While most savvy marketers today understand the importance of a strong call-to-action(CTA), it’s easy to get wrapped up in your creative process and overlook this critical element for success. Use these 7 tips to help you evaluate your CTAs and produce the results you need.
CTA Best Practices
Make it prominent. Ensure that your reader or viewer will see the call-to-action by making it stand out. Use capital letters or bold type. Position it where the recipient will see it right away. For example, put it in a box or create a button and use bright or contrasting colors. If it’s on a website, place it above the fold. If it is in a piece of direct mail, put it on the front of the piece. See proof of the power of a prominent CTA in this direct mail testing example.- Include action verbs. Visit, discover, see, hear, uncover, explore and order are just a few examples. Action-oriented verbs encourage readers to follow through on your CTA.
- Use short, simple benefit-oriented phrases. Get right to the point and be clear about what you want your reader to do. In addition, consider the benefit to your recipient and include it in your copy. For example, “download your free guide today, get the whitepaper, and try it free” each offer a benefit to the reader.
- Repeat it in a different way. Include your CTA in different places within your content using different phrases. For example, in direct mail or an email, you could put it in your Johnson box in the upper right or a side bar as well as within the copy and in your closing or PS. On your website, it could be in a sidebar or box and within the copy.
- Create a sense of urgency. Use words like “today, now, and limited-time offer” to encourage readers to act immediately.
- Make it easy and quick. Ensure that the path to completion is simple and does not include a long-convoluted process or in-depth forms.
- Test different approaches. Consider testing different words and phrases as well as different colors and design treatments. Simple things can make a big difference sometimes. And, you won’t know unless you test.
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