In digital marketing scenario, what’s a call to action, and how do I create it?

A call to action (also known as CTA) is an imperative instruction that encourages action. Put simply, it’s a command to do something on your website such as Buy Now or Click Here. Most digital marketers want their customers to take a specific, measurable action. For example, you might want people to sign up for your email newsletter, download an e-book, or make a purchase. A clear call to action should spur customers to click.

‘Don’t wait till you're in a crisis to come up with a crisis plan’ – Dr Phil

Therefore, Marketers should plan for every scenario, rather than only the most likely one

Each year, Marketers  drawing up their marketing plans and strategy documents, However the vast majority of these plans will actually only plan for 1 scenario: business as usual.It makes sense to plan for business as usual, after all, it’s impossible to predict the future so it wouldn’t make sense to base ones marketing plan around an event which may or may not happen.

So, they should consider the following:

- The future is not pre-determined or predictable

- If it were, there would be no point taking action today, because it would have no effect on the future.

- Full information about the future is never available

On Sum, be care because precisely because the future cannot be predicted, you shouldn’t only plan for one scenario (businesses as usual), but rather should have strategies in place ready to deal with all manner of possible scenarios, some of which may involve crises.

A call to action is a statement that directs a reader to do something. It could be something as simple as “Call today” or “Find more information about our service here.” A call to action should be direct, succinct, and most importantly, prompt a reader to do something. Calls to action should be included in meta descriptions, ads, email marketing and, where appropriate, blogs and web page content.

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Call to action words inspire the customer/ Visitor to do some action.

To Take Action we will use Proper Call to action or Based on the end goal we will use different call to actions

For example - your end goal is increase number of user on your website or mobile app then you will use digital Marketing to advertise and use call to action words like " Free Sign Up" , Sign Up and Get Free Access" or 30 days free trail with sign Up

If you end goal is sale then we may use call to actions such as " Buy in Bulk and Save More' , "Buy Now" , " Free Shipping Offer", and Low Prices guaranteed Hurry UP

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 a call to action is how you convince a customer to do something. You could say “click here,” “buy now,” “register” or something similar that tells the person you’re speaking to that there is an action you’d like them to pursue.

What has worked best for your business on social media?

Respond

It’s your chance to rally visitors to your website or viewers of your ad to go further and be exposed to your message and products. And it’s a great way to turn lookers into buyers by motivating a purchase.

Why they work

People will often follow instructions, so if you tell them to do something—many will. Simple as that.

A great call to action creates a sense of urgency or limited possibilities that must be acted on right now. Or, it creates a sense of well-being or offers a solution to a known or perceived problem. It also clearly spells out how a customer can make a purchase.

A great call to action works when:

• It clearly triggers an emotional reaction (I must have that, need it, want it, etc…).

• It clearly tells someone how to make a purchase (click right here to purchase).

• It creates some urgency to purchase immediately (offer ends at midnight tonight! Buy now!).

• It provides incentives or added details that make it impossible to refuse (free shipping!).

Types of call to actions

Advertisers use all sorts of call to action methods to drive sales. The method you use depends on where you’re using it, what you’re selling and your target market. Commonly, you’ll see calls to action like:

• Buy now!
• Limited time offer!
• Click Here
• Act Fast!
• Register here!
• But wait, there’s more…
• Don’t delay!

Other calls to action may be a bit longer or more leading. You may tell a story or ask the reader pointed questions that lead them to learn more about your product.

Incentives are a great call to action method. Offer your reader something for making a purchase; offer free shipping or double the product for one low price. Shoppers love extras and incentives and the feeling they are getting more than what they are paying for. When you add in incentives, you create a call to action the many people can’t refuse.

Where to use a call to action

The beauty of call to action methods is that you can use them anywhere you promote or sell your product or service.

Your website

If you have a website, you need to make it work hard to turn visitors into buyers. Great calls to action can help. Make your homepage the most visible for your product and make sure you have a clear, strong call to action. If your homepage isn’t your main selling page, make sure it points visitors to your sales page with clearly marked ways to get there.

Newsletters

A weekly or monthly newsletter is a great way to connect with past customers and reach new ones. It’s also a great venue for adding incentives to your call to action. Each newsletter can have a new incentive, for example, like free shipping for the month of May, or a percentage off each sale.

Your blog

Your blog is a great place to connect with your readers on a personal level. Tell stories about your product and how it has helped people. Or, let people know about good things you’re doing, like charity work or going green. Then sprinkle in little calls to action for the products or services you’re promoting. Add calls to action on your sidebars or throughout blog posts where they’ll be highly visible.

Social networks

Facebook and Twitter allow you to connect with past and potential customers in real-time. You can actively update any promotions, contests or sales you’re offering as they are happening. Use clear calls to action to promote what’s going on in your store or website.

Ultimately, you may need to play around with different calls to action before you find one or two that work the best for you. Remember to craft your call to action based on your target market and what you sell, and clearly outline what you want customers to do (click here to buy!). If one call to action doesn’t seem to drum up much response, try something else. Just like any marketing technique, trial and error may be your best guide for finding the perfect call to action for your business and target market.

A Call-To-Action (CTA) is any form of redirection of attention for a potential customer. It can be as simple as "Download the E-Book Here!" or it can redirect the customer to an outside website that has your products and/or services on it. A proper CTA follows the best practices of proper placement, appropriate language, and appealing style. A CTA can be on any landing page on your website, most appropriately on the customer information page, followed by a Thank You page. 

I highly recommend taking the HubSpot Inbound Certification course. It's free of charge.