How to get your audience to act on impulse with the perfect Call-to-Action button

We all click on call-to-action buttons daily, mostly without thinking about it. These are what I call our daily CTAs, they are familiar and the outcome is predicted; things like "login", "sign in", "order" and so on. We are less inclined to click CTAs where the outcome is not so familiar.

A well-crafted CTA can be the difference between a prospective client engaging with your content or moving on. This guide will help you create compelling CTAs that grab attention, entice the reader to take the desired action and encourage clicks and conversions on your website and from your emails and landing pages.

Understanding the Power of a CTA

A call to action is more than just a button or a line of text; it's a strategic tool that guides your audience towards taking a desired action, be it subscribing to a newsletter, downloading a guide, or scheduling a call with you. The right CTA can significantly increase your engagement rates, leading to more sign-ups and, ultimately, more clients.

Key Elements of an Effective CTA

Clarity

Your CTA should be clear and concise. Avoid jargon or complex language. The message should be straightforward: What do you want your audience to do? What's in it for them? This one from Spotify is straight to the point and gets the reader (me, in this instance) excited about the possibility of booking a gig ticket.

Sell The Benefits

We all need a compelling reason to take action, especially if it involves parting with our data, spending money or taking up our time. Your audience is more likely to click on your CTA if they believe they will gain something valuable. If it's a free consultation, a discount, a helpful guide, or exclusive access to services, please make sure the benefit is clear. Adding a benefit to your CTA has a persuasive power: "Download Our Free Guide to Boosting Your Business" tells you exactly what to expect by adding value to it, plus it's free. We all love free stuff!

This email tells me I will go straight into the sale when I follow the link and the discount code to use is right above it, making it easy to copy and paste at checkout. It also tells me I have limited time to claim my discount which taps into my Fear Of Missing Out!

Fear of Missing Out - FOMO

FOMO is real and tapping into our innate desire not to be left out of something beneficial or exciting works. When applied to CTAs, leveraging FOMO can significantly boost engagement and conversions. For instance, phrases like "Join 500+ others in our exclusive webinar" or "Offer ends soon – act now!" create a sense of urgency and exclusivity. They subtly suggest that failing to act might mean missing out on valuable information, opportunities, or offers. By incorporating FOMO into your CTAs, you can effectively motivate your audience to take immediate action, driven by the compelling desire to be part of something special or to benefit from a limited opportunity.

Create a Sense of Urgency

Depending on your offer you can use language that encourages immediate action. Phrases like "Limited Time Offer" or "Download Now" create a sense of urgency that can compel readers to act promptly. To avoid sounding spammy, choose your words carefully and only use phrases that sound like they are coming from you otherwise you risk sounding unauthentic.

Make It Visually Striking

You can make your CTA button stand out. Use colours that draw attention. Ensure that it's obvious enough to be noticed easily but not so large that it overwhelms your content. Sometimes, simply changing the colour and style of a hyperlink is enough.

Location Matters

You have a few seconds to get the reader's attention. Place your CTA where it's most likely to be seen and clicked. In an email, this should ideally be above the fold and immediately after the content that describes the offer.?

Make it easy

No one wants to have to fill in long forms, ideally have a one-click system for whatever you are offering. If it takes too long to do the chances are the reader will "do it later" but most of us forget to go back.

A confused mind never buys

Avoid multiple CTAs, offer one or two but any more than that are unlikely to get results.

Leveraging Your CTA for Email List Growth

Once you have crafted your perfect CTA you can also use it to grow your email list. Offer something of value in exchange for email sign-ups. This could be an exclusive guide, a free webinar, or access to premium content. Make sure the offer is relevant and valuable to your target audience.??Be aware of GDPR and the rules surrounding consent. For consent to be valid, you must make it very clear to people exactly what they're consenting to, and they need to give their consent freely. This means?you can't require consent in exchange for a service.

Crafting Your CTA: A Step-by-Step Approach

1. Identify the Goal: What action do you want the user to take? Whether it's signing up for a newsletter, downloading a resource or booking a call with you, your CTA should align with this goal.
2. Understand Your Audience: Know what motivates your audience. What are their needs or pain points? Tailor your CTA to address these.
3. Write Compelling Copy: Use persuasive language that speaks directly to your audience's interests and needs. Make it impactful.
4. Design for Visibility: Ensure your CTA stands out with effective use of colour, size, and placement.
5. Test and Refine: Use A/B testing to see which CTAs perform best. Experiment with different phrases, designs, and placements to find what works best for your audience.

A well-crafted CTA is a powerful tool for engaging your audience and growing your business. By following these guidelines, you can create CTAs that not only attract attention but also encourage action. Remember, the goal is to provide value to your audience while guiding them towards becoming loyal clients.

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If you find this all too much and you're not getting the results you would like from your emails and landing pages why not let us do it for you? Get in touch for a no-obligation chat, we can take it off your plate leaving you to concentrate on the things you do best. Schedule a call ?? here.

Sam Johnstone

Secretarial & Administration Management Ltd