Creating A Call To Action That Works

Early in my communications career, I had no idea what a CTA was or how to apply it to boost a marketing campaign. Hungry to learn more, I was delighted to find a professor in the Marketing Department at San Francisco State University who was impressed by my drive to learn, understand, and implement new ways to build a successful brand or event. She took me under her wing to mentor me and another student. Being naive, I had no idea the impression it would have on my lifelong vision of helping others achieve their goals. One of the lessons I eventually learned was deceptively simple: good communication shouldn’t leave people wondering what to do next.

A Call to Action, often abbreviated as CTA, is exactly what the name suggests. It’s an invitation or instruction that encourages someone to take a specific action after receiving your message. We are exposed to CTAs every day, but we may miss the message if it isn’t clearly stated. Here are a few examples of CTAs that are used to get the listener, viewer, or reader’s attention:

• Learn More

• Register Today

• Donate Now.

• Subscribe.

• Book an Appointment

• Contact Us

• Share Your Story

• Download the Guide

Each one answers a simple question: What should I do next? That may sound obvious, but you would be surprised how often organisations spend enormous amounts of time and money developing communications without clearly answering that question. You should never make your audience guess what you want them to do next.

You have created the perfect social media post, developed a beautiful website, written an engaging email or given a compelling presentation. Your audience reads it, watches it, and perhaps even agrees with it. And then, nothing happens at all. Why? More often than not, the problem isn't the message. The problem is that we never told our audience what we wanted them to do next. That's where a Call to Action provides direction.

It’s essential to never make your audience guess what you want them to do. Communication without clear direction often becomes information without action. Now, imagine receiving an email describing an important community event. It tells you who will be speaking, why the event matters and how exciting the program will be for everyone. But it never tells you how to register or if the event is free or has a large fee attached. Or imagine visiting a company’s website, becoming interested in its services, and then you struggle to figure out how to contact anyone for more information. The communication may be excellent, but the journey is incomplete. A good call to action always connects interest with action. It has the power to move someone from thinking, “That sounds interesting,” to wanting to act on it.

A Call to Action doesn't always mean buy something. One mistake businesses make is assuming every CTA has to lead directly to a sale. It doesn't. The action you ask your audience to take should depend on your objective. For example, a healthcare organisation may say -- Book your health check today. A charity or not-for-profit agency may say -- Volunteer in your community. A government agency might say -- Check your eligibility. A consultant may say -- Schedule an appointment or consultation. A community-based organisation will usually build interest by saying -- Join the conversation or join us in creating awareness around a special health issue. A blogger will usually encourage their audience to share this article with someone who needs to read it. Sometimes the action is commercial, educational, or it could even save a life or provide someone with the tools needed to help them make a better decision about a certain issue. It's important to remember that the action supports the purpose of the communication.

Prior to writing a Call to Action, the CTA begins before you write. Ask yourself, what do I want someone to do after seeing this message? It's not what do I want them to know, but instead, what do I want them to do. There is a big difference. For example, if your goal is awareness, perhaps you want your audience to share the information with others. If it’s community engagement, you may desire them to comment or participate in an event. If your goal is lead generation, you may want someone to provide their email address, download a resource, request information, or contact you. You don’t necessarily have to make the sale immediately. Sometimes the next step is simply beginning the relationship. Every Call to Action should grow naturally from your communication objective.

Clarity is a key component of success. If you don't know what action you want, your audience certainly won't know. We must always consider the difference between "Click Here" and "Download Your Free Guide." The second tells people exactly what will happen. Or More Information versus Learn How We Can Help your organisation. Again, the second one provides purpose. An effective Call to Action tends to be:

• Clear. People understand what you are asking.

• Specific: They know what happens next.

• Relevant. The action relates directly to the message.

• Easy. The next step should not require detective work.

• Compelling. There is a reason to act.

A common mistake is giving an audience too many choices that may leave them confused and unable to decide. Often, we are told to register, subscribe, follow us, download this, call us, read another article, donate, or share the information with your network. Remember, when everything is important, nothing feels important. Now, ask yourself, what is the single most significant action I want this person to take? Make that your primary Call to Action. You can provide secondary options, but there should usually be a clear priority. "Clarity creates action. Confusion creates hesitation."

Where should a Call to Action appear? It can appear almost anywhere communication happens. On a website, they may appear near the top of a page and again after someone has learned about your services. In an email, the CTA should be easy to find without requiring readers to search through many layers of text. On social media, it may appear at the end of the post. In a presentation, the final slide might outline what happens next. When writing an article, the closing paragraph can invite readers to reflect, comment, share or continue exploring the topic. Placement and timing matter. If you ask too soon, your audience may not understand why they should act. Waiting too long can cause your audience to lose interest.

There is something else we sometimes forget. Behind every conversion is a human being making a decision. The average person does not click buttons because marketers want better statistics. A good Call to Action respects that. So instead of saying "Buy now", it would be better to say, "Find the option that's right for you." Instead of using the term "Submit", it's a lot better to say, "Tell us how we can help". Food for thought, language changes how communication feels. A well thought out Call to Action can be persuasive without being pushy or controlling. Lessons in life have taught me that the best Call to Action doesn't pressure people. It gives them a clear path forward to make their own decision. Once you have created a Call to Action, don't assume that it works. It's essential to measure the feedback and ask the following questions:

• Are people clicking?

• Are they registering?

• Are they downloading?

• Are they contacting you?

• Are they abandoning the process halfway through?

If people respond to the message but don't complete the action, examine what happens after the CTA. Maybe the registration form is too long or tedious. Possibly, the website is confusing, or the button doesn't work properly on a mobile phone. It's possible that too much information is being requested too soon. Communication does not end when someone clicks; gets noticed and get results. The overall experience that follows is part of the communication too.

Here is a simple Call to Action test - before publishing your next email, webpage, social media/marketing post, or campaign, ask yourself:

• What do I want people to do?

• Is that action immediately clear?

• Has it been explained why they should participate?

• Is taking action easy?

• What happens after they respond?

If you are unable to answer these questions, your communication probably isn't finished yet. We spend a great deal of time worrying about what we are going to say. Sometimes we need to spend just as much time thinking about what happens after we say it. In all honesty, effective communication doesn't simply inform; it creates understanding, builds connection, and when appropriate, it inspires action.

The next time you write an email, develop a campaign, create a webpage, or post something on social media, don’t end by simply asking, "Does this sound good?" Instead, ask, what do I want someone to do after reading it? Because sometimes the difference between communication that gets noticed and communication that gets results comes down to three simple words: What Happens Next?