After staring at the incomplete email for thirty minutes, you eventually get around to finalizing the draft.
But you still can't decide on an ending that inspires action from your recipient. Your draft lacks that extra zing that pushes people to respond. You requested a meeting to discuss the product, but is that the best approach?
The subject line and body copy may be enough to get recipients to open your message.
However, they won't help you solidify the pitch and seal the deal with your prospect. If you want to lead your recipients to engage with your brand, it's paramount to have a compelling call to action attached to your marketing message.
Call-To-Action (CTA) is the final step in motivating your readers to take action, which is why you should put as much care into crafting it as you did into structuring the rest of your mail. Among the other KPIs you should be tracking with email marketing, a good CTA can be paramount for good performance.
Below are some tips to help you make your CTA look like a bright beacon of hope in a sea of forgettable buttons.
What is a CTA?
A call to action is an invitation for your prospects to take some sort of next step with your brand.
A good call to action offers a clear message that gives direction without being too pushy. They are the grease that makes the wheels of your marketing message turn smoothly.
CTAs come in many shapes and sizes:
- Buttons represent an unmissable 'call to action'
- Links are for when you want to direct people to a specific page or task.
- Phrases are more subtle but still powerful in that they persuade people through the writing.
- Images act as eye-catching calls to action.
You can use just about anything as your CTA. Just make sure it encourages your readers to complete an action, and the sentiment of the message aligns with your proposed action.
How to Give Your Email CTA the Impact It Needs
You can’t expect your customers or prospects to read between the lines. When you want them to take action, you have to spell it out for them.
Here are some tried-and-true tactics to make your CTAs more effective.
Figure out the proper position for your CTA
There have been discussions about the best spot to put a call to action in a newsletter.
One camp argues that you should put your call to action above the fold because you want the subscriber to see the CTA without scrolling down.
Others argue that placing your CTA at the bottom of an email is best. This gives people time to take in the content and engage with it before they get bombarded with a marketing message.
It depends on how you want the prospect to view the message. If you want them to focus first on the CTA, then place it at the beginning. Just like how this email from United By Blue demonstrates.
If you want them to take in the message's body before deciding, place it at the end.
See how Framer has given their promotional email the right amount of real estate by placing their primary CTA below the fold.
When positioning CTAs on your email, ensure that they don't obstruct the flow but are also in a position where they can easily be seen.
Make the CTA text persuasive and enticing
A common mistake that email marketers make is to use generic CTAs.
The generic text doesn't evoke enough interest to warrant a click. It’s best to update your copy with some personalized touches to stand out in the inbox.
Use persuasive terms and action verbs in your CTA. Doing this will draw customers in and make them feel like they need to click on the CTA.
Make sure that the words reflect the feeling you want to elicit in your readers when they read them, while still letting your brand's personality shine through. Casper does a great job of whipping up a pleasant feeling of excitement with its playful CTAs.
The brand's introduction email asks customers to "Let's Get Sleepy", which adds a witty, welcoming twist to the traditional "Shop Now" CTA.
Following are a few tips that will help you make your CTA text more appealing:
Personalize your text for optimal engagement
When it comes to writing effective CTA buttons, you can never go wrong with being personal. This ensures that your CTAs are targeted and, thus, impactful. In case you’re struggling to come up with compelling CTAs, you can request assistance from the best writing services online, and they will help you with this.
Tell them, don't try to force it on them
Use agreeable verbs to encourage your readers to convert. Replace negative verbs with words that inspire confidence in the reader. Verbs that force your readers to convert can cause high bounce rates. Terms like "buy" and "download" might come across as too forceful and grabby. Instead, use words like "enjoy" or "get" to make the tone more welcoming.
Create a sense of urgency
When you encourage prospects to respond quickly, adding some pressure to your CTA can pay off. Use phrases that immediately cue the reader to act.
Don't forget to use the appropriate aesthetic elements
Once you've perfected your CTA copy, it's time to give it some flair.
Make your CTA pop
A CTA that doesn't stand out is as useless as no CTA at all.
Your CTA should scream "click me" without being overbearing or blending in with other elements on your page.
To avoid clashing with the background and text colors, choose a contrasting color. Asana effectively utilizes this concept in their emails. The use of contrasting hues makes the email's CTA stand out from the rest of the text.
Arrange your CTAs properly
If you use more than one call to action on your landing page, make sure that they are organized well. The key to keeping CTAs organized is to keep them aligned with the composition of the message. If your newsletter contains multiple topics leading to different pieces of content, the secondary CTA buttons should be logically aligned with each section. This will guide your readers and minimize the chance of them missing any secondary CTAs.
Irresistible CTAs for Your Meeting Schedule
If you want to make your meeting invitations stick, you'll need to make sure people click the CTA. Try using these approaches to make your meeting CTAs more effective.
Would you have time for a 15-minute phone call tomorrow at 5 pm PST?
A specific meeting time and duration helps a prospect see a potential action item. If the date, time, and duration of a call are apparent, it removes friction from the sales process by making it easy for a prospect to find time for a quick meeting.
We're almost out of seats! Book your slot now.
Urgency is a powerful motivator. By creating a "must act NOW, or we'll miss out" sentiment, you encourage your recipients to take action quickly.
Feel free to contact me at your convenience. Here's a link to my calendar.
If you want to skip the hassle of scheduling a meeting, simply make sure your CTA is set with a link to your calendar. In the past, entrepreneurs had to set aside time in their schedules to speak with prospective customers.
Now, you can use automated meeting tools to schedule a meeting that's convenient for both parties. This approach makes it easier for the prospect to contact you and saves time and effort by avoiding back and forth emailing.
Seriously, every time I click “Send,” it pains me. Help stop my suffering and find a time on my calendar here.
One way to grab your email prospect’s attention is to inject some humor and personality into your CTA. Being funny makes prospects more receptive and open to your messaging. Here's an email example from HubSpot that uses humor to drive home their point.
Ready to trim down your workload? Book a time slot here.
You can't expect your customers to read all the details you've outlined in your email or understand all the functions of the product you've built from scratch.
By emphasizing the main idea of your product in the CTA, you are helping your recipients understand what you are trying to convey.
This not only helps reinforce your benefit statement but also gives your customer an idea of why you're contacting them and what they can expect from a meeting with you.
Wrapping Up
A killer email needs a killer close.
The last thing you want is your email to end with a weak "call to action" that leaves the recipient feeling confused, irritated, or uncertain about whether your product or service meets their needs.
This is why you should always create a persuasive call-to-action that leaves your recipients confident in their decision to engage with your brand.
About The Author
Ahmad Benny is a London-born lover of technology, e-commerce, and digital marketing in general. He loves learning, researching and curating value nuggets to save you time, money and help you achieve your goals.
