Click Here! The Basics of Getting Your Call To Action (CTA) Noticed
By Natasha Fleury, Marketing Partner, Generator Inc MarketingWhere to begin with calls to action? There’s the format. There’s the words. There’s the purpose. There’s the design.These factors are all important when building a call to action. So where do you begin?Know Your AudienceStart with your sales and marketing funnel to understand where leads fall in the process, which will impact their needs and the actions they are willing to take.By understanding how the leads interact with your brand, you’ll know where you can influence them and what to offer them. For example, do you have a blog they can subscribe to for relevant content? Consider a CTA in a sidebar of the blog or within individual blog posts. Do you have case study or document that may influence their purchasing decision? We suggest adding a CTA that requires an email address to access the material. Do you have free samples that can be sent to them? You could have them complete a form to obtain them--this gives you valuable information.Review Your WebsiteStart with your website because, ultimately, that is most likely where your customers will end up. Review the pages within the site and their content. If a lead is on a particular page of your site, where might they be in the sales funnel and what CTA is relevant?Tip: Consult Google Analytics when reviewing your website for CTA placement. Find out how long visitors are staying on pages you’re considering for CTAs. What is the bounce rate on those pages? Look at the referral sources to know how your audience is ending up on your site; this shows your influence on a lead and where they might be in the sales process.Design and WordsTwo things to take away here: simple & effective design and click-worthy copy.Let’s start with design. For the CTA to be effective, you need to consider more than just the button. It's important to consider elements like background color and surrounding images and text. Both Netflix and Slack (two things we use on a daily basis, btw) use simple design and aesthetic features to draw you in and clearly showcase the CTA.In the Netflix example, the CTA colors coincides with their logo and uses one main image for a clean, minimalist look that let the CTAs be the focus.
Slack uses rotating vibrant, though simple, photography to showcase the various charities and organizations using slack, all of whom are working towards the world’s greater good. The CTA color and position never changes.
Next up, words. You don’t have to be a professional copywriter for this...though it helps.Good CTA copy should possess some of these qualities:● Clear and concise● Uniqueness or fun● Simple action item● Create a sense of urgency● Responds to a needSo whether you’re starting fresh or making tweaks to improve conversion, we hope these points assist you to create strong CTAs.[author] About the Author: Natasha is a passionate professional with over 13 years of experience in marketing and communications. She and her partners manage a marketing agency at Generator Inc. Their clients include include start-ups without a designated marketing team, CMO's with project queue overload, and entrepreneurs who are trying their best to do everything. [/author]
