The Secret to Super-Effective Calls-to-Action
A great Call-to-Action (CTA) is one of the most powerful tools in your marketing arsenal. But with so many marketers out there today, the competition is stiff.
If you want to stand out from the crowd and drive results, you need to make sure that your CTA really pops.
Here are some tips on how to do just that!
Forget the "Set it and forget it" mindset.
Don't just set up a CTA and forget about it.
You need to keep on top of your CTAs' performance, because if you don't know how well your CTAs are working, there's no way for you to improve them.
Use analytics tools like Google Analytics or HubSpot's free tool (which also has an awesome free CRM) so that you can see which CTAs are converting best for your site visitors.
Keep testing new versions of each CTA until one is performing at least twice as well as the others in terms of conversions--and then keep improving!
Focus on what's important to your audience.
In order to create a successful call-to-action, you need to focus on what's important to your audience. You have to make sure you're talking to the right audience and giving them a reason why they should act now.
It's also important that your call-to-action is specific about what you want them to do, so give them a clear next step with an easy way for them do it (like "click here").
Make sure there's a clear path forward.
If you're not sure how to do this, I can help. Here are a few tips:
Make it easy for people to find what they're looking for. This means making sure there's a clear path forward in your copy. If the reader doesn't know where to go next, then chances are good that they won't bother taking any action at all--and that's bad news for you!
Make it clear what you want people to do next. You need a strong call-to-action (CTA) at the end of each piece of content (and on every page of your site). But don't just say "click here" or "sign up now." Instead, give readers an idea of why they should sign up now: because signing up will allow them access immediately; because signing up today will save money tomorrow; because signing up gives access until December 31st only...the possibilities are endless!
Create a sense of urgency.
Use words like "now" and "today".
Explain the benefits of taking action now.
Tell them how much better they will feel after they take action, or what other people are doing as a result of taking action now (this will make them envious).
Explain how long it will take to get the results you want, or how much money they'll save by taking action now (this will make them impatient).
Say what you want people to do in the first sentence.
This is important because it saves your audience time, and makes them feel good about themselves. They don't have to read through a bunch of text before they can take action, which is especially helpful if you're asking them for something significant like money or time commitment.
Say what you want them to do in the first sentence, but make sure that sentence also includes some kind of benefit that they'll get by doing whatever it is (i.e., making money).
Consider your reader's motivations.
The next step is to consider your reader's motivations.
If they want to learn more, tell them what they can learn. If they want a deal or a discount on your product or service, tell them how much money they'll save if they buy from you instead of someone else.
Include social proof.
Social proof can be a powerful tool to use when creating your call-to-action. The best way to do this is by including testimonials, case studies, customer reviews, social media posts with a large following and quotes from experts or press outlets who have praised your product or service.
You can also use quotes from the competition if they're saying something good about your business (just don't make it too obvious).
Thinking about what your audience wants will help you create more effective Calls-to-Action for them!
You may be wondering how you can use this information to create more effective Calls-to-Action for your audience.
In order to do that, it's important to know your audience. You should be able to answer these questions:
What do they want?
Why are they contacting me in the first place?
What are their pain points?
What are they looking for?
Is there a solution to their problem I can offer them?
If you can answer these questions, then you'll be able to create Calls-to-Action that will resonate with your audience and help them take action.
Conclusion
In the end, the most important thing to remember is that your Calls-to-Action should be tailored to the people you're trying to reach. You have to think about their needs, motivations and goals before you can create something that will resonate with them. If you do this well, then your CTAs will be super effective!
If converting your audience into customers isn't your thing, and you need help with your CTAs, then contact me! I'll be happy to help you out.