The Importance of Calls to Action

First, let’s define what we’re talking about. The call to action (CTA) is any kind of prompt that persuades your audience to take a specific action that ultimately supports your marketing goals. Whether you’re looking to increase sales, subscribers, website traffic, or social followers, there are many opportunities to draw users in with a few direct, actionable words.

Crafting a compelling call to action isn’t solely about the words themselves, however. Their strategic placement is just as critical. For example, if the CTA is positioned too far down, it risks being buried within your content. Too close to the top, and you might not provide users with sufficient context before engagement. While the ideal placement varies depending on your content and goals, some effective options include above the fold, within the middle of an article or blog post, adjacent to a form, or on the sidebar.

There are many ways to eloquently say, “Do this now,” to achieve desired results. Follow these tips to develop the right CTA and elevate your marketing strategy.

No Fluff, Just Action!

While this may seem obvious for a CTA, emphasizing action and imperative verbs underscores the idea that users respond to direct, concise instructions. Instruct your audience precisely what to do and when to do it to achieve the desired results.

Action verbs to consider:

• Start Now
• Buy Yours
• Discover Today

Urgency, Exclusivity, and the Power of Power Words

According to Gallup, humans make emotionally charged decisions 70 percent of the time. When forming CTAs, make sure to utilize a sense of urgency, exclusivity, or sentiment to increase results. For example, if you want to sell tickets to an event, you could say, “Get your tickets now.” But if you really want to ensure your users buy them now, make sure they know it’s urgent and limited. “Get Your Tickets Before They’re Gone” immediately strengthens the urgency for users not to wait to convert.

• Buy Before It’s Too Late
• Get Yours For A Limited Time Only
• Reserve Your Spot

Explore The Value

If you can entice a user online to appreciate the value of the action they need to take, you can get them to do just about anything, including converting. By showing the benefits of clicking, you can gain your users’ attention easier and ultimately persuade them to click.

• Get In Shape
• Redeem Coupon
• Steal this Deal

Be Quantitative

Using numbers in copy can quickly grab users’ attention, and the higher the number, the higher the return on CTAs. When applicable, include any discounts or timeframes as digits to exceed your desired results.

• Save 50% Now
• Get 30 Days Free
• Get Certified in 2 Weeks

Test and Adapt

If your CTA isn’t delivering the desired results, or you’re not seeing the clicks you anticipated, consider experimenting with alternative options to identify what resonates best with your audience. What you believe is the ideal choice may not align with your audience’s preferences. There’s no harm in testing multiple options within your marketing campaigns before determining the most effective approach.

Creating effective CTAs is like keeping up with digital marketing. If you learn how to make your requests interesting, place them strategically, and test different ideas, you can enhance the effectiveness of your marketing. You’ll not only get your audience’s s attention but also entice them to take the action you’re looking for.