201cBuy Now!\u201d is often too blunt and pushy, so it\u2019s only really worth a punt if the audience is on-side and your deal is a no brainer.<\/p>\n

    On rare occasions, we might score a home run right off the bat by asking them to purchase a product there and then. If it\u2019s a low value, impulse-buy product your CTA can go straight in for the kill with some level of success.<\/p>\n

    Likewise, if you\u2019re just asking them to enter a free prize draw, you can probably come straight out and ask. However, if you want them to transfer their pension into your fund, maybe not. For a high-value, high-stakes product you\u2019ll need to tread more gently.<\/p>\n

    Instead, you could offer a free consultation, a pdf guide to pension-planning or invite them to use a free retirement income calculator. Something that gets them in at the top of the sales funnel, gathers data, identifies leads, and establishes you as an authority in your industry.<\/p>\n

    For B2B customers, your lead might be an office manager who has been asked to gather a handful of quotes. So if you supply a service to businesses, construct a CTA that promises an \u201ceasy instant quote!\u201d<\/p>\n

    An offer they can’t “refuse”!<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    This landing page from Betterwaste.co.uk<\/a> offers a free quote, which is handy for customers. \u00a0The stroke of genius, however, is the way it launches visitors straight into the questionnaire. How can they refuse! The simple CTA advances prospects onto question two.<\/p>\n

    Great ways of inspiring customers to take their first step into the sales funnel can include free guides, white papers, free trials, free samples, or apps and calculators that help people see the benefit of your services.<\/p>\n

    Takeaway: By easing leads down the sales funnel in reasonable increments, we\u2019re more likely to convert them.<\/strong><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Tip 4: Be human, and appeal to human nature<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    You can write far more engaging CTAs if you use conversational language and address something in your audience that craves satisfaction. So from what we know about humans, what can we tap into that will encourage them to click our CTA?<\/p>\n

    Use action words<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    We don\u2019t like being bossed around, but we do like to know where we stand. These proven action words are used again and again in digital marketing because they get the job done:<\/p>\n