What do you want your readers to do once they’ve finished reading your piece of content? Download your free ebook? Sign up for your next event? Or book a free consultation with you?
It’s all very well and good you wanting them to do that, but do they know that?
What I mean is, have you spelt it out to them? In today’s increasingly busy world, people’s attention spans are shorter than ever, which means two things:
- You’re lucky if they have the time or make the effort to read your piece of content in full. According to HubSpot 43% of people admit to skimming blog posts.
- They need a bit of guidance. Your readers aren’t mind readers; they need to be told (subtly) what you would like them to do next.
That’s where your call to actions (CTAs) come in, if you’re using them to their full advantage, that is. Here are some pointers on making sure your CTAs a) grab people’s attention and b) make them take action.
Length
Space is limited when it comes to CTAs, so don’t waffle. Keep them short and to the point. Always.
Verbs
You want people to take the next step in the buyer journey, right? Starting your CTAs with a strong command verb is proven to boost click-through rates. For instance, if you’re writing content for an e-commerce site then use verbs such as ‘buy’, ‘order’ or ‘shop.’ However, if you’d like people to sign up to your blog or newsletter, then choose ‘subscribe’ or ‘sign up.
Language
Keep it concise and make it really easy for people to understand what they need to do in an instant. As with all forms of content, steer clear of lengthy words and jargon. However, it’s important to note: don’t be too to the point, as you may come across as being blunt.
Logic
Does what you’re asking people to do next feel natural? Where does it fit according to where they are in their buyer journey? Is it the logical next step? For example, you wouldn’t expect readers to feel ready enough to book a consultation with you after just reading a top of the funnel blog however, they might be ready to read another blog or perhaps download a relevant piece of content.
Reason
What’s the advantage of people clicking your CTA? How will they benefit? Will they save time or perhaps they’ll save money? If so, then say it! Linking your CTAs to your value proposition is a really effective way of creating compelling CTAs, you just need to make sure you really nail that key benefit.
Creating highly effective CTAs can be challenging, but as with all forms of content-writing, it’s possible if you take the time to understand your target audience and focus on communicating the right message, at the right time.
The points listed above are an overview of some of the tactics you can use to write more compelling CTAs (there are plenty more out there!) If you’d like more advice on writing strong CTAs or would like to discuss your content requirements, you can reach me at sanina@skcopyco.com or by completing the contact form.