A strategic call to action (CTA) is a marketing tool that is implemented within a piece of content, such as social media posts, imagery, blogs, or a button, to prompt your audience to perform the indicated action.
Common examples include:
- Follow me
- Sign up
- Read more
- Claim your exclusive discount
- Download your free resource
- Buy now
Without a clear CTA, your audience may not truly understand what benefit it is getting from reading your content and its purpose.
An effective CTA will draw attention and keep your audience interested, which will then guide them to your goal, be it signing up for a newsletter or heading over to your online shop.
Instructing potential customers on what they should do once reading your content is an art: you cannot guarantee everyone will willingly follow.
Here are a few tips on creating a successful call to action…
- Incorporate eye-catching design if using imagery
- Make the copy clear and action-focused
- Add a sense of urgency and FOMO marketing
- Don’t promise things you can’t deliver
- Offer a logical path to conversion that flows well
Why Your Call to Action is Important
Encourages Clear Decision Making
A well-chosen CTA will make the user journey smooth and worthwhile, so your followers will know exactly where they will be directed and what they are being encouraged to do.
Your content will outline clearly what the reader can expect when they click on your button or link, for example, you might direct them to a blog post or landing page for more information.
They Boost Your Following
You can use CTAs to increase your following and grow your community by asking potential customers to follow you on Twitter, like your Facebook page, or subscribe to your brand’s YouTube account.
Outlines Content and Identifies Audience Needs
It can be hard to ‘sum up’ content, but an effective CTA enhances your copy and slot into your overall marketing strategy perfectly.
When a reader sees “Click here for your exclusive discount” they know exactly what to expect, and this allows you to shape content that supports this signpost, which meets your audience’s needs.
Drives Conversions
A CTA that works well can drastically improve your conversion rate and help grow your customer base.
Some customers may not have time or the desire to navigate websites to search for products or services, which is where CTAs come into play.
Directing your potential customers to a specific landing page means they will identify key services and products straight away, decreasing frustration and improving customer loyalty.
Helps Refine Your Focus
Experimenting with different CTAs in your social media posts allows you to track their success and discover which ones are more engaging and lead to a higher click rate.
This can help shape your focus regarding your overall marketing and content strategy, providing insight into which CTAs you should include.
Don’t Skip a Clear Call to Action
Taking everything into account, avoiding CTA marketing is a mistake that will lead you to miss out on easy conversions.
It’s a sure way to shape content, drive traffic to your website and engage with your audience.
Just make sure to test your CTAs and discover what works for your business and customers.
Are you struggling to create engaging content with clear CTAs?
Get in touch to book yourself a social media training session that covers the basics.