One of the simplest ways to gain more sales, more email subscribers, or more team prospects is to include a strong call to action in all your marketing and sales materials.
A call to action is simply telling your reader what you want them to do. Phrases such as “Call now” and “Click here to buy” are examples. There is nothing complicated about a call to action, but all too often we forget to include it.
Why Is a Call to Action Important?
When writing sales copy it is obvious to you why you are writing it. You want people to purchase your product or service. So it’s easy to forget to tell them to do that. At first glance, it may seem quite unnecessary.
Think about it for a minute. People today are quite busy with their day-to-day activities. They have work and family to think about. In their spare time they have hobbies and entertainment to keep them busy. There is no shortage of things to occupy their minds. When reading a sales letter they often read what they see and that’s it.
Sure, if the reader stopped to think about it, they would realize that the copy is urging them to make a purchase. Most of the time they don’t. They think, “Gee, that sounds nice,” and go on about their business.
In an online sales letter this is even more of a problem. The Internet is full of information and your sales page is one of millions that are out there waiting to be read. You could have the most compelling sales copy in the world, but without a call to action, your sales will not be as good as they could be.
Another reason for a call to action is to let customers know what course of action they should take to purchase. If you don’t tell them to click the link or call the toll-free number to order, they may not know what they need to do. Instead of investigating they may just look elsewhere.
Where Does the Call to Action Go?
The most common place for a call to action is at the end of the sales letter right before the signature and P.S. There should definitely be a call to action in that very place. There are other places that you can add a call to action for added convenience and visibility.
If your sales letter is long you could consider putting a call to action after each main section. Some readers could make up their minds without reading all the way to the bottom. Other readers may read all the way through but go back to look over the details again. Letting them know what they need to do to order when they are ready will seal the deal.
Calls to action are important in sales and marketing copy. A few simple, well placed words may be all it takes improve your response rates. Tell your readers what to do and they’re more likely to do it.
