An Effective Call-to-Action (CTA) Is Necessary to Drive Conversions

A call-to-action (CTA) is precisely what it sounds like: a plea to do something. CTAs are usually used in emails, on websites or in collateral to convince a customer to make a purchase or take some other desired action. While it sounds easy to create a CTA, there’s actually an art to it—especially in saturated markets where everyone is trying to get your audience to take the leap. A great CTA is compelling, engaging and on brand.

In marketing, a “conversion” is a successful completion of your intended goal. More often than not, your conversion is going to be a purchase, but it may also be a newsletter sign-up or a video completion. The days of “if you build it, they will come” are long, long gone, so you have to push your audience to take action. From that perspective, a CTA is essential to your company’s success.

How to Write an Effective CTA

At Elevate My Brand (EMB), we believe in taking the ego out of marketing. Part of that philosophy means we conduct a ton of A/B testing. At the end of the day, the most effective education you can get about your campaign isn’t what an agency tells you, it’s what your audience shows you. There’s no way to intuit what your company’s most impactful CTAs will be. You’re going to have to strategize, test and iterate to figure out which calls to action work best for your brand.

That said, there are some best practices you should follow as you ideate the variables you want to test.

1. Start Your CTA With a Strong Verb

Go to any website at random and you’re likely to see a CTA button that says "Buy Now" or "Learn More.” Yawn! A CTA that everyone uses is weak and probably won't convince anyone to do anything. Instead, you need to start a call-to-action with a strong verb to clearly communicate the desired action. Be direct and authoritative, provide clarity, and focus on value to emphasize what the user will receive by clicking. The next time you write a CTA, swap out “Buy Now” for “Get Yours” or “Learn More” for “Educate Me!” Other strong verbs you can use include "Discover,” "Explore,” "Download,” "Shop,” "Join,” "Start" and "Apply.”

2. Use Words Your Audience Cares About

The purpose of a CTA is to convert as many leads as possible. A well-crafted CTA can be a powerful conversion tool, whether it’s on a landing page or a physical mailer. However, it is important to keep in mind that your audience isn’t going to do something simply because you want them to—they have to want to take action on their own. Use language that will catch their eye. You should even consider using words that are important or relevant to your audience, like “Save $10” or “Subscribe for Exclusive Deals.” Hell, you could even use “Spill the Tea” for your Contact form. Each of these CTAs not only results in a conversion for you but also provides an incentive for them.