Mastering the Art of Email CTAs: How to Create Compelling Email Call-to-Actions That Boost Your Click-Through Rates

Email CTAs are crucial to the success of your email marketing efforts. To help you boost your click-through rates and conversions, we’ve put together some practical tips for creating compelling CTAs that get results.

Is your email hitting the customer’s inbox? Awesome! Are they actually doing something about it? Well, that’s where having a mighty call-to-action comes into play. Even if your customers are interested in taking the next step, they might not know what that step is unless you explicitly spell it out for them in your message. Sending out emails to your customers is one thing, but getting them to act on them is another story. The secret sauce to a successful email campaign? A killer calls to action in every single message. Without it, your customers may be left scratching their heads, wondering what to do next. So don’t leave them hanging – guide them towards that next step with a clear and compelling CTA.

To keep your customers engaged with your brand, it’s important to tell them what to do next. Without a CTA, your recipient may decide to unsubscribe instead of becoming a paying customer. So, even if your email looks great and has personalized content, it won’t help if you don’t clearly state what you want them to do.

What is an email CTA?

A call-to-action (CTA) in email marketing refers to a clickable button or text link that leads users to a specific website chosen by the brand. The purpose of a CTA is to encourage users to take action, whether it be exploring the brand’s website, checking out its products, or accessing other resources. When users click on these links, they can navigate to the brand’s home page or product page, where they can learn more about the brand and its offerings, and possibly even make a purchase.

The addition of simple buttons can significantly improve the effectiveness of an email marketing campaign. These short lines of text enable marketers better to gauge the performance of their digital marketing efforts and determine the necessary steps to achieve success. If you’re a business owner or marketer, you likely understand the significance of a powerful email marketing plan. However, even if you send out excellent emails that contain captivating content, your outcomes may not be as you desire if you don’t incorporate compelling calls-to-action (CTAs).

Crafting a persuasive or compelling call-to-action can:

  • Streamline decision-making: By providing clear, straightforward directives, you can guide your clients through the user journey with minimal confusion, reducing decision fatigue.
  • Direct your audience: An unambiguous call-to-action minimizes the likelihood of your audience leaving your page because they feel lost or overwhelmed, directing them towards the desired action.
  • Boost conversion rates: The more people you persuade to follow your CTAs, the more potential leads, customers, and prospects you can generate.

Did you know? Emails with a single Call-to-Action increased clicks 371% and sales 1617%.

Make sure to have a call-to-action (CTA) in every touchpoint your audience has with your brand. Without a clear CTA, your brilliant sales emails become worthless. We’ll show you common mistakes to avoid when crafting email CTAs in the next section. Before diving into these mistakes, if you’re a business owner we recommend that you hire a professional copywriter that can take the hassle away of creating compelling and converting content. Wright is a copywriting agency that can support you in all your content creation and copywriting tasks.

5 Common Mistakes in Writing Email CTAs

Not including a CTA at all

If you fail to provide a clear call-to-action (CTA) in your email, the recipient may skip to the next email or, worse, delete yours without responding. To prevent this, make sure to end your email with a CTA that explicitly instructs the recipient on the next step to take, even if you believe you have already conveyed it implicitly throughout the email.

Including too many CTAs

Do not make the mistake of assuming that the prospect will reply more frequently if your email has more CTAs. In reality, most people have the opposite result from this. Prospects may become overwhelmed by this and become paralyzed by their options. Include 1-2 CTAs in the email to make things easier, placing the most crucial CTA at the end of the email.

Your CTA is unclear

Prospects are strongly discouraged by a CTA that sends a conflicting message, is unnecessarily complex, or is imprecise since they won’t know what to do next. Make sure the guidance in your CTA is clear, concise, and detailed. In the CTA button, be sure to make it obvious if you want them to click a link or not.

Your CTA is too diffucult

Don’t make things awkward when trying to convince your target to buy from you. If your CTA is too pushy, it might cause even the interested ones to back off. Keep it simple, and easygoing, and nudge them in the right direction without any pressure.

You’re asking for too much too soon

When you send cold emails to potential customers, don’t pressure them too much. Avoid CTAs that demand a lot of time or personal information, or require a big investment. Instead, use a simple CTA that provides more information about your business or product without any obligation or cost for them.

how to create email call-to-action

5 Email call-to-action copy tips

Use action-oriented text

The point of a call-to-action is to prompt action, so use words that catch readers’ attention. Avoid dull phrases like “submit,” “enter,” and “click here” in favor of more exciting verbs like “get,” “read,” and “try.” Then, pair these verbs with text that describes your offer. For example:

  • Claim your free trial
  • Download your guide now
  • Book your appointment today

Make your button text large

Your call-to-action button text should be readable, but not so large that it looks offensive. People tend to dislike overly large text, so make sure your button text is attention-grabbing, but not too overwhelming. To make your CTA more noticeable, use a different color, bold font, or other design elements that make it stand out from the rest of the email. Place it in a prominent spot, preferably near the top of the email, so that it’s easy to find without having to scroll down.

Keep your CTA short

As we mentioned before, using big and active words in your CTA is important. To make it effective, keep the text short and light. Ideally, it should be two or three words, but you can go up to five or six at most.

Try switching to the first person

One study found that using first-person phrasing like “Start my free trial” instead of second-person phrasing like “Start your free trial” increased clicks by 90%. Although results may vary depending on the product and brand, it’s worth trying out. Consider changing your CTA button text to first-person phrasing.

For example, “Save my spot” or “Get my free ebook.”

Create urgency

When crafting a call-to-action (CTA), one effective technique to consider is incorporating a sense of urgency. Urgency implies that there is a need for action, which can motivate readers to click on the button or link. It creates a fear of missing out (FOMO), which can be a powerful motivator for consumers. One way to add urgency to your CTA is to use words or phrases that convey a sense of time limitation, such as “now,” “today only,” or “limited time offer.” This can make the offer seem more valuable and desirable, encouraging readers to take action before time runs out.

For example, “50% off” is a good deal, but “50% off today only” implies that the offer is time-sensitive, and readers need to act quickly to take advantage of it.

BONUS! Test your buttons and optimize

The effectiveness of your calls to action is critical in attracting and prompting people to click, so it’s imperative to get them right. If you haven’t tried A/B testing yet, starting with call-to-action buttons can be a good idea, as even minor modifications can have a significant impact. Remember, there is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to the best button that works for everyone. Therefore, it’s worth experimenting with various CTAs and placements to determine what resonates with your audience. Monitor your outcomes and make changes as needed to increase your click-through rates and conversions.

To sum it up, the importance of email CTAs cannot be overstated when it comes to boosting the performance of your email marketing efforts. Utilizing persuasive language, selecting appropriate design elements, and experimenting with different variations can lead to significant improvements in click-through rates and conversions. By regularly testing and optimizing your email CTAs, you can maximize the impact of your email campaigns and achieve your desired marketing outcomes.

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