“Buy now!” “Contact us today!” “Subscribe!”

All of these are examples of calls to action, also known as CTAs. You use a call to action in digital content to, well, encourage someone to take action, but what makes a great call to action?

I mean, look, the above examples are fine. They’re simple and clear, and they use plain language that focuses the intent on someone taking an action that you want.

But these aren’t really “great” calls to action, at least not on their own.

So, you may be asking yourself, “How do I write a great call to action?”

Writing a Great Call to Action is a Process

In this post, we will explore CTAs in detail, look at some classic examples of great calls to action, and cover some of the finer points of psychology that go into writing a truly great call to action.

By the end, you’ll know what a call to action is, why CTAs are essential, and how to craft compelling calls to action that drive conversions.

Now, let’s get started! (See? That was a call to action right there.)

Breaking Down the Components of a Really Good CTA

Before we go any further, now is a good time to pause and examine the psychological components of a call to action. What is it about a great CTA that makes it work, and how do I write a great call to action that relies on psychological principles inherent to all humans?

We’re not talking about what makes it sound good. Instead, we want to look at the core components of a great CTA that cause people to act on the call. For that, we need to open up people’s heads, climb inside, and do some poking around.

Urgency is Key

Urgency should always be factored into your calls to action. You can build a sense of urgency by using words like:

• Now

• Soon

• Fast

• Too Late

• Limited Time

• Last Chance

These words invoke urgency because they put the reader in a position where they feel like they must act upon the call to action right then and there. The psychology here is that if they don’t act soon, they will miss out on an incredible offer - but let’s take it a bit deeper than that.

What Does Someone Miss Out on By Not Taking Action?

So, if the buyer misses out on the offer, what will they experience? Regret or remorse for not taking action.

What you’re building into your CTA by using urgency is the chance to RELIEVE that regret. If the customer takes action, they won’t feel remorse or regret, so in a sense, you’re the hero who is saving the customer from a negative emotional experience.

Put another way, you are creating a solution for a problem the customer didn’t know they had until you called it to their attention.

Here’s an example:

Let’s say you sell shoes. Your shoe store is holding a sale until the end of the week. Your social media flyer includes, “Act now and save! You won’t get another chance at deals like these!”

Perhaps the customer was already considering shoes, but now they know that they’re being offered a deal, and if they don’t take it, they will regret it in the future; however, you are offering the customer a chance to take advantage of this sale now and avoid regret from missing out.

Establish and Build Upon Authority

A great CTA also contains wording that establishes and builds upon your brand’s authority. In fact, a CTA alone shows that you have some authority in the transactional relationship because you are issuing the call to action in the first place.

Beyond that, you offer to let the customer into your circle of authority. If they take action, they get to claim some of that authority for themselves since they made a wise decision by taking action.

Below is some wording and phrasing that demonstrates authority:

• Benefit from Our Decades of Industry Insight

• Experience Industry-Leading Solutions

• Explore the Pinnacle of Excellence

The wording above not only demonstrates authority but it pulls the customer into the circle of authority. The psychology here is that if you buy this product or subscribe to this service, you will hold the same level of authority as the company issuing the call to action.

Use Exclusive Inclusiveness to Draw Customers In

Think about Mercedes or BMW for a moment. Both are well-known luxury brands, but what do they do differently than the competition? After all, plenty of 30-year-old Hondas and Toyotas are still on the road, and you would think that this kind of reliability and longevity would make a Honda or Toyota just as desirable as a Mercedes or BMW vehicle.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with BMW or Mercedes. They are, in fact, incredible auto brands...but are they better than a 30-year-old beater that’s still ticking down the highway? Maybe, maybe not. But, they certainly position themselves as better.

Your Call to Action Makes the Customer the Star of the Show

The marketing that BMW and Mercedes put out there revolves around making the vehicles look great, but more importantly, it makes YOU feel like YOU will be great if you buy one of these cars. That’s the real key here – these brands make you the star of the show in your own mind.

A great call to action should do the same for your brand’s customers. You want customers to feel all the feelings. They should see your call to action and think, “That could be me! I want to be a part of that!”

CTA Placement Matters

Where you place your call to action matters just as much as the words you use. Your CTA should be the culmination of your previous efforts leading up to that point. As such, place your CTAs after meaningful, compelling content.

For example:

Charlotte Content Marketing is the premier content marketing agency serving Charlotte, NC. Our experts want to be a part of your brand’s journey as we build your vision together.

Take control of your future and contact Charlotte Content Marketing today. Call (704) 323-6762, or use our contact form to schedule your personalized consultation with our experts online right now!

Don’t Go Overboard With CTA Placement

In general, you want to include CTAs where it makes sense, and often, this means at the end of your content. You can, however, include CTAs throughout your content as demonstrated above.

You don’t want to overdo it, though. Including CTAs all over the place in your content can feel too salesy. Your goal is to lead a buyer to your CTA using helpful content and then use the CTA to compel action.

You Have to Give a Reason to Take Action

Including too many CTAs before you’ve “delivered the goods” with your content means the customer has no reason to take action. You haven’t convinced them that they need to take action yet.

If you intersperse CTAs throughout your content, you need to have a logical reason for doing so. CTAs should be placed after powerful sections of content that have been used to build up your audience to desire or even demand your product or service.

Don’t Make This Mistake

This is the problem with websites that use those super-annoying pop-up ads that tell you to subscribe to a newsletter as soon as you open a website. You haven't even had a chance to view the site’s content – why would you bother subscribing to the site’s newsletter? The company hasn’t even provided a value proposition, and to make matters worse, they are now hijacking your web browsing experience.

This is bad for user experience, and it doesn’t do well to generate warm leads. You may get some people to sign up, but they are usually only doing so under duress or because they’re under the impression that they have to sign up to continue on the site. In either case, the leads you generate from these practices will not likely be the ones you want.

Creating an Outline for a Great CTA

Now that we’ve covered the psychology behind CTAs and looked at some tips for using them properly in your digital content, let’s create an outline for a great CTA.

Step 1: Identify Your Value Proposition

The first step in crafting a great call to action is to identify your value proposition(s). This is a time to really think about what it is that makes your brand and its products and services unique, helpful, and invaluable.

During this step, try to look beyond the obvious benefits and, instead, try to think about how your products and services enhance the quality of life of your customers.

Going back to our shoe-seller example above, think about how your shoes enhance the lives of buyers. Yes, the shoes are comfortable and protect your customers’ feet, but what else do they do? Do they promote health and wellness? Do they look stylish or are they a fashion accessory?

Use Your Value Propositions to Generate Demand

Once you’ve established these deeper value propositions, consider how you can position them to a potential customer. If your shoes are fashionable, your calls to action could include things like:

• Become the Star of the Show

• Light Up the Room

• Turn Heads

This phrasing sets the stage for potential buyers as it tells them that they will experience these benefits if they act now to make a purchase. They believe the shoes will be comfortable and look good, but now they see that the shoes will enhance their lives in ways they perhaps had not considered before.

Step 2: Build Urgency Using Exclusivity

You don’t have to have a sale going on to build urgency. You can instead market the exclusivity of a product or service. More or less, you want to make your products and services appear to be in demand and somewhat limited. Your call to action can include phrases like:

• Exclusive Offer

• Gain Access

• This is Your Invitation

The phrases above create a sense of urgency in a buyer such that they feel like they need to take action in order to be a part of the offer. These are words that invoke a desire to belong to an in-group, and you just happen to be extending that invitation through your CTA.

Step 3: Clearly Explain the Action

Although it may seem like common sense, you next need to clearly define the action you want the customer to take. Things can get surprisingly tricky here because it’s easy to get lost in “sloganeering” and buzzwords.

It’s all fine and dandy to come up with a catchy phrase to use in your call to action, but if it doesn’t actually tell customers WHAT you want them to do, it may be just that – a catchy phrase.

An example of this is Nike’s “Just Do It.” Now, this iconic slogan is known the world over, and while it’s catchy and memorable, it’s not a CTA. If you used this in your CTA, you’re not telling customers anything.

Just do WHAT? Once again, it’s fine to include a catchy phrase or slogan in your CTA, but don’t get so lost in the sauce that you lose the point of a call to action.

Step 4: Provide Guidance

After you’ve told customer why they should take action and which action you want them to take, you next need to tell them HOW to take action. This, once again, is common sense, but it can get lost if you start overthinking your CTAs.

To tell customers how to take action, include a simple instruction. If you want a customer to sign up for an email newsletter, include a link to the newsletter signup page along with a simple instruction – “Become a better you! Click here to sign up for our exclusive newsletter!”

Conversely, if you want a customer to call to schedule a consultation, include an instruction with your company’s phone number – “Let our experts show you the difference we can make. Call our office at (XXX) XXX-XXXX to schedule your personalized consultation right now!”

Step 5: Test and Measure

Lastly, you’ll want to test and measure the success of your CTAs. This can be done using a variety of software tools. So-called “A/B testing” is a method where different versions of a CTA or ad are shown to different audiences. The results of this testing are meant to show which version is more successful with which audience.

If you don’t want to get too in-depth with your testing and measuring, you can still complete your own testing by simply tracking sales, calls from leads, and other anecdotal metrics. If you experience a spike in calls after creating a CTA featuring the advice above, you can probably bet that you have a great CTA on your hands.

A Call to Action is Only One Piece of the Puzzle

Although CTAs are important, they are only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to your digital content strategy. Thankfully, you can tighten up your CTAs with time and practice.

The next time you or someone on your team wonders, “How do I write a great call to action?” always keep your audience in mind. Speak to what matters to your customer, and you’ll never lose!

Let Charlotte Content Marketing Take Care of the Hard Work for You!

Feeling overwhelmed by all that goes into crafting great digital content? Don’t have time to create impactful CTAs? Charlotte Content Marketing can take care of the hard work for you!

Contact our content marketing agency in Charlotte NC by calling (704) 323-6762. We would love to chat with you about your goals. You can also reach us online using our contact form to schedule a no-obligation consultation today!