A checklist for effective call to actions.

You’ve probably heard the term ‘call to action’ mentioned when anyone talks about effective marketing and websites. A call to action is a suggested action that guides people towards an outcome. It’s a clear direction, unambiguous and direct and it’s one of the factors behind driving real action from your marketing.

In fact, without action your marketing campaign is simply a promotional broadcast.

Call to action = action.

You want to grab your audience’s attention and get them to act. But what turns a regular call to action into a great call to action? This guide will show you how to create exceptional call to actions in your marketing so you audience is left with clear direction (without feeling hassled).

Make your call to action an action.

Verbs are essential when we’re talking about call to actions. Subscribe. Donate. Download. Email. Call. Buy. Compare. Think about the trigger words your reader might think of and use the same language.  If you are targeting a global audience, make sure your language is adapted to the local terminology. Will your readers check out to a shopping basket, or a shopping cart?

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Add some urgency.

Urgency is the difference between “Subscribe” and “Subscribe Now” and it can actually make all the difference. Use commanding words to imply there is a risk attaching to waiting too long. You could use “Buy Now” but “Buy Now – Limited offer” has a much greater sense of urgency around it. What if they miss out?

 

Make your call to action clearly visible.

Don’t be afraid to make your call to action BIG so that’s it can be seen a mile off. Make it contrast to the rest of your page and give it some breathing room so that your audience’s eyes are drawn right in. This applies to all kind of marketing from your website, blog, and email marketing right through to your brochure and promotional flyer.

Spell out how easy the action is.

If you are inviting your reader to become involved with you in some way, they may be worried that it will take a long time, or you’ll ask for too much information. You can push those fears aside by including some more details in your call action. “Download and Get Started Today. Sign up in just 60 seconds”.

Add an offer to seal the deal.

Even when you’re offering a complete solution to your readers needs it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll close the deal. Offering a little extra can help push your reader over the line and it could be a free report, a consultation, or a free magnet!

Repeat your call to action.

Imagine someone reading your marketing. It could be online, or some printed material. At any point they could decide to take action and it’s crucial that they don’t have to hunt around for that action. Repeat your call to action on every page and make sure your contact details are just as easy to find.

Don’t overdo it.

It’s okay to have a few call to actions but it’s important to separate them visually to you don’t baffle your reader. Your primary call action should have prime position on your page as the most important action you want your reader to take. You can back this up with secondary call to actions but use a different colour, or font, or position your secondary actions in a different part of the page.

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How do you call to actions compare? Did you pick up any tips to improve them? Let us know!