When it comes to CTA advertising, the call to action almost always leads back to your website. Make sure you’re turning clicks into conversions by putting your best message forward. Our tips for designing your website’s pages for killer call-to-actions, is just one of 10 B2B website design trends that are driving conversions, that will help you make the most out of your digital presence.

We’ve heard the benefits of B2B content, influencer, and social marketing. Their use creates organic reach and lead generation. Campaigns scale with each new piece and connection.

Organic marketing and outreach are effective for businesses on any budget type.

But:

The business fails if it cannot reach and maintain market penetration. Established businesses experience market loss from up-and-coming competitors, too. Pitching organic strategies is a hard sell to demanding directors with high-performance expectations.

CTA advertising expedites market penetration. CTA ads cut through marketing and channel noise. It provides instant results upon roll-out, satisfying investors and maintaining a competitive edge.

Central to CTA ad’s effectiveness is its call-to-action.

Don’t know what this is? Read on, and find out.

CTA Advertising 101: The What, Why, and How

Online ad spending will likely reach nearly $220-billion by 2020. This is quadruple traditional ad spend and 42% more than television.

People see more than 5,000 ads a day. Most ads fall on deaf ears and blind views because people are good at tuning out advertising. Those willing to entertain the ad will decide if it has value within seconds.

Here’s what to know about creating a call-to-action and hook:

Call to Actions: What They Are

Call to Actions, or CTA’s, are statements used to encourage engagement.

Call to action examples include:

• Buy a product
• Subscribe to a service
• Follow an account
• Sign up to a list
• Share content
• Call for information
• Email to ask questions

…really, any action a business desires.

The CTA is, essentially, the closer to a pitch. CTA’s remove the ambiguity one may have after absorbing an ad or marketing message. It defines what you want individuals to do now having heard the sales pitch.

The pitch and CTA lead individuals into the marketing/sales funnel.

Why Use CTA Advertising

Think of CTA advertising as the primary lead source for the sales/marketing funnel. The advertising A) introduces the subject, and B) provides the direction to close the sale.

Visualize it as so:

• Top: CTA Ads
• Middle: Sales Page
• Bottom: Checkout

The advertising qualifies leads through targeting, creative (design), and copy (text). This narrows lead generation by removing unresponsive users. And, resonating with interested parties.

In short: It cuts through the noise to attract your intended customer.

CTA’s in Advertising

All advertising forms use CTA advertising:

• Newspaper
• Radio
• Television
• Web
• Billboards
• Flyers

…and the list goes on.

Remember, the CTA is what you’re telling someone viewing the ad to do. This could include “take Exit 58” to “Call Us Now”. The CTA is one part of the ad’s entirety — all-the-more reason to refine and perfect its creation.

Call to Actions: What You Need Before Writing

It’s challenging and intimidating crafting CTAs with an unlimited combination of words. Add advertising costs and many are afraid of making costly mistakes.

Market research is the catalyst for creating great calls to actions. The more about your audience and market you know, the better the CTA. Follow along before any effort is placed into writing call to actions.

Understand Your Audience

What’s the difference between the general audience and targeted lead? This question is a constant reminder while developing a lead/customer profile.

Answer questions including:

1. Age
2. Demographics
3. Income
4. Education
5. Experience

The answers to these questions define the customer persona. The persona aligns the call to action, resonating signals they need and expect.

The CTA embeds an emotional response, like:

• Opportunity
• Exclusivity
• Urgency
• Value

Create a spreadsheet outlining 2-3 customer personas. Use the spreadsheet to visualize customers while crafting the call to actions.

Define the CTA Purpose

Define the CTA’s sole intent and purpose.

Will it encourage:

• Newsletter Signup?
• Coupon claim?
• Subscription?
• Trial offer?
• Purchase?

The intent and purpose shape the CTA’s copy (wording). It’s modified by the audience and the campaign’s goal.

Answer this: What action do I want my user doing?

Create a CTA Swipe File

Some create brilliant CTAs on a whim while others need research and repeated trial & error. Use competitor efforts if you consider yourself the latter.

Why you should create a swipe file:

• Ads are costly meaning competitors tested and refined the copy
• Discover trends and formats you may use for inspiration

Browse competitor websites noting their CTAs. Search Google using an industry keyword, noting the CTA ads displayed in results. Screenshot and copy/record the ad’s copy.

Repeat this a dozen times creating examples for each CTA format.

How to Write a Call to Action that Gets Clicks

There’s no exact routine with creating the call to actions. It’s a creative process drawing experience and inspiration. The prior research reveals the best practices used to craft these ad elements.

But: The call to action in writing has a semblance of structure.

Part 1: CTA Idea Generation

This is the secret to writing CTAs:

1. Write
2. Write more
3. Keep writing

It’s the concept behind any great pitch: You stream ideas until you’re exhausted.

Write a hundred call-to-actions visualizing each mentioned aloud to your intended audience. Imagine their reaction, and keep writing.

Use modifiers to expand the list, like:

• Free versus No Cost
• Get versus Subscribe
• Learn versus Shop

…and other variances you’ll think throughout the process.

Part 2: Complimenting Design

Text-based CTAs are good-to-go once you’re happy with their wording. Some CTAs combine designs requiring extra effort, though.

Account the:

• Button — Its size, shape, and placement
• Colors — Its use of complementary or contrasting colors
• Font — Its font family, size, and emphasis

These little changes shape the CTA’s impact. There are subtleties between examples like “Buy Now” and “BUY NOW”. Experiment with the copy and creative further creating alternatives you’ll use and test.

Part 3: Test It

Verify the call-to-actions using A/B testing:

1. Display a CTA and collect feedback to create a baseline
2. Show a variant of the original design and collect feedback
3. Compare the data and use the one with better feedback

Build upon the high-performing CTAs and repeat this process tirelessly to improve engagement.

We’d Love to Work With You

Do you need help crafting great copy for your CTA advertising? Afraid your DIY efforts will cost too much money because it’s untested? Our CTA is easy!

Take a look at our Digital Marketing page to see just how we can help with your CTA needs! Give us a call (713-244-6643) or use the handy ‘Chat with Us’ to get started on your content now!