A call to action (CTA) is an integral part of every single message you send to your audience. Whether it’s a sales page or a social media post, a call to action must be included if you really want your audience to do what you want them to do.
It’s essential to test all your calls to action to make sure they are working and use best practices to create them so that they have the best chance to work for you from the start.
Let’s start with some basics so we are all on the same page.
What Are CTAs?![calls to action]()
A call to action, according to Wikipedia, is “a marketing term for any device designed to prompt an immediate response or encourage an immediate sale.”
They promote a specific action by the ideal customer and can be used in any type of marketing material from blog posts to social media updates.
A CTA can also be used on a sales page, a landing page, a brochure, a flyer, shopping carts, and catalogs. In general, you should include a CTA every time you communicate with your audience regardless of the method.
Why Are CTAs Important?
Since you want to help your ideal audience solve their problems, a CTA is important because it guides your ideal customer through their individual buying journey by essentially telling them what to do next each step of the way.
Studies by marketing firms show that guiding your audience is more effective than waiting for them to do it on their own.
How to Create Effective CTAs?![smart goals calls to action]()
The very first thing you must do to create effective CTAs is to learn how to set SMART goals. When you have goals appropriately set, you will have something that is specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. That means you’ll have numbers to match with data. Then focus on creating actionable content to get them to see the value of your offer and choose to convert.
Use strong command verbs that provoke emotion, passion, or enthusiasm. Give your audience a reason to take the action you want them to take. Elicit the fear of missing out (FOMO). Take advantage of other known tactics such as eliciting scarcity in your offer that encourages them to act now.
How to Track Your CTAs?
Make sure you’re tracking your CTAs so that you know if they’re performing as you hoped. You can use that information collected via Google Analytics on your CTAs if you set them up the right way each time you create one. You can also use software via sites like Hubspot.com to set up your calls to action for analysis.
Taking the time to test, track, and improve your calls to action will boost your conversions exponentially. Taking the time even to include them is going to be a significant improvement already since so many people are resistant to including calls to action in every post to their audience. You’re going to be ahead of the game when you start even if you’re not perfect at creating them yet.
