Motivate Consumers With the All Important “Call to Action”

Typically, advertising and marketing activities serve one of two primary purposes: branding or call to action. Branding promotes awareness and strengthens your identity. A call to action will demand a specific response from a consumer. Every marketing plan will balance these elements differently, but they are both extremely important. In this post, we'll look at why calls to action are important, how to craft an effective call to action, and some things to avoid in a call to action.

A call to action is considered successful whenever a consumer follows through on what you request of them. Successful calls to action can do everything from getting someone onto your website to converting a sale. Influencing the behavior of consumers is an incredibly powerful tool. Also, consumers who interact with your brand in some way are more likely to retain knowledge of it.

A call to action should be specific and direct. Include what you want the customer to do, why they should do it, how they can do it, and when it should be done. Want them to click on a link, fill out a form, ask a question, leave a comment, refer a friend, or purchase a product? Ask them to in a straightforward, well-placed call to action! Be explicit. A direct message on a button that says, "Click here for more information," will be more effective than a passive one that just reads, "More information". Adding a bonus or a deadline to your call to action can create a sense of urgency in consumers. Fear of missing out is a powerful motivator. Ads, signs, and banners, both digital and physical, that feature a call to action should be simple, easy to read, and consistent with your brand identity.

Calls to action are a crucial part of any marketing strategy, but if they are not done correctly, they will be ineffective, or worse, damaging to your brand. When you are writing and designing a call to action, consider the medium. A sign outside your business might tell people what you do and where to turn to visit. A button on a website banner could promise a promotional code in exchange for a newsletter sign-up. Some companies will provide free samples or trials of their product with a call to action directing how to get more. Be sure that your messaging is clear and consistent. Customers need to be able to understand your call to action in order to respond to it. One final thing to consider is the audience for a specific call to action. Demographics and where a consumer is at in the sales cycle will affect how you craft your call to action. You don’t want to say, “Buy my product,” on the first instance that someone has a communication with your company.  Instead, use calls to action to guide the consumer through the sales process. The preceding tips are a general jumping off point. You should experiment with various calls to action to find out which ones produce the best results for your company.