Buzz Words: Call to Action

CALL-TO-ACTION

Words that urge the reader, listener, or viewer of a sales promotion message to take an immediate action, such as "Write Now," "Call Now," or (on Internet) "Click Here." A retail advertisement or commercial without a call-to-action is considered incomplete and ineffective.

definition by businessdictionary.com

Activating your audience requires a fine balance of creativity and clear direction. Before deciding on your call-to-action, it's vital to ask yourself "what's my goal?" Whether you're looking to attract new customers, increase your average sale, or introduce a new product, a call-to-action needs a goal before the creative process begins. 

This might seem like common knowledge to you, but it's easy to make the mistake of generalizing your goal. Rather than pinpointing a specific objective, you decide on a generic phrase with an implied goal. This error can make the creative process complicated and the message unclear, ultimately flatlining your efforts.

Once you clearly understand what you're looking to accomplish, you can begin speaking to your audience. "Shop now," "click here," and "subscribe" are just a few simple examples of what many businesses use to activate their audience. But the companies with the best results take a more strategic approach. To get an idea of what a great call-to-action looks like, you can check out HubSpot's list of 31 Examples you can't help but click.

One of my favorite examples of effective call-to-action is Square. They already know you're probably visiting their site because you're looking for ways to accept payments, so they skip the humdrum explanation. In three words, their call-to-action tells visitors "we have the easy solution you've been looking for, and we'll get you setup in no time."

If you already have a website or send out email campaigns, consider how you can activate your audience. Search your content for action words. Are you using a strategic call-to-action like Square, or is it time to do some brainstorming?

Remember, Bumble makes marketing simple. If you need assistance writing a call-to-action, or additional ideas for growing your business, reach out to us by clicking the "Hey Bumble" button below.

HEY BUMBLE

THE HIVE