It’s practically impossible to keep track of all the advice on crafting a compelling call to action.
Experts agree it should deliver value, convey a sense of urgency, and use the right tone.
At the same time, it must contain power words, specificity and relevancy. And of course, you can’t forget about context.
It’s enough to make you give up before you start.
Interested in three time-tested ideas for writing a call to action that convinces leads to click?
Here they are.
Idea #1. Break the Rules
According to email marketing service provider AWeber, calls to action that contain two to five words work best. But sometimes breaking the rules pays off.
Enter Click A Tree, an innovative reforestation company.
They want to make their brand vision – tree planting – a habit for people because it does more than fight climate change. Build habitat for endangered animal species. And create jobs for local communities.
Tree planting helps businesses to increase profits.
Here’s how. Click A Tree clients choose one of their own products or services to use to plant trees. For instance, Sushi restaurant I Love Sushi created a dedicated sushi roll called the TreeRoll.
Every time a customer purchases a TreeRoll, Click A Tree plants a tree. They also provide marketing materials, plus free access to a platform for reporting sales, tracking growth, and sharing tree impact.
As a result, despite Covid-19, I Love Sushi increased their revenue by 22%.
So, what’s Click A Tree’s defining call to action on its website home page?
“Plant.”
Creating a single-word call to action enables you to crystallize your brand’s vision. And it’s easy to get started. Simply brainstorm words that define what you do or who you help.
Idea #2. Use a Different Point of View
Most marketers address their audience in the second person (“you” or “your”).
Second person feels more personal. And when a person feels an intimate connection to a product or service, they buy.
Surpisingly, using first person (words such as “I,” “me,” or “my”) in a call to action often boosts conversions.
Why? First person gives the reader a sense of control. After all, they’re the ones who are deciding whether to click or not.
Here’s how to try using first person. Find out what your audience cares about, and frame that desire in the form of a question. Place your copy for your free download right below it.
For instance:
“Looking for quick ways to make your content stand out?
Yes, send me the checklist.”
Here are some other examples of calls to action in the first person that work well.
- Reserve My Spot
- Get My Freebie
- Tell Me More
- Send It My Way
- Give Me the Cheat Sheet
- I Want to Read It Now
- Send Me the Updates
- I Want to Hear What’s Coming
- Let Me Know When It’s Launched
- I’m Attending
- Sign Me Up
- I Want to Receive Updates
Idea #3. Offer an Alternative
A typical B2B call to action is “Request Demo.” But in order to get the demo, you have to give up your email address and other information.
Many prospects aren’t ready to do that. So give them an alternative.
Hotjar, an analytics and feedback tool, gives readers two choices on its website home page. One is “Start Free with Email.”
Another is “Start Free with Google.” And that means with zero commitment, you’ll instantly see heatmaps that reveal how people interact with a page on your site. Such as what buttons they click. And what content gets ignored.
B2B research provider Right Metric uses a different type of call to action that doesn’t demand commitment. They communicate their value proposition with “Learn More About Our Research Menu.”
Considering they’re the world’s only on-demand provider of custom digital strategy research, that’s tempting.
When you do click, you’re not overwhelmed with information. Instead, you’re given six menu choices.
- Audience Profile
- Digital Whitespace Map
- Competitor Channel Scan
- Content Opportunity Analysis
- Influence Identifier
- Growth Driver Breakdowns
From there, you can click through to pages which explain in simple terms how each of these methodologies work. No fluff.
And, best of all, no commitment.
A Can't Miss Call to Action
Don’t you love finding exactly what you want without a hassle?
Now you know three ways to make that happen for your prospect.
You know how easy it is to incorporate first person in your call to action. And how smart companies offer an alternative.
On top of that, you found out how breaking the rules can be profitable.
How sweet is that?
So refer to this post when writing your next call to action. And enjoy watching your conversion rates grow.