How to Make Powerful Calls to Action Phrases in 3 Steps

Adding calls to action phrases doesn’t just increase visitors and sales; they are expected by people to the point that they are practically familiar user interface elements. Don’t leave them off; it confuses users. Having calls to action phrases is now a necessary part of pages, websites, newsletters, and branding.

A call to action (CTA) is a marketing term that refers to the written prompt that leads to an immediate response or sale a business/brand wants its audience to take. In marketing, calls to action phrases are used to generate leads (grabbing the attention of potential customers that are a part of your target audience who may be interested in your tool, product, or service), turn browsing visitors into paying clients, and guide customers through sales tunnels easily, quickly, and with good user experience.

Calls to action are used in:

• Buttons,
• Emails,
• Landing Pages,
• Newsletters,
• Pop-ups,
• Banners.

Calls to Action phrases can be made in 3 steps:

• Start with an action verb.
• Adding a noun or prepositional phrase.
• Perfect it with decorations.

Benefits of calls to action

Marketing

A benefit of having calls for action is branding. It makes your brand stand out from your competition and builds brand identity. For marketing purposes, it makes it easier to tell what you do, what your values are, why consumers should favor your brand, etc. It helps distinguish your posts and other content on social media as yours and leads viewers to your site. Make sure to have your logo here, too. As well as making your brand more recognizable, having calls to action makes you/the brand seem more professional and trustworthy to consumers.

Get Immediate Responses

An effective and personalized call to action phrase will get a good portion of users to do what you want them to without annoying them. You will get a fast rise in subscribers, potential customers, or whatever your goal is. 

Boost Advertising/Sales

Calls to action phrases get people’s attention without aggravating users (assuming you don’t have too many calls to action). This will make people remember you and use your services more, boosting sales. This is why calls to action are one of the most effective marketing techniques available to all businesses and brands.

Audience Interaction

Acknowledge User’s Needs/Wants

Calls to action are molded to the specific audience/lead that the business/brand thinks most wants to do the action the call asks for. This specific mold should be based on what the intended users’ problems and pain points (user personas and red route matrixes are helpful for identifying these) are expected to be. The call to action should either address the user’s needs and wants to fix their problem, or it should directly state the solution to the problem that does not need to be mentioned.

Fight Decision Fatigue

Decision fatigue is when someone is faced with too many options to choose from and/or too many decisions in a row all at once. Calls to action gives one choice with two options, and this choice usually leads directly to a form or product page, leaving little chance of the visitor being overwhelmed.

Grow Your Audience

Since calls to action can be placed in emails, posts, tweets, and newsletters, they are a great way to get more subscribers, visitors, and potential customers (and loyal fans too if you have a good product).

Direct User’s Actions

Too many images to look at, too many text boxes to read, and too many choices will overwhelm users and confuse them. One large call to action in the middle of the screen will get users attention and focus it to the one thing you want them to do most.

How to make Calls to Action Phrases

Calls to action phrases can be made by starting with an action verb, adding a noun or prepositional phrase, and perfecting it with decorations.

Start with an Action Verb

Action verbs suggest movement, work, or other activity. As such, they are perfect for getting visitors/potential customers to do something. Starting a call to action with an action verb, makes the clause a command, and thus a complete sentence: ‘you’ (the implied subject) do something (action verb). Here is a list of action verbs to get you started:

Adding a Noun, Adverb, and/or Prepositional Phrase

Verbs don’t do much without a direction or supporting phrase or clause. Keeping in mind that calls to action phrases should be around 2-6 words (minimal is better) long, finish calls to action phrases with one of the following.

Noun

A noun is the part of speech that is a person, place, or thing, which includes physical and abstract objects. Proper nouns are names of places, people, eras of time, works of art, etc. A noun clause is a clause that takes the place of a noun. A good test is that this clause should be replaceable by it, something, or someone. In ‘Whatever you said hurt her feelings’, ‘whatever you said’ is a noun clause.  Place a noun after the commanding action verb to complete the sentence. Here are a few examples:

• Sign here.
• Join our list.
• Take a chance.
• Find what you’re looking for.
• Get this offer.
• Grab this opportunity.
• Claim your free trial.
• Give whatever you can afford.
• Need help?

Adverb

Adverbs are words that modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. Adverbs can be words like: quickly, very, necessary, well, badly, towards, a lot, never, and later. Adverbs explain and expand on how much, how far, when, in what way, and how often. An adverb clause is a clause that starts with a subordinating clause and functions as an adverb, which modifies a verb, adverb, or adjective and is movable in the sentence. When adverb clauses are at the start of a sentence, they are set off with a comma. Place an adverb or adverb clause after the action verb to strengthen the verb and be more specific. Here are some examples:

• Call now.
• Schedule an appointment Immediately.
• Start saving now.
• Sign-up today.
• Learn more.
• Tell us how we’re doing.
• Click here.
• Since supplies are limited, shop now.

Prepositional Phrase

Prepositions are words that show spatial or temporal relationships between nouns (usually). Most prepositions will fill in the black of the phrase ‘the mouse went ____ the box’. Other prepositions include ‘but’, ‘as’, and ‘since’. Prepositions can function as adverbs and adjectives in a sentence. Place a prepositional phrase after the commanding action verb to add details. Here are some examples:

• Sign up to claim your free book.
• Leave a comment in the box below.
• Add us to brighten your day.
• Shop now for savings.
• Click here for our options.

Perfect it by Adding Decorations

Images

Most people are visual learners so they like to have visual cues that indicate what to look at or where to go. Do this by reinforcing your call to action with images and logos. This includes cartoons, graphics, and photographs (yes, stock images too). Since most people are visual learners, use beautiful yet relevant images to reinforce your call to action.

It is best to use/make your own to avoid copyright and make your message unique.  If possible images, particularly cartoons and graphics should be flatter rather than 3D; this makes the image smoother and more a part of the overall design.

Colors

Buzzwords

Finally, add words that attract consumers’ attention. These words are often found in clickbait-ish titles and the most effective advertisements. Here are a few of them:

Summary

A call to action (CTA) is a marketing term that refers to the written prompt that leads to an immediate response or sale a business/brand wants its audience to take. In marketing, calls to action phrases are used to generate leads, turn browsing visitors into paying clients, and guide customers through sales tunnels easily, quickly, and with good user experience. Calls to Action phrases can be made in 2 steps:

• Start with an action verb.
• Adding a noun or prepositional phrase.
• Perfect it with decorations.