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Ever liked, commented, or shared a photo on Facebook or Instagram? Or, you must have subscribed to your favorite YouTube channel or clicked and downloaded several things online.
Netflix? Uber? Spotify? Hubspot? Or Dropbox? Numerous big names are sure to strike your mind!
Believe it or not, all these sign-ups most likely resulted from a compelling and effective call to action (CTA) that has encouraged you to take the next step. And businesses use this technique to drive more leads.
So what is CTA in digital marketing, though? What is the real purpose of it in marketing? And what benefits can you get from it?
The following blog will discuss CTA in digital marketing and other crucial facts. So you can make the most use of it in bringing justice to your site.
Let’s begin:
What is a Call To Action (CTA)?
CTA, short for Call To Action, is a strong and compelling website text that influences the target audience to take the desired action. It can be a simple text to like, comment, or share a picture or a subscription or sign-up button where visitors can click and take their desired action.
What is CTA in Digital Marketing?
In digital marketing, CTA plays a big role in lead generation. The more compelling the CTA, the greater the chances of getting more leads. After all, your campaign will only succeed if it can drive in customers.
And in this super competitive world, you will get only one shot to attract visitors. If you can ace that field, then success is bound to come.
So, what are the CTAs you can use?
Well, it could be anything ranging from a button to a link or a direct signup form. They may seem like a simple bunch of words, but to your surprise, they are powerful words that play a direct role in waving the path to the success of a campaign.
In other words, these call to action plays a mind game with the users, ultimately compelling them to take the next step. Such as, they can inspire people to click on a link, leave a comment, visit an online store, make a purchase, etc. That is, it must be short, precise, clear, straight to the point, and above all things.
For marketers, these actions are extremely valuable as they help generate leads, conversations, or sales of a website. The ultimate goal of a CTA in marketing is to channel your user in the buyer’s journey so they end up buying a product.
What are the Different Kinds of CTAs?
A call to action can indicate any kind of actionable content (ask or request) you make to the user landing on the website. Therefore, depending on the context, it can take up several forms.
This is a closing statement found in a blog post, newsletter, a button, or even a single line in an email.
Here are some CTA (call to action) examples that you will frequently see up on a blog:
- Read more articles
- Sign up for our newsletter
- Share it on your social media
- Learn more or request more information
- Leave a comment
- Support our brand
- Join us now
- Never miss an Update
In the case of a B2B company, you will find the below call-to-action buttons featuring the listed texts:
- Get started
- Sign up
- Start Free trial
- Contact sales
A CTA is only effective when it holds the power to communicate what the user can expect to click on the button or take the next step right upon seeing it. The more you can relate and gain supremacy in this area, the more it will improve the click-through rate.
For an e-commerce website, the call to action must be commercially-oriented, so they can allure the users into clicking it. This may include the following:
- Add to cart
- Checkout
- Buy now
- Add to wishlist
In each case, the Call to Action on the webpage must tell the user what their next step should be to continue and move further down the conversion funnel.
CTA Example:
If we look at Netflix, we will see that they cleverly use a CTA with strong statements like “watch anywhere” and “cancel anytime.”
They also use a Sign-in button and a black space for email & Get Started text as CTA.
They are indeed one of the greatest examples of a successful CTA.
Another CTA example
If we also take a look at VISER X, we can see how they cleverly use a CTA with phrases like “Call Now” and “Get A Proposal.”
Why Do You Need a CTA?
With all the hard work in coming up with a digital marketing plan, the last thing you want for your users is to take action. Some of your goals include an email newsletter subscription, contact information, or direct sales of your pages and services.
This is where good and successful CTAs can inspire your audience to involve more with your brand. The CTA you place on your webpage works like magic, driving more customers.
For instance, a reader visits your webpage with no CTA to go to the next page. The visitor may leave your site to visit another with a precise CTA.
If you had a CTA at the blog posts with an ending like “Read more articles,” “Sign up for an email newsletter,” or “Share your thoughts/Leave a comment,” this would inspire them to continue their interaction with the website. This will make them feel that your website is reliable to put their trust on.
Besides, people are more likely to do something when you push or allure them to do it. This is human nature, and one can’t just help it.
How to Write a CTA?
Well, there is no one-size-fits-all formula to write a perfect call to action for a business. Instead, write what might be useful for your visitor. It should be written in a way that can grab your audience’s attention, create a sense of urgency and eventually force them to take the desired action.
So, what is the trademark of a successful CTAs? Keep the below points in mind while creating an effective and successful Call-To-Action.
Problem + Solution + Action
Overall, a CTA must help the users to achieve their targeted goals.
How Do You Write a Compelling Call to Action? [6 tips]
Give effort on your call to action! Whether you believe it or not, they certainly make the route to making tons of purchases.
So, how to write one? Though there is no exact strategy, there are some tips you can follow to create an effective one.
Let’s see how:
1. Keep It Short and Simple
No one likes large and heavy texts. Everyone prefers simple and straight to the point.
After all, you are not here to brainstorm. Hence, one of the key points to an effective CTA is to keep the ad copy short and precise with actionable texts.
Here, the best practice is using two to three words but at most five to six.
Though it may seem like a few words, you need to close the deal with the help of these words. If you can, understand your copy is a success and vice-versa.
2. Use Actions Words and Phrases
Always use eye-catchy and actionable text to draw readers in. Everyone likes interesting action-oriented texts.
For instance, you have two options:
- Option 1: Click Here
- Option 2: Reserve your spot.
Now, as a reader, which option will you choose between 1 & 2?
Well, your answer will certainly be option 2. The first option looks very plain and boring. On the other hand, the second option comes with a force that ultimately results in more clicks.
Therefore, skip simple texts like submit, enter, and click. Instead, go for more compelling verbs such as get, read, and try while coupling them with certain phrases relevant to the offer.
Some good examples are:
- Try it out for free
- Get 30% off on your first order
3. Add a Sense of Urgency
“Grab your offer now; stock is limited.”
What will you do if you see such a query? Well, your brain will do its part by ultimately forcing you to make a purchase.
This is an effective tactic that marketers adopt to create a sense of urgency among people. So they cannot help but fall for it. And to a great extent, till now, it has been successfully attracting millions of people, resulting in higher click-through rates.
Some of the common examples of CTA button texts with a sense of extra urgency are:
- 60% off today on any purchase
- Only 10 spots left now!
- Hurry/place your order before the stockout
- Donate now—save a life.
4. Use Corresponding Landing Pages
Clicked on a call to action button, but it showed an error or the wrong info? What impression will you get?
Definitely bad! You put your trust in and click on it, and it directs you to the wrong webpage.
So, naturally, it will create a bad impression. Hence, always have a corresponding landing page ready with your unique call to action. Otherwise, your users will be clear to your conversion rate pretty badly.
5. Make Your Button Text Large and Readable
The text size of a call-to-action button plays a huge role in improving them. Keep the size neither too large nor too small. They should have the perfect readable format.
Users often leave the site merely because they don’t understand the button text or the large letters. So, keep the CTA buttons big enough to drive attention, but don’t overdo them.
6. Try Using the First Person
Always aim for the first person in your call to action. Below are two examples:
- Option 1: Start your free trial
- Option 2: Start my free trial
Which one will you pick among these two options? The majority of the people will pick option 2, without any second thought.
Any reasons for that?
Well, it’s human psychology. Both options indicate the same thing, just differences in the first and second-person usage. Still, most people will go for option 2.
Using the first person is a good practice, resulting in more clicks. However, it may even vary depending on the product and personality.
How to Design a Call to Action: 5 Tips You Can Follow
Follow the below tactics to create a design that captures the attention:
1. Use Bright Colors
Colors matter!
No matter how catchy and appealing your CTA is, you will get fewer clicks if you use the wrong color.
So you have to be smart with colors. Don’t put random colors you like. In this case, combining bright and contrasting colors that go perfectly with your brand is the best practice.
Still, trying to decide which one to choose? Test different color variations to pick the perfect color to make it stand out. Also, focus on your brand colors.
2. Add White Space
After color, make sure to include a healthy portion of white space around your call to action. This additional space will help create a visual break by drawing the reader’s attention right to the place you want.
You can follow the Bull’s eye design.
It is one of the simplest and cleanest ways to make your CTA stand out. They even work like a charm for mobile readers, giving the fingertips a clear space to click on.
3. Keep It Above the Fold
What’s your biggest concern regarding the CTA?
Answer: Your user shouldn’t miss it, Right?
But how will they click on it if they don’t see it?
Therefore, placing it in the right area is of utmost importance. If the placement is right, the overall scalability eventually increases. One of the best practices to keep the CTA or any important information is to keep it near the top of your email—above the fold.
4. Watch Your Hierarchy
Maintain your hierarchy, no matter what!
Normally, everything on a website will have a different priority and importance. You will have several other hyperlinks, pictures, and buttons that aren’t your primary concern. Therefore, avoid misleading your users by distracting them with the less-priority ones.
After all, the main focus of your email is to get someone to click on it rather than highlighting the others.
The rule is to use the other details to complete the picture while focusing on the primary texts. Such as, for the secondary call to action, you can use gray-scale buttons or matching colors.
On the other hand, your main call to action should be the largest and brightest one of all. It should be something one understands and gets attracted to with just a glance.
5. Follow a Natural Progression
If you don’t maintain the flow and put it in the wrong place, it will break the sequence by not making any sense from a messaging standpoint. You will never want this as this can negatively affect your CTAs.
Let’s see an example to clarify your concept:
Suppose you want to put the “Register now” button. Where to place it?
The answer is where the users find it easily after reading the entire blog or event. Right!
Think of it from your user’s perspective! Will you click on a button without knowing what it refers to? Obviously not. The same thing goes for your users.
Similarly, you will never want your users to rewind their steps to take the next action. This is something they will also prefer to avoid doing. Therefore, go with the right flow and sequence.
How to Optimize Your Call to Action?
Once you have mastered the fundamentals, it is now time you know how to optimize your CTAs. Remember, optimization is the ultimate method to improve your content in marketing. So more and more visitors take action to increase the conversions that too cost-effectively.
So, million dollar question? What alterations should I make to optimize my call to action to increase the conversion rate?
A/B testing can be a great way for CTA optimization. Apart from running a test on the landing page, it’s better to list the variants of your landing page. Doing so will make sure you can test each CTA separately. This may seem quite a hassle, but in the end, this tactic will for sure bring the desired result.
Where Can Marketing CTAs Lead to?
As mentioned above, a Call to action is a key element in the customer journey. They bridge informative and relevant content and the next stage of the buyer’s journey.
Though most of the call to action can be as simple as taking them to the product pages, there are several other possibilities, like:
- Get them in contact with the sales team to learn more about their particular requirements
- Check the product demo, either online or face-to-face
- Provide them with detailed contact information via a form to receive all the marketing materials and news, they might want to know about
- Download the brands mobile application
- Sign up for an event or course the brand is offering
- Enter the site to win a contest or for a special promotion
- Take a survey to help in the booster research to know about their daily needs
- Ask for feedback from their past experiences
- Navigate to self-service resources for troubleshooting a common problem
Though the CTAs appear at the end of an event, most successful marketing tactics believe and confirm that placing them in the beginning is also a very good idea in increasing the business value. These CTAs may appear more natural and work as an outline of the story you are telling to convey to your users. However, it varies from company to company, based on their context and other variables. After all, what works for you doesn’t mean it will bring the same result for the other person.
2 Most Common Approaches to Setting Up Marketing CTAs
Your call to action greatly varies based on the content you are trying to deliver. Below is a list of the most common tactics for setting up marketing CTAs:
1. Link
In this super fast and digital era, hyperlinking your CTAs with relevant URLs works like magic – the mandatory option in most cases.
Linking doesn’t mean you need to direct them to your home page. Rather, think of it in another way to reach your goals. One of the best practices can be linked to the product pages. Due to this link, they can make a purchase.
However, one crucial point to note is always to link these CTA naturally into the text. Such as, you can have your URL connected with active keywords that most searchers types while looking into a search engine.
2. Button
Links within the text sometimes risk missing out within the sea of words. You can overcome this problem using the right buttons.
For instance, in several Facebook ads, we see the buttons like “Shop Now” or “Buy Now” while looking for a product.
The strategy is simple: Just add some valuable text before the button, and you will be all good to go.
To Wrap Up
In this digital era, having an effective call to action is mandatory for gaining leads and boosting conversion and sales rates. That said, there is no way to shortcut or exact strategy for a perfect call to action. You just need to discover the most effective CTA for your business based on the context.
The more you can relate to and invoke them, the more you can keep your visitors engaged with your business. And once you can hit the bull’s eye, there is no returning. Success is sure to come.
Hopefully, now you understand what is CTA in digital marketing and its importance.
FAQs
Further confusion regarding the CTA in marketing? We have included this FAQ section to answer the most commonly asked questions.
Have a quick through them in case you have anything to clarify:
Why is CTA important for business?
A call to action is a crucial component of every webpage. Any forms of links and buttons with a call to action serve as waypoints, instructing users on what to do next. Thus the users find or understand how to make a purchase or join up for a service.
What Are Some Compelling CTA Types?
Call to action should always be: short, precise, and straight to the point. Some of the most compelling CTA types include the following: Buy now, download now, subscribe today, try the free trial, etc.
How does a CTA prompt someone to click?
Using an eye-catchy and relevant CTA is one of the most successful tactics to persuade visitors to click. It can be a cleverly positioned button, banner, customized QR code, link, or well-designed graphic.
Can I use multiple calls to action on one landing page?
Using multiple CTAs may distract the readers. So, stick to one CTA only for landing pages. Otherwise, your users will get confused seeing too many options with the ultimate result equal to zero clicks.
Is it necessary to include a CTA in every content you create?
Well, it is not mandatory. But adding CTA certainly makes the content more meaningful. While updating your material is crucial, it should also carry some purpose. Hence, the best is to include a clear and precise CTA with every content. It will encourage your readers to take action—complementing your overall marketing plan and conversion rates.
