The most important element of any copywriting is the call to action at the end of your blog, video, podcast, or social media post.

After filling your next high-end client head with images of their wonderful new life that your product or offer is going to give them, you have to tell them exactly what to do in order to make it happen.

This is usually at the end of your content and it’s to get your reader’s attention to do something, to take action because if they don’t, they are going to remain stuck, disorganized, or not hitting the goals they set out to accomplish in life or business.

And your offer, whether it’s a free or paid offer, is part of all of the solutions to their never-ending problem. This could be in the form of a support group like a Facebook Group, downloadable, or an actual program you want to fill up where they get support and guidance from you.

When you have a call to action, you need to give them a nudge to take action.  

The Elements of a Good Call to Action

The call to action is short and very clear. It tells your next high-end client the one simple action they need to take in order to get these wonderful benefits.

Don’t get caught up in too much language as it could confuse or downplay how amazing your call to action is.

Your content should emphasize the change that’s going to happen in the reader’s life, business, time, freedom, or whatever else they are seeking.

For example, “click here” or “subscribe now” are pretty weak calls to action. They’re very clear in what they’re instructing the reader to do, but they don’t touch on the benefits.

A better call to action is something like, “Get Access Now.” It emphasizes the “getting.” And Access implies that not everyone is going to get access; it feels more limited. And it focuses on the end result that you’ve been promising the reader throughout your content.

Calls to action should be short, but you can include a few key benefits as bullet points. Keep the wording as short as possible and make each word count. Use active verbs like “get”, “receive”, “download”, “claim”, and words that imply for the reader (aka your client) to take and some source of action.

Always refer back to the benefits of your call to action. For example, my benefits are getting more eyeballs on your business, making more money, and gaining more clients through your marketing strategies. 

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Guarantees and Urgency

Two things that really spice up a call to action are guarantees and urgency.

A guarantee removes that final doubt from the reader’s mind. It tells them they don’t need to worry about anything and reminds them of your refund policy (if you have one). The guarantee should say to the reader, “You have nothing to lose.” 

Amy Porterfield has a guarantee that if you’re not happy with any of her products, you can ask for a refund with proof of work within 60 days. Some products of mine, I offer 14 to 30 day back guarantees. 

It is up to you if you want to offer a guarantee or how long you want it to last. There’s not a “right” or “wrong” answer here, so you’ll have to do what you feel is best for your business.

Now, urgency adds a time element. It could be something as simple as adding the word “now” as in the example above or it could be more serious, like a time limit for the offeror limited supply. 

The urgency could also be limited spots or for a certain time frame. Marie Forelo makes it very clear that her B-School course will only come out once a year; when it’s available, it’s there. Once it’s gone, you’ll have to wait until next year.

Some businesses set it up where they only open a program once a year for a certain number of people and if you want in, you better jump on it then and there.

Urgency tells the reader to act now before its gone; this also weeds out the people who are not serious and gets the ones who are into your next program quicker.

Formatting and Your Call to Action

Formatting is just as important as the wording you use. Your client has to be able to find the call to action without looking too hard.

It should be placed on the website, at the end of your blog, video, podcast, or whatever other content you’re using in such a way that it stands out from all of the other text.

Use different colors to differentiate or pictures to indicate what to do. Consider placing bigger buttons where your next client can click and get your offer, product, or download easier.

Testing Your Call to Action

There are many elements of your copy that you can test and the call to action is one of the most important. One way to test your call to action is to run A/B test on your content and experiment with the wording, formatting, and elements of your call to action. 

Run and test your call to action for a month or so to determine what works and what doesn’t work. Also, do it consistently during that timeframe. Don’t do it once or twice and give up; do it consistently, no matter what, for 30 days or more and then determine what to do from there.

One way to put your call to action to the test consistently for the next 30-days is to get the Ultimate Content Calendar.

The Ultimate Content Calendar is going to help you stay consistent, know what to say and do on certain days of the week, and to journal and capture what is happening and working within that time frame with ease and confidence.

Download Now to start planning and executing your call to action testing!