Writing Killing Call-to-Actions That Convert

The most important task of a successful marketer is to direct prospects so that they know what actions to take to convert. Call-to-action (CTA) prompts are paramount to this process. 

In fact, CTAs guide visitors to the desired destination, which usually includes these actions: 

  • Sharing content on socials
  • Registering for scheduled events
  • Downloading content, such as an eBook
  • Signing up for a subscription service
  • Learning more about the company’s products and services
  • Buying a product or service

For the most part, CTAs are displayed as hypertext phrases or pop-ups. They are also commonly presented as buttons highlighting and calling out specific actions (that lead to the purchase of a product or subscription to a service).  

The negative aspect of CTAs, though, is that they resemble spam (not the luncheon meat). Including many CTAs on a page makes it look super confusing, causing visitors to exit the page increasing the bounce rate.

But, if CTAs are done well, they can lead to more conversions than anticipated. They have to be effectively written, designed, and well-placed to do this. 

So, if your pages or website content don’t convert users, use CTAs to increase the conversion rate. Yet, if your CTAs are hard to find or unclear, they won’t convert prospects. 

Read on to find the best ways to improve the success rate of your CTAs.

The 4 Killing CTA Tips You Should Know

Have a Clear Action

If your CTAs are not clear enough and don’t provide directions that are easy to follow to prospects, that’s an issue. Your button copy should always be to the point and short and should not use more than 4-5 words. Additionally, the direction must be specific. Hence, avoid using words like “Get Started” as they’re too general and don’t convey a sense of urgency. 

As mentioned above, the copy around your CTA has to provide detail so visitors can understand quickly why they have to click on your button and what they will gain by clicking it (how does clicking benefit them).  

Ask the following questions when creating your CTAs:

  • Why should the reader take action?
  • What action should they take?
  • What happens when they click the CTA button?

You can see if your CTA has enough detail and is to the point by answering these questions. Readers who can answer all questions know what action they must take and where it will lead them. 

Use Action-Related Words and Phrases

That’s not surprising. Using action-oriented phrases is a must when using CTAs. Therefore, keep in mind to start your CTA always with a verb. This way, the reader is prompted to take action and convert. 

Use Action-Related Words and Phrases

Words such as “Download,” “Subscribe,” and “Click here” are used and work if there’s the detail around the CTA buttons. Yet, don’t be lazy and be a bit creative with your CTA prompts.

In other words, use your buttons to stress the value of your products or services to convince prospective customers to convert. 

Appeal to the Prospects’ Emotions

Appealing to emotion is one of the most tried-and-true tactics master wordsmiths use to convince users to purchase or subscribe. Here are some of the most known tactics:

  • Guilt: Guilt tactics are regularly used in CTAs. Let us explain: When you enter your information to a website, the site may ask you whether you’re into movies, books, video games, or sports. If you’re a book lover, you’ll feel like you denounce your love for books by clicking something like “I love exploring digital worlds and blowing aliens up.” So, instead of lying, you’re actually helping the website profile you and possibly add you to their list of prospects. The most common businesses that use guilt tactics are nonprofits – “No. I don’t care about sea turtle deaths.”
  • Sense of urgency: A sense of urgency gives prospects a reason to act now instead of later. The best way to display urgency is to install a countdown timer and offer special discounts for a limited time. Phrases like “Download Now,” “Don’t wait,” “Limited time” indicates there’s a deadline. 
  • Build trust: Build trust is a must when trying to convert prospects. Phrases such as “No hidden fees” or “Guarantee included” show transparency and openness. Try to add destinations, or list titles and awards, like “best-selling product.” Also, listing the numbers of experience your company has or the years active in its niche demonstrates trustworthiness, too.  
  • Bandwagon approach: This establishes trust with users by stressing how many people have already taken action. For instance, “Join our network. It has more than 1,000,000 members!” Subconsciously, this creates a sense of safety. Prospects feel that since so many have subscribed to your service, it must be a good one, and you must be trustworthy as a business owner. 
  • Create a feeling of belonging: Using phrases like “Join Us” appeals to users’ desire and need to be part of a greater community than their friends and family, and forges a connection between them and your brand.

Place Your CTAs Strategically

Your CTA buttons shouldn’t appear in the same place on your website but in different areas. In fact, this always depends on where the prospect is on the sales funnel and the decision-making process. 

SEO

For example, when your prospects are close to the bottom of the sales funnel, such as a product page, you should present your CTA in a prominent place and make it obvious so that prospects can convert easily. 

Moreover, CTAs are commonly shown at the bottom of blog posts so that they can have a bigger impact on users after they’ve read the article. If you’ve put your CTA in the middle of the post, then people won’t convert, as it’s distracting. They may not even finish reading your blog.  

Last but not least, there’s a rare case where you can actually put your CTAs in the middle of an article: When you hyperlink to another one of your posts, which also improves your website’s overall SEO ranking

Conclusion

Incorporating CTAs in your marketing strategy is crucial, especially if you want to increase your conversion rate. Yet, creating CTAs from the ground up is challenging.

And this we get it. So, if your CTAs don’t work well and fail to convert prospects, you might have to change your strategy and copy. Start by implementing the above tactics to see if your CTA performance improves. 

Otherwise, feel free to skip all the mumbo-jumbo and reach out to an experienced and successful content writing solution. You’ll be paired with your own CTA copywriter, who will write killing copy. Then, use it in your CTAs to boost conversions and expand your clientele. 

Simple, right?

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