Michele Drohan, EVP Client Services
These Call-To-Action Best Practices Still Stand The Test of Time.
Last week I received a magazine subscription offer in the mail that contained no less than 7 paths to respond, including but not limited to the traditional ‘place YES sticker here’ reply postcard, an 800 number and three online response options with separate, but corresponding GWPs.
Of course, we live in a multi-channel, internet-of-things universe. As marketers we want our customers to know we’re available to them 24/7/365, and they can reach us anyway that works for them—including through the mail.
This messy magazine offer was a good reminder that no matter where your customers encounters your message, it still needs to be clear and simple. You need to tell your customers what you want them to do, why they should do it, and how.
Follow these 5 simple tenets to create an effective call-to-action.
1. Don’t forget the benefit.
Why should your customer or prospect respond?
Remember WIIFM? “What’s in it for me?” With every CTA, you have the opportunity to answer that critical, and unasked question. To be sure, your marketing tactic should already cover the benefits of your offer. But your CTA is an opportunity to reinforce that message, and use it to drive the action. Consider, for example, the powerful difference between: “Call now to join” versus “Call now to start losing weight today.” A simple way to amplify the benefit within the CTA.
2. Reflect your brand.
Who are you?
Make sure your brand isn’t on vacation when you are writing and designing your CTA. At the critical moment when you’re telling your audience what to do and how, be true to your brand. Your brand impacts everything from the design of the CTA to the placement and frequency on your marketing piece.
It can also be reflected in the creative direction. Years ago Rolling Stone sent out an offer in a DM package. The address window was circled in red with a ‘handwritten’ note from Rolling Stone that read something to the effect of: “You better respond. We know where you live.” The humor and snarky tone of the CTA was absolutely brand-right.
3. Create a little urgency.
Timed offers make this easy: they have a built-in deadline to them. But even without an end date to your offer, you can still generate a little adrenaline. Consider time motivators (impending seasons or holidays) or emotional motivators to evoke immediacy (tapping into frustration, for example, if your offering is a solution to it).
4. Keep it simple.
Even with multiple options of how a customer can or should respond, your CTA should be utterly simple and easy to follow. Consumers are constantly bombarded with information, and the CTA is not the place to bloat your message with everything but the kitchen sink. Less is more in most cases.
5. Test, test and retest.
Resolve to understand the efficacy of your CTA with your customers: what works and what doesn’t.
Need help with your marketing? Email today and we’ll make a difference you can measure.
Tags: call-to-action