Getting your audience to view your ad campaign is only half the battle. Motivating the viewer to take action through a great Call to Action (CTA) is what will improve your conversions and seal the deal for a successful campaign.
A CTA is the bit of copy or the “button” you use to prompt your audience or reader to respond in some way. You want to captivate the viewer with a strong CTA and a sense of urgency.
Developing a successful CTA starts with what you want. What goal are you trying to achieve and who is the audience you are trying to reach? Your goal should be specific – offering too many options can create decision fatigue in your viewers. Understanding your specific audience’s wants and needs will also help when choosing what prompt to use.
Let’s get into the breakdown of creating a successful Call To Action.
Use a Strong Command Verb
Think about CTAs for exactly what they are: a way to get a visitor to take a specific action. And we all know that verbs are action words, so make them strong!
Using words like “buy,” ”try,” “download,” or “start” lets your viewer know exactly what you want them to do and they will get an understanding of what clicking through will lead to.
The wording should be an accurate description of what the reader will be doing post-click. For instance, offering a free download, but leading to a different landing page that doesn’t connect may disappoint and confuse your audience.
Create Value for Your Audience
After establishing the action you want the reader to perform, add in value for them. Tell your readers why they should perform the action. What’s in it for them?
A great way to create value for an audience is offering a free trial, consultation, download, or some kind of discount. If these aren’t viable for your business, you can also create value for a reader by solving a problem for them. For example, you could say “Attract more clients now with this proven method”. Another great way to provide value is through specific content that helps solve their challenge, which is part of a multi-channel approach to advertising.
You should create a CTA that is mutually beneficial for your business and your audience. If they have to fill out a form and give their info, make sure they’re getting something valuable in return that’s worth their time.
Establish a Sense of Urgency
Ideally, you want your audience to click your CTA when they see it. By creating a sense of urgency, readers may feel more compelled to click through right away. If a reader decides to think about it and come back later, they may never return (of course, it never hurts to set up retargeting or geotargeting ads).
Creating a sense of urgency means using words like: now, immediately, limited time, last chance, today only, etc. Finding the right balance of urgency and value will give the reader a fear of missing out on an opportunity.
So, capitalize on the innate FOMO (fear of missing out) that your viewers will feel when they see the value that you can provide in solving their challenges.
Make the CTA irresistible
There are a few factors that could help you Call To Action be extra clickable for readers. Size, color, placement, and length of text are all important when deciding on a CTA.
- Your Call To Action should be big enough for readers to see, but not overpower the rest of the copy.
- Use a color that stands out from a page to create an eye-catching “button” for your audience.
- Marketing best practices prove that placing the CTA to the bottom or right side of an advertisement is more effective than placing it towards the left.
- The length of the text is relative to your business’s needs. However, it should always be concise and easy to read. Your CTA does not need to be a paragraph.
Of course, testing these different factors is the best way to gauge what works best with your audience. Try out a few variations and see which generates the most conversions or clicks.
Work Smarter, Not Harder
There is no guaranteed way to write a perfect Call To Action, but these attributes can help steer you in the right direction. Remember, getting better results always starts with understanding your goal and your audience, and the continued building on the knowledge you gain from them as you test and improve.
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