The Marketing Strategy Behind a Call-To-Action

One of the most frequent question I hear is: “How do you know which message to use for a landing page or advertising campaign?” It’s the right question. The wrong message will overpower good design, the right channel, and even a great giveaway. The answer is, of course, it depends on your marketing strategy. But there are really only 4 basic types of calls-to-action. You can change the language based on what you think motivates the viewer. In addition, there is good evidence that phrasing the call-to-action as an imperative (command) works well. There are also lists of different phrasing – although there are a lot of similarities as per this article. But in the end, we’re asking our prospect to do something. And there’s not a lot we can ask them to do.

The 4 Basic Calls-To-Action

There are only 4 basic calls-to-action you can offer in an advertising or marketing strategy. And how your prospects respond reflect how far they’ve advanced in their relationship of trust with you.

1.”Buy Now”

The most direct and common call-to-action is the one that expects the prospect to whip out their wallet: “buy now!” You can see “buy now” phrased different ways in different product areas. On an e-commerce catalog, that call to action may first just say “Add to Cart.” But fundamentally, we’re asking the prospect to buy the thing they’re adding to their cart. Other times, “buy now” may be phrased in terms of the product you’re looking to buy. Such as Become a Member or Build My Plan. This type of wording is much more relevant and specific to the situation and can lift response by personalizing the request. Sometimes “buy now” doesn’t involve money, but instead requires the prospect to get started with the product for free. This variation is common among “freemium” business models, products that have a free trial period, or a money-back guarantee. In all of these cases, the “buy now” call-to-action is directed at a prospect ready to commit. Depending on your product or service, this may take some time to develop. In the case of e-commerce, often the user can go from Loiterer to Buyer very quickly, so an “Add to Cart” and “Purchase Cart” makes sense. But sometimes, you need to build trust with your prospect and a “buy now” call-to-action is too much, too soon. Instead, build a marketing strategy that builds trust first, and then pounce with the “buy now” call-to-action.

2.”Fix It”

Before a prospect is ready to buy, they often just want to fix their problems – which of course, may encourage them to buy. The “fix it” call-to-action is geared towards making your prospect’s problem go away. Quick Sprout has a great “fix it” call-to-action on their home page. They identify the problem: you don’t have enough traffic. Want to fix it? Then sign up. The “fix it” call-to-action can lead to a sale, but more often it precedes it. The Shopper knows what his or her problem is and wants it fixed. Any language that encourages him or her to fix that problem qualifies. It’s a strong call-to-action and can often be used to figure out what kind of prospect you have and how best to help them. Often, “fix it” calls-to-action come in groups with the prospect choosing the one that is aligned with their need. Here, the marketing strategy is to sort prospects by need segments so you can point them in the direction of the right solution. But not all prospects have identified their problem. If a prospect is learning about your company, but hasn’t yet decided if they have the pain you’re trying to solve, then they may need another call-to-action.

3.”Better Life”

This call-to-action is the one most familiar to us on TV commercials. Because you are not likely to get up from your couch and buy something immediately, most big brands try to make you feel better about buying their product – when you finally get around to it. Think of almost every beer commercial you’ve ever seen. You’ll be sexier, have more friends, richer…. you get the idea. Sure, the “better life” is solving a problem, it’s just not one you’ve identified yet. The marketing strategy here is to simply brand a product as creating a better life – whatever that means for your perfect customer. So, this call-to-action is focusing on your felt needs, something you need, but haven’t verbalized or even thought about yet. It operates at an emotional level. The Looker responds best to the “better life” call-to-action because they want what you show – even though they didn't think they wanted it before they met you. It’s a critical way to help your prospect identify their need – even if it’s not spoken. Don’t think this call-to-action is only useful in TV advertising. It’s also critical in direct marketing. If our prospect doesn’t not immediately know or believe that they have the need you’re addressing, you’ll have to show how your product or service will create a better life. Depending on how quickly you can convince your prospect that you can provide that better life, you may have a “Get a Stress-Free Life” or “Have More Spending Money” call-to-action. This is the direct marketer’s equivalent of the beer commercial.

4. “Learn More”

The very first call-to-action in any marketing strategy to even the most unqualified prospect is “learn more.” This basic invitation is designed to be the lowest level of commitment you can ask of a prospect – simply spend some time to find out more. The “learn more” call-to-action is also one of the most commonly used online strategies to get prospects to provide information. All of content marketing is essentially a “learn more” strategy. Any free offer that teaches your prospect something they didn’t know before is a “learn more” call-to-action. They may be phrased in relation to the thing you’re teaching. For example, CrazyEgg’s website says “Show Me My HeatMap” which is actually teaching their prospect something new they didn’t know before. The Loiterer responds only to “learn more” calls-to-action because they don’t even know what you’re about yet. Keep in mind that your prospect is responding because they really do want to learn something – so don’t hide sales material behind a “learn more” call-to-action. If you think your prospect is ready to buy, then give them a “buy now” or a “fix it” call-to-action that is much more in line with their expectations.

Blending All 4 Calls-to-Action

Each and every call-to-action needs to be used with the appropriate audience. We are building trust and credibility - slowly - with each communication or piece of content. You need to match the content with the call-to-action. Don't encourage your buyer to buy and then follow up with a "Learn More" call-to-action.