Once you’ve got a reader hooked into a good piece of content, the way you lead them to the next step is crucial. Your content can inform and entertain, but it is often a means of guiding them to your CTA.
Any piece of content that is well optimized has a chance of bringing in traffic. If you’re looking to convert that traffic into leads, however, you need to put extra thought into your CTA. If you know how to compel readers to click, you have a better chance of making a sale.
What is a CTA?
In marketing, a CTA (call to action) is the part of your content that compels your reader to keep moving forward. This is what prompts a reader to continue reading, or the prompt for a potential buyer to purchase.
Determining the right language for a CTA
As a general rule, your CTA should start off with a powerful verb. Advise your reader to learn more, read on, click here, call now, or take any other type of action. Remember, giving people suggestions on what to do next can compel them to make decisions they otherwise wouldn’t have. You should also use language that evokes emotion and creates a fear of missing out.
Using graphics rather than plain text
It’s not necessarily just about how you phrase your CTA; it’s also about how you present it. In some cases, having the actual call (the action words) restated in a clickable button can be more effective.
Using a button got Campaign Monitor a 28% increase in clicks.
With some types of content, people tend to scan rather than read. When you use buttons, the results are better than using text or images.
How do you measure the efficiency of a CTA?
The efficiency of a CTA is tied directly to its ability to facilitate engagement. If users are following it, it’s working.
This may not necessarily mean making a sale, however. For example, a CTA on a blog could lead a viewer to a product page. If that page is getting traffic from the blog, the CTA is effective. However, the number of buys that product gets could be dependent on other factors, like the page layout, cost, competition, etc.
Does it really matter?
Some people may assume that, if their content is good enough, the quality of the CTA isn’t exactly crucial. Remember, for generating leads, the CTA must be finely crafted. It must appeal to the reader’s emotions and give them an option they don’t want to miss out on.
CTA buttons are the top driver of click-throughs on various forms of webpages and marketing materials. Even beyond just creating buttons, knowing how to write a CTA with the goal of lead generation is great because it can take your content further.
Your content will still entertain, inform, and educate readers if you write it to do so. Adding a great CTA can help each content piece become a lead-generation tool, making it more conducive to sales and, ultimately, to ROI.
Now what?
Now you can see how a well-written CTA can increase lead generation. Powerful CTAs use strategic language to help guide people forward and appeal to their desires—and they can take multiple forms.
Whether in plain text or graphics, great CTAs can turn casual viewers into leads with tons of potential. Once you get used to crafting them for every piece of content, you’ll be able to see which ones work better and get more click-through activity going in your content. Learn more about the right click-through rates to aim for, depending on the content you’re creating.