A call to action is a short statement – anywhere from a few words to a few lines – that urges and ushers prospects forward along the sales funnel. Sometimes, a call to action is sales-oriented. But other times – and usually all times in a B2B context – the conversion goal isn’t about completing a transaction. Rather, the aim is to have prospects download an ebook, subscribe to a newsletter, schedule a demo or call, and so on.
With the above in mind, here are 5 tips on how to write a call to action – one that increases your chances of moving prospects forward vs. falling off their radar screens:
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Know the Context
We’ve mentioned this already, but we’re repeating ourselves because this is SO important; and also, frankly, it’s also widely overlooked or neglected. Not every call to action is about generating a sale. Yes, that’s the ultimate goal. But often, the most effective call to action is one that gets prospects engaged and into a relationship. Asking prospects to make a purchase decision too soon or in the wrong way (i.e. B2B prospects typically don’t “buy now” by clicking a button) – can send them fleeing towards the competition.
It’s also critically important to put a call to action on every blog post! As advised by HubSpot: “To fully capitalize on your blogging efforts it is important to include at least one call to action (CTA) with each blog article you publish. Doing so will allow you to convert your blog readers from `unknown visitors’ to quantifiable leads...leads that can become your customers.”
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Be Clear
A strong call to action is clear, in the sense that there’s no mistaking what you want your prospects to do. If you want them to download something, sign-up for something, watch something, or take any other action, then nothing should get lost in translation. If there’s any ambiguity or potential source of confusion, eliminate it at once. Simplicity is your friend.
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Be Compelling
This kind of goes without saying, but we’ll say it anyway: don’t be humble or modest when writing a call to action. In the limited time and space you have, create a compelling message that gives prospects an incentive to take the desired next step (whatever it may be). Be bold and confident. After all, the goal is to generate action.
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Be Pushy
Yes, a call to action is essentially a request, because you can’t make your prospects do anything. But you can and, frankly, should push them into a call to action to move ahead. Be assured that this message won’t be considered bossy or unprofessional. On the contrary, this nudge will be appreciated – provided that you’ve offered something of value (e.g. an informative ebook), or if the content of the call to action itself is perceived as useful and helpful (“hurry to take advantage of this discount while inventory lasts!”).
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Track and Analyze
Last but not least: track and analyze every call to action to see what works and what doesn’t. Some of what you discover will be predictable, but there should be some unexpected insights as well. For example, you may learn that simply adding the word “today” or “now” to a call to action can boost conversions.
Learn More
To learn more about how to write a call to action, or any other issue related to growing your business through inbound and online marketing, contact the Leap Clixx team today. Your consultation with us is free.
Also to show that we practice what we preach, we are ending this blog post with a, you guessed it, CTA! For more on inbound marketing best practices, download our FREE ebook "A Guide to Inbound Marketing Best Practices":
Topics: Lead Generation
