The Secret to Crafting a Killer Call-to-Action

No matter where it appears – either on your website, printed marketing materials, or email correspondence – the call-to-action is the most important part of any campaign. The most important thing, but the one that so many marketers get wrong time and time again.Your call-to-action should be securing your sale.

It should convince the people on your site, reading your letter or email that they need what you’re offering. Without an effective call-to-action, you’re not telling your customers what action to take next. All urgency is lost, your marketing messages get left misunderstood, and you fail to secure a sale.

Good Writing Matters
While you don’t need to be a qualified journalist to nail your final sales message, you need to clearly and coherently get your messages across. If you’re writing is uninspiring, you won’t appeal to your customers. If you don’t catch their attention, the sole purpose of your marketing message can be lost.

Sales copywriting is different from standard writing. You need to appeal to the wants and needs of your readers. You need to get inside their head, show them just why they should buy from you, and then knock them out with your final sale pitch. Let’s then look at some top tips for crafting a killer call-to-action to help you nail that sale every time.

Choose Your Words
Your call-to-action needs to show urgency and finality. Choosing the write verbs, adjectives, and adverbs can make the difference between crafting a boring and a brilliant message. Include a hard-hitting, evocative verb right at the beginning of your message to tell your readers exactly what you want to do.

Keep these verbs short and snappy like, ‘click’, ‘call’, ‘read’. This makes it clear and simple, telling your reader exactly what you want them to do. Don’t try and be clever to early on, it will distract customers from the purpose of the call-to-action. Confidently tell them what you want them to do, and they will.

Show, Don’t Tell
They say that a picture tells 1,000 words, and the same is true for your sales message. If you’re advertising in print, online, or on the TV you should utilise this to enhance your call-to-action. Want people to call? Display the number clearly and accurately and even include visual aids such as a picture of a telephone.

Simple, yes, but also very effective. You need to spoon-feed your customers. If you want them to buy from your website, make the link obvious and direct to the exact page. Sometimes, vibrant buttons will work just as well. Whatever you choose to do, don’t give your customers a reason to NOT buy from you.

Make it Snappy
By keeping your calls-to-action short and snappy, they’re much more likely to be acted upon. The standard length is between 90 and 150 characters. A concise and to-the-point message is ideal in today’s fast paced world of business.

However, you shouldn’t scrimp on information for the sake of it. You need to include all the relevant information, and core message. Why not start by writing out everything you want to include, gradually reducing words and sentence levels until it is snappy, actionable, and enticing?

Avoid Jargon
Technical terms and jargon have a place and time. Your final sales pitch is most definitely not it. Don’t confuse your readers and cloud their judgement with complicated terminology they don’t understand.

Instead, keep it practical and direct. Get inside your readers’ mind, and write for them. What will they want and need to know about your product or service? What should they know about you? Keep your tone personal and approachable. This way you increase your chances or securing a sale.

Statistics
Everyone is impressed by a good statistic. If you can back up your claims with statistics, do. They really showcase your professionalism and can help you seal the deal. Numbers always solidify your sales messages and help you prove your point.

Under no circumstances though, should you invent some statistics. You need to convince the customers who are ‘on the fence’ about buying to take the plunge. Not convince them that you’re untrustworthy.

Test
No-one will craft a perfect pitch first time. As with anything, trial and error is involved to help you eventually find the perfect balance. Ask colleagues to read through your messages and offer guidance. Once you’ve decided on and used a message, check your response rates and make changes accordingly.

What works in print, might not work in email; and what works in email, may need to be tweaked for your website. The key to getting it right is knowing your product, your company, and your audience. This is the real secret to crafting a killer call to action.

Find your sales message and unique selling point; decide on your desired outcome, and tap into what your makes your customers tick. Writing to sell doesn’t have to be difficult, with practice, patience, and proficiency; you’ll be able to bag that sale every time.