Great content converts. You’re a compelling writer. You share useful information. You get all kinds of traffic through your content marketing channels.
So why aren’t you converting more of those leads?
Creating valuable content takes a lot of time, effort, and brainpower. But your content must do more than simply inform. It must clarify the next step.
A call to action (CTA) is the critical part of your content marketing. It’s the trigger that leads the visitor to engage in a meaningful next step with your organization — whether that step is engaging the audience in the comments, finding more content, or buying your product or service.
Most of us understand that CTAs are essential for content marketing. But the best way to frame our calls to action isn’t always clear. To complicate matters (in a good way), the rise of behavioral targeting offers new, more effective ways to engage prospects using dynamic calls to action.
Weaving a call to action into your content marketing follows a different (although related) formula than your typical website content. What are the different types of CTAs content marketers can use?
The three tiers of CTAs
To simplify how we approach the call to action, it makes sense to categorize the different types according to what they accomplish. Brafton, a content marketing agency out of Boston, separates CTAs into three distinct tiers, with an emphasis on making the spectrum of calls to action on any given page relevant to the content itself. They use the approach for consulting clients, as well as on their own website.
Tier 1: Soliciting the sale
According to Katherine Griwert, head of marketing content & communications for Brafton, “The first tier for CTAs is the commercially focused ‘Buy Now’ command, which should be responsive to what the intended reader is likely interested in buying. This is the link that takes your visitor from the content to the next step in forming a business relationship or making the sale.”
American Express OPEN Forum offers a strong look at how user-generated content can power enterprise content marketing. Accompanying the typical top navigation to sift through content is a clear call to action: “Apply for a Card.”
Tier 2: Capturing the lead
The second tier for CTAs catches visitors while they’re considering your company, product, or service. Many of us use these commands to collect email addresses through newsletter sign-up, white paper download forms, and other lead-gen tactics. For instance, a blog post on a topic your brand has covered in depth in a white paper presents the perfect opportunity to invite visitors to download the related long-form content.
Even a page focused on selling might be a good place for a related call to action. Problogger, for example, sells its book Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income through a microsite associated with the blog itself. To the right of the page, Problogger asks visitors that aren’t ready to purchase the book to join the website’s email list in the meantime.
Tier 3: Nurturing the relationship
Third-tier CTAs may point to other onsite content or encourage the visitor to post a comment — anything that takes your prospect deeper into your brand and its expertise.
Some of the time, we place these calls to action in the content itself. For example, a hyperlink in a blog post to related information on your site is a good example of third-tier CTA. If a prospect navigates to a landing page to download an eBook, the site may point to a webinar covering similar content, in case the visitor prefers interactive content.
Each tier plays its role. Implementing them follows a four-step process.
A step-by-step guide to using calls to action in content marketing
Content marketers should always follow rigorous guidelines for implementing calls to action—whether they plan to weave hyperlinks into their content or develop buttons or banners.
According to Maggie Georgieva of HubSpot, misleading CTAs are a common mistake made by marketers and advertisers alike. “Not long ago, we spent some time looking through ads on the New York Times and studying what happens after the click,” she explains. “Too often, we found a huge gap between the promise of the ad and where it actually took us.”
In some cases, Maggie explained, the landing page that followed the ad was too cluttered. In others, the call to action promised a lighthearted destination. The landing page, on the other hand, asked her to spend money.
Avoid these kinds of mistakes by following a step-by-step process for creating your own CTAs.
Step 1: Write copy that gets specific, touts benefits, and uses keywords.
Actionable, specific language is the most important part of writing your call-to-action copy. “The internet is full of vague information,” Maggie says. “By using exact language with the audience, they’re more willing to invest the time.” For example, a specific CTA might mention the number of pages in an eBook or the length of a webinar.
CTAs also resonate better when they highlight the benefit to the audience. If you’re encouraging a demo or conversation with the sales team, tell audience members what they get out of it. For a soft sell like a newsletter sign-up, lead with “Stay Up to Date on Industry News” or another benefit-oriented line. If you sell productivity software, your ‘Buy Now’ command may look something like “Click to Save 5 Hours a Week.”
Productivity software developer Evernote features a benefit-led call to action on its blog. In the upper right corner, the CTA explains that members can “Get the story behind Evernote’s technology” by clicking on the badge.
Step 2: Design contrasting buttons and shallow navigation.
CTA buttons and banners should stand out through contrasting colors — but which colors you use may be less important than you think.
“Someone once told me, ‘I’ve never not clicked a call to action because it was deep purple instead of bright blue,’” Katherine Griwert of Brafton explains. “Content marketers should consider other design priorities, like using brand-appropriate colors or creating a recognizable custom icon to pair with your CTAs.”
Created by L’Oreal, Makeup.com exemplifies an eye-catching color contrast. The site itself is full of vibrant colors that work well for a makeup website. But in the lower corner of the fold, you find a CTA pointing to Giorgio Armani foundation — a product from one of L’Oreal’s makeup brands. The black box contrasts well against the whites and pastels of other content.
User-friendliness is also a factor. If a visitor clicks on a CTA, shallow navigation and a simple path from start to finish increase the likelihood that the visitor will complete the desired action. In the Makeup.com example, clicking the advertisement leads you immediately to a related product page, simplifying the path to the purchase.
Make sure your call to action has room to breathe. A CTA jammed between layers of other content won’t do you any favors. Make it pop, ensuring visitors know exactly how to take action.
Step 3: Weigh your CTAs and prioritize them.
Assuming your ‘Buy Now’ command is your most important isn’t always correct. Your highest priority CTA should be paired with the content, depending on where your prospect is in the sales process.
For example, if your visitor reads an introductory blog post, chances are they are unfamiliar with your brand and not quite ready to buy. The CTA should point them towards more advanced content — instead of the contact page or shopping cart.
Organize business goals and identify success metrics. Use quarterly goals to prioritize CTAs for pages that lack simple ways to identify the audience (like your home page or “about” section). The placement of your CTAs depends on how you prioritize them.
Step 4: Place the most important CTAs in the upper right hand corner, above the fold.
According to Katherine, industry benchmarks say the upper right corner of the screen is where CTAs perform more effectively. “The majority of your calls to action should fit above the fold. Placement on the page should reflect the hierarchy of your business goals.”
Copyblogger, for instance, prominently features a lead-gen CTA in the top right corner of its blog, asking readers to sign up for its email newsletter.
While it’s generally best to follow these concepts, testing audience responsiveness regularly is still the best way to figure out what works and what doesn’t.” Other great places to insert CTAs include:
- At the end of the article
- Within the content itself, as long as it doesn’t interrupt the flow
- In a right-hand sidebar
- On a top banner
How does your organization develop CTAs? Share your strategies with us in the comments.
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