“Contact us to find out more!” “Click here for more information!” “Visit our website!”
Many calls to action, when they’re present at all, stand out like the socially awkward guest at a party after one too many drinks. Complete with an inevitably inappropriate exclamation mark and a desperate command, these call to actions are weak, needy and off-putting. Not unlike the party guest who unsuccessfully propositions the host then passes out on the stairs at 9pm.
The great tragedy of the poor call to action is that it can land at the end of an otherwise engaging piece of content, content that’s probably taken some time and money to devise. It seems that at the crucial stage of the soft-sales process, we can lose our way a little – and readers can sense from a half-hearted call to action that you only half expect them to click through.
If you can keep your momentum up right up until the final hurdle, you’ll maximise your chances of converting your reader.
These compelling types of calls to action all have one thing in common – they promise further value to the user. The key is to extend your existing content theme in a compelling format, and offer them a specific solution.
1. The quiz and/or benchmarking exercise: “Are your employees as satisfied as your competitors’ are? Take our quiz to find out”
Self-definition is a chief concern of 21st century life, with millions of us taking quizzes and reading articles in the hope that they will validate us in some way. The idea behind creating one is to appeal to the reader’s ego.
Sourcing relevant data for readers to measure against their own life or business is a surefire way to encourage a conversion, whether in the form of basic data entry and an emailed answer, or a simple automatic quiz. This interactive call to action is targeted, inventive, and promises the user an immediate result – and their answers will give your sales team crucial prospect data and information.
2. The freebee: “Come to our free event”
Who doesn’t love a freebee – especially when it promises more value. Whitepapers, pdfs, studies or event invites are all good bases for call to actions, giving your prospect free branded useful information to take away, and you their email address.
3. The vine or video: “Learn how to use the new [insert product] in our 30-second vine”
Whether it’s a customer testimonial, a demo or a tutorial, a short video is a great way to directly promote your product or service whilst keeping the reader engaged. A video takes you from just telling them about the benefits, to showing them – and increasing their desire to purchase.
4. The calculator: “Find out how much you could save in a year with our interactive calculator”
A great way to show the reader what you’ve been telling them – that your product will change their life or business for the better. All it takes is some basic coding to create an interactive calculator, which you can then use in as many call to actions as you like. Consider what kind of stats your customer would find useful – for example an estimate of what their energy bills or their carbon footprint might look like six months on from using your business – and develop a simple calculation involving a few basic figures from the customer plus your own data. Providing them with statistical evidence that you can help them in some way is a fast-track way to get red-hot leads.
5. The DIY-er: “Build your CV today with expert tips from recruitment professionals”
As humans we like to build and create, especially when we get to keep the end product. This kind of call to action works well for businesses with a customisable product, such as a ‘make your own card’ company.
6. The Classic: “Missing the sunshine? Why wait until summer 2016 when we have incredible winter holidays on sale starting at £299/pp – book now.”
You’re never going to have the time or resource to create interactive calls to action for every single piece of content you post, but you can always fall back on the classic ‘pain-point/solution’ call to action. The key is to offer a specific tangible benefit in your call to action, referring to one of their key ‘pain points’ to make it more compelling. You can see how the above example is more effective than a standard ‘Click here for more information’ command.
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