Your Call To Action (CTA) should be a clear cut message to the consumer. It’s the specific instruction you’re giving to your reader. In some forms, like direct mail, you might be trying to get the reader to send in a postcard (i.e. Send this in for your free checkup!). But in our digital age and online marketing today, you’re trying to get that person to click and take action now on something like a free offer, consultation request, or newsletter subscription. What’s the best way to implement these CTAs into your online presence?
Transitioning Your Calls To Action From Traditional To Digital
- Is your CTA easy and does it get to the point?
- Is there an obligation?
- Is there an incentive?
The goal of your CTAs is to get the consumers and potential consumers to take action right now. But how do you get them to? Are you trying to get more people to sign up on your website?
That’s a great goal, but is your registration process easy, quick, and painless (“low friction”)? There have been far too many times where I’ve seen companies trying to get more registrations to their site, but only to have the process be excruciatingly painful and annoying. You know, those sign up processes that are really long, and ask you for a bunch of useless info AND THEN FINALLY let you click the registration link? Things like this are what deter people from clicking on your CTA. Incorporate concepts that would be used in traditional marketing campaigns into the digital world of social media. Make it as easy as possible for people to sign up.
In your newsletter subscription, you only need someone’s email address, so you should only have email address as the sign up form. Once they give you that permission to market to them, you can follow up and ask for them to complete their profile, but to speak to them, you only need that email address. Don’t lose potential customers because you get greedy on the top of the funnel forms.
CTA Benefits
Make your CTA enticing. Are there benefits and values for the consumer that they can take advantage of right now? Make them known! This will help you give you an edge in getting your consumers to take action.
If the consumer can clearly see the benefit of why inputting their email address into the form or why signing up on your website now is beneficial for them, they’re going to click that link to take them to where they need to get started.
Using Eye Catching Visuals
Don’t use a picture I could’ve made better on MS Paint. Find a compelling image or make one! What better way to get people to click on your picture and see what your CTA than to have an eye catching visual? There are many times where other companies have either posted something really funny, or outrageous to encourage consumers to look. When you’re making your CTA and posting it to a social media website like Facebook, always attach an image to your post.
What kind of CTAs have you used?
Feel free to share and let us know what worked for you!