The what, why and how behind the call to action
What’s the point? That’s the question we ask ourselves when we see well-written, brilliantly positioned content consistently being published on a website or social media channel without ever prompting a call to action (CTA). Producing regular content is the biggest hurdle most businesses have when it comes to content marketing, but the largest mistake they make is not asking their customers, readers, and raving fans to take the next step.
Here, we will break down the call to action, explain why it’s important and determine what makes up a good CTA.
The call to action is arguably the most important part of your website and approach to content marketing. It’s the big ask that turns readers and fans into followers, subscribers, and customers. It’s the first step to creating a warm lead in a sales funnel, and it’s one of the easiest most natural ways to ask someone to do something, like subscribe to your email list, sign up for a free consultation, or to buy your product.
What makes an enticing CTA?
A CTA should be linked to something that your target audience or customer wants, or better yet, needs. If it isn’t your direct product, and you’re just looking to get the individual onto an email list, offer the person you’re trying to attract something free that they would find valuable. eBooks, guides, consultations, or even online courses can help lure the target customer to respond to your call to action.
Once you have something of obvious value, it’s time to create the actual CTA.
A CTA is most effectively displayed in the form of a button. It should be obvious, clickable and placed in multiple locations on your website. Don’t go overboard and place the button where it doesn’t make sense, but make sure your customer can access it no matter where they are on the page.
In addition, the copy on your CTA button should be clear, and it should evidently state what your audience will get if they click.
The next page will be the landing page, a web page to learn more about the value of your offer, and a form to enter their information. The form generally requests basic details like name and email address. If more information is needed to better understand or serve your audience, consider including more fields on the form, but be careful not to request too much as that could turn visitors away. The more details you can successfully get from your audience, the better you will be able to measure the types of people you are attracting with your CTA.
Finally, if you want to add even more value and attract more fans, offer multiple CTAs, specific to individual blog posts and segments within your target market. It takes time to come up with the value proposition, copy, and content to funnel your audience into your lead pipeline. If this isn’t your expertise, don’t make it your full-time job. Yakkety Yak is a full-service content marketing company. We work with businesses like yours to bump up your online presence and bring you leads and new business. Leave the action calling to the experts. Contact us today.