Let’s discuss how some best practices around optimising calls to action in digital marketing
There are a lot of hangups from the sales training of yonder that don’t quite translate to today’s digital spaces. One of them being:
“Build it and they will come”– just publishing a post/having a website/sending an email does not ROI magically make!
Calls to action are important of course but should be seen as the cherry on top (or at the end/middle or start) of your digital marketing strategy and anything you put in front of your potential customers or clients. They should:
Be Clear and Compelling
WHAT do you want your audience to do as a result of seeing this content? And WHY should they care? Do you want them to sign up to something? Share your post? Purchase your product? Tell them! But also outline why they should care. Is this a limited time offer? Is the opportunity exclusively for newsletter subscribers? What’s in it for them?
Keep Things Simple
If you mix messages or ask your audience to do this, that and the other, you’ll just put people off. Nobody wants to jump through hoops to get their prize (prize dependent of course).
Identify whether you’re looking to achieve sales, leads, follows or engagement and tailor your calls to actions accordingly.
For maximum results keep to just 1 CTA per post/blog/email.
Be as Easy to Achieve as Possible
Don’t miss out on valuable leads by not making the desired action as easy as possible to complete.
Have you hyperlinked or button-ised the action you want your customers to complete? Can customers call you by clicking on your telephone number or email address? Is the link they need where they’d expect to find it. Is the form they need to fill in right there waiting?
It’s all about logistics (and UX but that’s a whole other blog!).
Stand Firm on Their Own
You don’t need to repeat a CTA more than twice maximum or even once if it’s strong enough and complements the content you’ve provided around it. People will notice if you’ve jam-packed your copy with the same CTAs and smell desperation. Aggressive sales pitches just ain’t it anymore!
To Conclude
Next time you’re writing and implementing a call to action consider the following:
- Is it clear what you’re asking your audience to do?
- What’s in it for them? Why should they do it?
- Is it simple enough to do? Do they have all they need to complete the action right there and then?
- Does the call to action make sense?
- Have you dispatched it at the opportune moment?
I hope this blog has been useful, do let me know your thoughts or questions around optimising calls to action in digital marketing below!