People need direction. If you don’t tell them what to do, and how, they are unlikely to do it. In marketing, those instructions are known as the call to action and every instance of marketing content should have one. Unfortunately, many don’t.
Before you create content for your website, emails, social media, brochures, or newsletters, you should always know what the objective is. Your goal will indicate what you should want the audience to do next. Just don’t forget to tell them.
Depending upon the purpose of the content, the call to action could be a link to request further information, a special offer, or a facilitated purchase. The important thing is that you keep the recipient of the message engaged by giving him or her another step to do after they have consumed the content.
Best Practices for Calls to Action
- Keep it Simple and Obvious: The link, button, or message that constitutes the call to action must be simple and actionable. It should be easy to see and understand. The offer also needs to be attractive, of course.
- Avoid using “Contact Us”: The typical “Contact Us” is not an adequate call to action because it doesn’t give the audience anything. Most won’t bother to click it. If they do, they will then need to wait for you to get back to them. That may be after their interest wanes.
- Lead your Audience to your Goal: Be sure to break complicated content into several progressive action steps that will help to move your followers down the consumer decision making funnel. Before a prospect makes a purchase he or she must:
a) Become curious
b) Become acquainted with the alternatives
c) Research the alternatives
d) Evaluate the alternatives
e) Make a commitment to one alternative
f) Make a post-purchase evaluation
It is important that you offer information to them that moves prospects from each of these levels to the next. The progression is:
a) Create interest in the product or service
- Offer a game, sample, or compatible materials in order fro you to acquire insights about prospects and engage their interest.
b) Develop the prospect’s desire or need for the product or service
- Use content that centers on the buyer, not the company. Pronouns should say “You” and not “We” or “Us” wherever possible.
c) Expose prospects to your unique benefits and answer questions that arise
- Use a combination of available channels that are popular with likely prospects to provide information. Advertising, digital media, emails, and social media etc. can be used to build customer engagement.
- Provide links to newsletters, press coverage, social media sites, catalogs, pdfs, etc.
d) Provide persuasive evidence that the product or service has unique benefits
- Testimonials and instances of research data are very convincing, especially when the endorsement comes from someone objective. Social media including forums, evaluation sites, and communities are very powerful.
- “Learn More on Facebook,” is an example. So are links to trade sites and to objective reviewers.
e) Make it easy for prospects to make a purchase
- “Buy Here,” “Get Yours Here,” “Join Now,” “Place Your Order,” “Act Now,” “Donate Now,” are all compelling calls to action. Notice that all of these will fit on a button and include action verbs.
f) Provide exemplary post-purchase customer service
- Make it easy for customers to get post-purchase support using consistent phone, email, social media, and real-time chat. Response times must be short and company representatives must be knowledgeable and empowered to solve problems.
Well-designed calls to action are essential for the success of any marketing communication. Including them is critical and when they are strategically designed they will be very effective.
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