January 2021: The Power of Compelling Calls to Action
Happy New Year, friend!
2021 is off to quite a start. Did we expect anything less?!
With so much swirling around us right now, I'm focusing this edition on a micro change you can make in seconds that will transform your website, email templates, and other marketing materials.
I’m talking about CTAs.
If I went to your website right now, how many of the following calls to action (CTAs) might I find?
“Sign up >”
“Sign up for our newsletter >”
“Join us >”
“Subscribe >”
“Join the movement >”
“Support our cause >”
“Read the blog >”
“Learn more >”
"Get involved >"
Blech. These are not motivating. We see them day in and day out. Who wants more emails just for the sake of it? Who’s jonesing to “subscribe”? And who knows what “join us” means?
Give your CTAs a makeover.
This exercise is fun, refreshing, easy to accomplish, and can significantly increase conversions. Aim to make your CTAs:
🍬 delightful
💥 pithy
❤️ user-centric
✨ unique
👍 true to your organization’s personality
In the December edition of The Good Stuff, I encouraged you to survey your fans. Here’s a great CTA example I saved from The Daily Carnage when they followed my sage advice and sent out an end-of-year survey:
Courtesy of The Daily Carnage
“Let’s Do This” is confident. It’s playful. It capitalizes on social proof, signaling that I am one of many people who will participate. And it’s intriguing; I can't resist reading those two supporting paragraphs to find out what “this” is!
Generic CTAs aren’t always avoidable. “Donate” is a good example; it’s critical that nonprofits have a big-ass “DONATE” button on every page of their websites. That said, you nonprofits can and should get creative and A/B test different ways to ask for money in other places.
For those of you selling products and services, there's nothing wrong with being straightforward with your ultimate CTA, "Purchase"—and if you're not, you risk confusing or even angering people. You can get a lot more creative earlier in the buyer journey.
Need more examples?
There are a ton of articles out there with unique CTA examples and tips to write them well. And here are three from me (that are actually real!):
1. I’m presenting at a rad virtual fundraising conference in two weeks called Raise Even More Together. It's FREE to attend with 24 hour access! There will be rapid-fire sessions, virtual networking, live coaching sessions, happy hour... it will be almost like the real-life party. If you decide to register at the VIP level (only $79 for an insane amount of value, including lifetime access to the presentations) please do so using this link! I will get a kickback and you will hold the key to a beautiful world of fundraising trainings and resources.
Attend the Virtual Fundraising Party >
(I could have just said "Register" but that's boring)
2. I’m presenting two live Charity How-To webinars later this month on how to fundraise with Facebook & Instagram advertising. These 90-minute training sessions will be in-depth and filled with pro tips. I won't be leading a detailed how-to session like this anywhere else!
(I could have just said "Register" again but that's double boring)
3. I’d love to grow this newsletter so more marketers-for-good can benefit from a pro tip each month! Will you text or email the sign-up page to three people who will benefit from The Good Stuff?
Send Your Friends The Good Stuff >
(I didn't say "Share This Newsletter" because "Share" is a task. "Send" is more fun and intentional; you're delivering a gift. In January! The recipients will be so surprised.)
I hope you have fun giving your CTAs a makeover this month. Let me know how it goes. I'd love to see some Before and Afters!
