You can’t push your way to profits. Not in the world of brand marketing, anyway. Slam consumers with too much force, and they’ll likely bolt from the barn. This caveat is particularly relevant to the implementation of any call-to-action (CTA). When implementing these proven action-triggers, don’t push, don’t shove, don’t poke. Nudge. Conversions are much more plentiful when these are employed.
The CTA nudge, like any good nudge, is a reaction-getter. In the case of marketing, the reactor, it is hoped, will click, call, buy, choose, visit, or do whatever else satisfies brand objectives. So, don’t beat around the bush. Signal your intentions by placing a choice action-word right up front. Begin your CTA messaging with a juicy morsel such as get, sign-up, call, contact, visit, etc.
The chosen action-word depends on your goals. Example: GET your free cloud-seeding kit today. OR CALL now to learn more about taming goldfish.
With an action-word strategically positioned, you’ve touched but you as yet haven’t nudged. The full, bona fide nudge can come about only after you’ve sprinkled some brand benefits into your message. Whether that’s smoother skin, more mileage, or a peppier pooch, benefits must shine big and bright in any CTA.
The foregoing steps set the stage for an effective CTA. But these foundation-builders still don’t guarantee the nudge. You’ll need further fortification to pull this off. Thus, brand marketers should improve their odds by employing additional tactics. These can be as elementary as positioning a call-to-action in an easily-viewable spot. Or they can be something on the subtle side, such as adhering to the ‘no face rule’. Faces, it seems, tend to detract from CTA content. People notice the mug, not the message. If you do require a facial presence, make sure the chosen head is looking at the message. This facial orientation often inspires readers to do the same.
If you have any questions or comments about designing a call to action for your brand, or about any other brand-related topic, feel free to send them our way.