A Good Call-to-Action – How do You Do It?

Click here to learn how to write amazing calls to action!

Just kidding. Don’t click here, don’t ever “Click Here”. The Internet has been around long enough that when customers see different-colored text, they’re able to recognize that it’s a link. In fact, “Click Here” is so played out that at Knotice, we’ve considered implementing a “Click Here Jar”.

One of the main strategies behind creating effective calls to action is using different phrases and images to capture the attention of your audience. If you have to tell someone where to click, your messaging isn’t doing its job. Aside from using engaging text links within your copy, a CTA should summarize your value proposition. In other words, it should be the most concentrated form of your message. Think coal into diamonds…

In the chain of conversion, there’s a term called the “Macro Yes”. Getting to that point means accumulating the necessary “Micro Yes’s”. One single NO, and the customer is out of the loop. Think of your CTA as the final Micro Yes in your email or messaging. Don’t shout at them – BUY NOW, ORDER TODAY, etc can be effective, but they can also be a turn off if they don’t jive with the tone and flow of your email.

Instead, try using CTAs like Learn More, Find Out More, and See For Yourself. This language encourages exploration and curiosity, rather than demanding commitment. Obviously the goal is a conversion or purchase, but how you sell that click is the key. Your CTA has to have an incentive. Click Here? Not an incentive. Experience True HDTV? Bingo – incentive.

The bottom line is, your messaging is just white noise without an engaging call to action. Test it, see what works for you and your customers. When you’re trying to think of what to write, say it out loud, like you’re having a conversation. Boil the whole message down and put the strongest, most compelling two or three words you have together into one dazzling CTA. But whatever you do, don’t “Click Here”.