I’ve seen more than a few great marketing campaigns fail due to the lack of a clear call-to-action (CTA). Some campaigns have multiple CTAs that confuse the prospect while others don’t have a CTA at all. In both cases the end result is the same, a lot of work for very few responses.
In this post, we’ll provide a CTA checklist that will help ensure the success of your B2B marketing campaigns.
Set a Measurable Goal
I know this one seems super obvious, but this step is all too often ignored. Before executing any campaign, a measurable goal needs to be defined. What are you trying to accomplish with your CTA? You can’t measure the success of a campaign if it does not have a clear goal. Write down your goal as the first step — the clearer the better.
Goal Example:
Get 50 registrations for next month’s webinar.
Use an Action-Oriented CTA
Avoid generic terms like “submit” or “click here,” and don’t be bossy. Action-oriented words and phrases that describe the end result or value the prospect will receive are less demanding, convey greater value, and ultimately result in more responses.
| Generic | Action-Oriented |
| Register | Save My Spot |
| Submit | Start My Free Trial |
Make your CTA Stand Out
How many times have you seen the word “here” linked in the text of an email? As often as you’ve seen it, I bet there are just as many times that you’ve read over it and not seen it. It’s also not great for email accessibility, as Cara Weese points out in this blog post about email accessibility.
When using hyperlinks in the body of text, avoid single words like “here,” “click,” and “more.” Make your CTA stand out by linking phrases that describe what the reader will receive.
Bad Example:
The Spot is a community resource for marketers whose tech stacks include Salesforce clouds and tools. Click here to view our latest tips, tricks, and solutions.
Good Example:
The Spot is a community resource for marketers whose tech stacks include Salesforce clouds and tools. Click here to view our latest tips, tricks, and solutions.
Prioritize CTAs
The best advice that I can give you is to provide a single CTA when possible. The easier you can make it for prospects to understand what you are asking them to do, the better.
However, anybody who has spent any time in marketing has fallen victim to the manager who wants to add “just one more thing” to your well-thought-out email moments before it goes out. While this often has the intent of optimizing communications being sent, the reality is that it often detracts from the message, muddies the water, and reduces the overall number of responses.
When this happens, make sure your primary CTA is the most visible action and is displayed in the most prominent location — above the fold.
Verify CTAs & Messaging
Before your campaign is released into the wild, be sure to double check your CTAs and related landing pages. The first step is to ensure that your CTA link is live and going to the correct destination. Equally important is the content on the destination page.
Make sure your destination page delivers on the promise made by the CTA. If you are linking to a landing page or form, make sure that it’s consistent and builds upon the story.
Keep in mind that the content on the destination page should not be exactly the same as the message that was sent. Instead, it should be used to continue the conversation by providing additional details and information that supports and enhances the original message.
Test & Optimize
You’ve mulled over multiple ideas and CTAs in your head and finally came up with the option that you know will knock your goal out of the park. Now’s the time to deploy!
Wrong – Now is the time to test.
Before fully deploying your campaign, perform an A/B test to optimize your CTA. Test variables like CTA text, button color, page layout, and location. The results might surprise you!
Don’t Settle for a Lackluster CTA
The CTA is one of the most important components of a successful campaign. Failing to put in the time and effort when developing your CTA can make the difference between achieving or falling short of your goals. Use the checklist from this post to ensure the success of your marketing campaigns.
