Copywriters love the Call-to-Action.
A Call-to-Action is written to get someone to do something – on direct mail, on a website, in an email or a digital marketing piece.
It’s the sentence, or button, that closes the deal.
Typically, a copywriter will use the Call-to-Action to ask the reader to make a phone call, send an email, subscribe to a service, browse products or input information – whatever the client wants.
There are two main purposes of a Call-to-Action: to tell someone what they should do and provide the motivation for the action.
The difference between print and online
One of the biggest advantages digital marketing has over print and direct mail is that it offers immediate gratification.
A print ad or direct mail piece is a piece of paper. The reader has to pick up the phone, or post a coupon or form.
With a digital Call-to-Action, it’s all there at their keyboard.
Copywriting a Call-to-Action if the reader has any doubts
This will affect how you write your Call to Action
If the company you’re writing for isn’t a big player, you will have to build confidence into your Call to Action.
For example:
- Keep in mind there is no obligation. You won’t have to purchase anything to participate. Just sign up today.
- Complete the form and the flashlight will be with you in 7 working days. And remember, it carries a 1-year no-quibble guarantee. Any problem, and we’ll send you a full refund.
Copywriting a Call-to-Action if the company is known and trusted
If the company is well-known and trusted, you can keep the Call-to-Action short, sweet and very direct, especially on a website or email shot. You want the reader to respond right away. Don’t give them the option to wait and think about it.
For example:
- Click the button below
- Click the Freephone button, now
Tips for copywriting a strong Call-to-Action
First, decide on what your client wants to achieve.
- An increase in subscriptions?
- More sales?
- The completion of an online form?
- Encourage readers to browse their online product store?
Then, check the medium they want you to use – newspaper , magazine, website, email shot, facebook ad and so on.
Start your Call-to-Action with a strong command verb, for example, Click, Buy, Subscribe, Download, Sign, Shop, Discover, Join, Start, Try, Watch, Find and so on.
Create a sense of urgency
Urgent situations push us to act.
They also evoke ‘loss aversion’, which marketers call the Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO). We don’t want to miss a great opportunity, especially if others are grabbing it.
Some common urgency words and phrases include:
- Time: limited time, today only, offer ends this week
- Sale: offer, clearance, bargain
- Scarcity: never again, end of line, last chance
- FOMO: price about to go up, offer expires, final sale
Offer an incentive
You’ll see this everywhere – offering an immediate reward for complying with the Call-to-Action. This is effective as long as your gift is appropriate for your audience.
Offering a free sample of another item in your line is a good way to get customers interested in something other than what they are buying and may help to drive future sales.
Here are a few incentive Calls-to-Action
- Complete the form and receive 100 make-up tips in your mailbox, now.
- Order now and get 20% off.
- Order now and get immediately enrolled in our loyalty programme with huge ongoing savings, including free shipping, high-speed mailing, and major discounts.
Consider giving an alternative
When you limit your website copy to one Call-to-Action, you essentially give your visitors an ultimatum: Take that action, or leave.
But it needn’t be like that.
Say your main website’s Call-to-Action is a ‘Phone Now’, button. But if the reader isn’t ready to buy, you can provide an alternative button next to the main one – ‘Browse our products’. If they click, you’ve kept them on the site, browsing your online store.
A softer approach
Here’s a Call-to-Action which shows a softer approach.
- So order now – and see what you think of your free issue. After all, with so much to gain – and with absolutely nothing to lose – shouldn’t you, at least, take a look?”
This Call-to-Action aims to create a sense that not taking action would be an illogical choice.
Use two Calls-to-Action
Standard thinking is that the Call-to-Action should appear at the end of the copy.
But your copy might be so persuasive that the reader is ready to take action after reading for a short while. In this case, you need a Call-to-Action, say, half-way through the copy, as well as at the end.
How well is your Call to Action working?
Once you’ve created your Calls-to-Action, you’ll want to make sure they’re performing for you.
You can double check using website visitor analysis tools.
Heatmaps and scroll maps
Analysis tools include heatmaps and scroll maps which allow you to see whether people are responding to, or even seeing, your Call-to-Action.
A scroll map shows you how far people scroll down your page before they leave. If they’re leaving before they scroll all the way to, say, a Call-to-Action at the end of a blog post, you might want to make the Call to Action more prominent towards the top of your post.
You can find scroll map software here.
A heatmap will let you see how often people are interacting with your Call-to-Action. If readers are clicking a lot, the button should be a glowing, warm red, not a cool blue.
You can try some heatmap software for free here
You can also use Visitor Session Recordings to see how users are interacting with your Call-to-Action.
A/B Testing Your Call-to-Action Buttons
An A/B test will let you publish two versions of the same Call-to-Action – using different words, designs, colours and positions to see which performs better.
CLICK HERE to go to Blog 10 which shows the amazing power of the P.S.