Calls to action – the lowdown!
What is a call to action?
A call to action (or CTA) is the element of a marketing message which aims to persuade a person to perform an act and/or respond in the way you want them to.
In other words, a CTA tells people what you want them to do, for example Call, Subscribe or Request a price.
Calls to action should be clear, concise and to the point; you need to make it easy for a potential customer to engage with you.
Why they’re important…
- To maximise engagement with your target audience
- Essential to encourage enquiries and drive sales
- Provides focus and helps to achieve the objective of your promotional campaign
How to create calls to action…
Write your call to action so that it is a clear instruction and tells your target audience exactly what you want them to do; keep the amount of words you use to a minimum. Then put yourself in your customer’s shoes and ask yourself if your call to action is simple to understand; would it be easy for someone to follow the instruction and perform the action intended?
Calls to action and promotional merchandise…
Calls to action are an important part of any marketing no matter the platform or industry, and this includes promotional merchandise. Thought must be given to what is printed on the product and what the purpose of that message is; if you don’t tell your customer what is expected of them next, the product will have little or no real promotional value.
One example that comes to mind is:
Two health-related companies wanted to drive traffic to their website. Company 1 printed their website on a pen and posted them to their clients. Company 2 also decided on a pen but printed, “Visit www.fakewebsite.com for 10 secrets to keeping your family healthy.” This was a clear and concise promised reward for visiting the website and gained the increased traffic they desired. Sadly, most companies do what Company 1 did and give little thought to how the product will be branded in order to achieve their goal.
The key to making any item of merchandise as effective as possible is to think in terms of your end goal or call to action: how the item can generate phone calls, drive people to your website or gather data on a competition entry. Whatever your goal, it usually takes more than simply putting your logo and contact information on a pencil, pen or note pad!
Utilise promotional products with a call to action to help achieve your marketing objectives! Get in touch now for product inspiration and help with that all important call to action if you’re stuck for ideas! Just give us a call on 01200 450 005 or email sales@love.tobrand.co.uk