When creating emails for your marketing campaign, you may be wondering if it’s worth adding in a call to action (CTA). Should you put one in your emails – if so, where should you put it? What makes a good email call to action? All of these questions will be answered as you continue reading!
What is a call to action (CTA) email?
A CTA email is an email that directs readers to complete a specific action. You’re encouraging them to do something – in emails, this usually means clicking a link. The link could take them to a product page where they buy something, a service page where they subscribe or anything else.
The “action” is dependent on your business and your marketing campaign. The CTA usually consists of some text telling someone to “click here”, though it could also be a button for them to press.
What makes a good call-to-action email?
CTAs only work when they’re good and encourage audiences to complete the action. As a result, a great call-to-action email will include a variety of features.
The features of a good CTA email
- Offer value to the reader – A call-to-action email is pointless if it doesn’t offer value to the reader. Ensure you clearly demonstrate what they gain from completing the action. Display and explain the benefits they’ll receive after completing the desired action.
- Must be clear and obvious – Your CTA has to be obvious to everyone that reads it. You need a phrase or words that tell the user what to do. If your call to action is too complicated or long-winded, nobody will be interested.
- Should stand out – Lastly, your call-to-action needs to stand out in the email. It should be easy for people to spot and click on. Studies show that button-based CTAs have a 127% better click-through rate as they’re easier to spot!
How to write a call to action email that converts
You know the features of a good call-to-action email, but how do you write one that actually converts? It’s not as hard as you think; there are just a handful of simple steps to follow
Steps for writing a CTA email
- Decide on the action – Before you do anything else, decide what action you want people to complete. Are you trying to sell a product, gain subscribers or what?
- Approach it from the reader’s perspective – Think about what the reader might want from you. What are they likely to be interested in? What could you do to persuade them to click your CTA? Write marketing emails that don’t focus on you or your product/service, but focus on what your product/service can do for the reader. Explain why their life will be better if they click on your CTA.
- Make it clear what happens when they click your CTA – Readers don’t want to click on something without knowing what will happen. The text for your call to action must clearly detail what will happen when clicked. For example, you could have a button that says “Click here to claim your discount” and the reader knows what to expect. Ambiguous CTAs never get clicked!
- Ensure your CTA stands out – We mentioned this earlier, but it’s crucial your call to action jumps out on the page. Avoid using hyperlinks in the text and opt for buttons instead.
- Make it personal – Personalisation makes a huge difference in email marketing. Create dynamic content in the email that displays things the user is interested in. Research shows that personalisation can increase CTR by 14%.
If you follow these steps, you’ll have a call-to-action email that genuinely converts and helps you make more money from your marketing campaign.
Email CTA examples
There are tonnes of examples of email CTAs you can use to increase conversions and boost revenue. Here are some of the most common ones you see:
- Click Here To Claim Your Unique Discount
- Order Now For X% Off
- Click Here For Your Free Download
- Claim Your Free Gift Here
- Learn More Here
- Book Your Tickets Today
- Sign Up Now
- Register Today
As you can see, there are loads of ways you can use CTAs depending on the action you’re getting people to complete. All of them are short, succinct and get straight to the point.
Don’t forget, good call-to-action emails must be paired with landing pages. With Instiller, we can help you create landing pages to match your emails and boost conversions – while also handling email automation and plenty of other tasks. Click here to learn more about our white label email marketing platform.