A call to action (CTA) helps businesses grow their audience and boost sales. By creating compelling CTAs, you can drive website traffic, engage users on social media, and attract more customers. This article explains CTAs, their importance, how to write them, and provides 17 examples with tips for crafting your own.
Key takeaways
In marketing, a call to action, or CTA, is a written statement that invites consumers to perform a company's desired action.
Calls to action can direct traffic to a business's website, encourage new customers to interact with a company and increase profits for an organization.
Writing an effective call to action involves providing a clear action for consumers to take and offering incentives to encourage readers to follow through with an action.
What is a call to action?
A call to action (CTA) is a short, strategic prompt encouraging a desired response, often used in marketing, campaigns, or personal promotion to guide the audience on the next steps.
Why is a CTA important?
A call to action (CTA) motivates consumers to take specific actions, increasing engagement and guiding them effectively. It’s a key tool for driving business results.
Increases company revenue
Businesses use CTAs to promote products or services, boosting sales and revenue.
Expands a customer base
CTAs on landing pages help businesses attract new customers and expand their audience.
Continues interaction
Placing a call to action at the bottom of a webpage or social media post can encourage a visitor to continue interacting with the company and prevent them from leaving prematurely.
Converts prospects into customers
CTAs guide prospects through the sales funnel, driving purchases.
How to write a CTA ?
Here are some steps you can follow to create an effective call to action:
1. Identify an action
Define your CTA’s purpose by choosing a clear, simple action like signing up or making a purchase to boost user engagement.
2. Determine the location
Choose the right platform for your CTA, such as social media, websites, or emails, and tailor the language to match the context, like “share” for posts or “buy” for retail sites.
3. Use action words
Start your CTA with action words like “subscribe” or “download” to clearly guide users. Use bold buttons or links to prompt actions like filling out forms or contacting representatives
4. Offer incentives
Motivate users to act by explaining the benefits, offering incentives like rewards or trials, and emphasizing sales deadlines to create urgency.
Tips for creating a CTA
Here are some tips for creating an effective call to action for an organization:
Ensure visibility
Make your CTA stand out by using a large, easy-to-read font that’s easy to find on any platform.
Keep it short
Limit your call to action to somewhere between five and seven words to help make it memorable
Create a sense of urgency.
Create urgency with phrases like “Act now before supplies run out” to prompt immediate action.
Provide a reason to take action
Let consumers know why they may take action and what the benefits are of taking that action
17 call-to-action examples
Here are several examples of calls to action:
1. Learn more
This technique encourages readers to take action, like clicking a link, visiting a blog, or calling a business, to learn more about a product or service.
2. Subscribe
Companies may write this type of call to action to encourage viewers to subscribe to their newsletter or streaming service. You could also use this CTA to entice readers to subscribe to a magazine or sign up for a company’s subscription box.