Call to action: 5 strategies to make it effective

The call-to-action is key to engaging your users and guiding them through the sales path you want: here are 5 tips for making it functional and effective.

Have you ever wondered why your business never seems to take off?

Over time you have created hundreds of valuable pieces of content and done the necessary networking, yet your visibility is low and conversions are slow to come. Where does the problem lie?

Maybe you need to review your personal branding and strengthen your authority On the Web, before anything else. But there may be another motivation as well.

Are you sure your call-to-actions are targeted and effective? 

If you don't know what I am talking about, keep reading the article: in the next paragraphs you will understand the importance of CTA and why no business can afford to neglect such a relevant element.  

If, on the contrary, you already routinely include them in your copy, but you know you would need to improve your drafting, you will find 5 strategies to give your CTAs an immediate jolt and thus get the most out of your efforts. 

Call to action: what it is and why it is important

Before going any further, let's start with the basics.

What is a call to action?

È an invitation addressed to users To urge them to perform a specific action. It is usually placed at the end of a piece of content (which can be a social media post, a video, an article published on a blog) in order to consolidate the contact established with the user.

It contains action verbs in the imperative form, such as "sign up, register, call, buy, order, share, download, click here..." and a temporal reference, which brings you back to the present moment ("do it now") and reminds you how there is a risk of missing that incredible opportunity if you don't act fast ("just for a few hours...").

Of course, you can unleash your imagination and creativity, as long as what you say serves your purposes.

But why is the call to action so important? Because without a specific - and explicit - invitation, no one will sign up for your newsletter, nor will they share your content or purchase your products.

If you want your business to seriously take off, you must have one goal in mind: Persuade your followers to move from just listening to action.

One of the best ways to do this is to leverage CTAs in your favor: whenever you are in front of your lead or potential customer, always ask them to take the next step, whatever it may be 😉

What is the purpose of a call to action?

Keep one thing in mind: a call to action, by itself, is not about selling something. 

Or, at least, not only to that!

There are Different types of calls to action that are not necessarily sales-oriented: you can urge users to leave their information in exchange for a free resource (an eBook, a small guide, a confidential video conference), to sign up for a course, or to leave a comment under one of your articles. 

A call to action can then help you create your own email list, increase following on your social media, keep readers on your site, and more.

The goal of the call to action, in these cases, is to engaging followers in an interesting exchange of views or even collect data enough to increase your database. 

Be careful, however: people will click on your call-to-actions only if they are convinced they will derive a real benefit from them. It is up to you to provide them with all the elements and reasons to make a decision about it-and possibly get them to do what you want them to do. 

How?

For example, you can anticipate what they will find in your free eBook, just enough to intrigue them and stimulate them to click the download button. Try to speak the same language as your audience, let them know you are on the same page -- and that you are able to help them solve their problems.  

How to write the perfect call to action: 5 tips 

We could talk for hours on the subject, but I'd like to cut to the chase and give you a whole host of practical information that you can use immediately to your advantage.

Here then 5 tips profits To immediately improve the effectiveness of your call-to-actions.

#1 Be clear and creative

The worst thing you can do is confuse the recipients of your invitation.

Faced with unclear call-to-actions, they may even decide to abandon your site-and perhaps turn to your competitors.

Be as precise as possible, but without exceeding 90 characters. The invitation must be simple, clear and relevant to the context. Avoid mundane CTAs such as "Buy," "Book," "Click here"-put yourself in the user's shoes and try to imagine how they would react to what you are proposing.

#2 Put the CTAs well in evidence.

It's all a matter of graphics. You need to think about whether or not to insert a button, what kind of colors to use to highlight text, what font and size to apply, where to place your call-to-action within the page, and so on.

Try to use large but not huge buttons that perhaps animate as the cursor passes by. Choose colors that contrast with the background of the page, so that your call-to-action immediately jumps out at you. There are so many things to think about, and they all play a key role in the effectiveness--or otherwise--of your CTA.

#3 Pay attention to the copy

Use a tone of voice whether it is in line with your brand and with the language spoken by your audience.

Comply with the basic rules of the persuasive writing (I told you about it in this article) to make sure you hit "to the heart" of your readers.

It is critical to build a relationship of mutual trust, a factor that increases the likelihood of success of your CTAs. Try to be creative, but remember to always keep clarity first. 

#4 Restricts the use of CTAs.

Yes, call-to-actions are critical, but you never want to overdo it.

So avoid filling your page with dozens of different calls to action-you only risk irritating users and driving them to abandon your site in record time. Rather, try to give them good reasons to click on your CTA, and invite them to do so only at the appropriate time.

As a famous German architect, less is more, always.

#5 Creates scarcity

Needless to deny it, the most effective CTAs are those that They leverage the scarcity of the product.

Expressions such as "Only a few more spots available!" or "Sales will close at midnight today" instill in users a sense of urgency that will inevitably prompt them to take up the call-to-action invitation.

It is a great way to give a boost to sales of a product/service that have been stagnant for too long. Give it a try!

Conclusion 

As you may have guessed, call-to-actions are essential to be able to Convert your potential customers into active users.

Assuming that you can never be 100% sure that people will follow the sales path you envision or desire, the right call to action can really make a difference in guiding them and enhancing their experiences to exactly where you want them to be.

Finally, I would like to give you one last piece of advice: don't forget to test each of these actions (and others you implement) to figure out how to modify your CTAs from time to time.

Try several options, substitute them one at a time, then see if one leads to more results and sales than another.

Learn how to ask the right questions of your audience to get the answers you want. 

What about you, what strategies do you use to formulate your call-to-actions? Where do you find the biggest issues? Share your experience in the comments below, I always have time for an interesting exchange.