What do you want readers to do once they’ve finished reading that piece of content you’ve just written? Download the free ebook? Sign up for that event? Or book themselves on to that free consultation?

It’s all very well and good wanting them to do that, but do they know that?

What I mean is, have you spelt it out to them? In today’s increasingly busy world, people’s attention spans are shorter than ever, which means two things:

1. You’re lucky if they have the time or make the effort to read your content in full. According to HubSpot 43% of people admit to skimming blog posts.
2. They need a bit of guidance. Readers aren’t mind readers; they need to be told (subtly) what you would like them to do next.

That’s where call to actions (CTAs) come in, if you’re using them to their full advantage, that is. Here are some pointers on making sure your CTAs a) grab people’s attention and b) make them take action.

Length

Space is limited when it comes to CTAs, so don’t waffle. Keep them short and to the point. Always.

Verbs

You want people to take the next step in the buyer journey, right? Starting CTAs with a strong command verb is proven to boost click-through rates.

For instance, if you’re writing content for an e-commerce site then use verbs such as ‘buy’, ‘order’ or ‘shop.’ However, if you’d like people to sign up to a blog or newsletter, then choose ‘subscribe’ or ‘sign up.

Language

Keep it concise and make it really easy for people to understand what they need to do in an instant. As with all forms of content, steer clear of lengthy words and jargon. However, it’s important to note: don’t be too to the point, as you may come across as being blunt.

Logic

Does what you’re asking people to do next feel natural? Where does it fit according to where they are in their buyer journey? Is it the logical next step?

For example, you wouldn’t expect readers to feel ready enough to book a consultation after just reading a top of the funnel blog however, they might be ready to read another blog or perhaps download a relevant piece of content.

Reason

What’s the advantage of people clicking on the CTA? How will they benefit? Will they save time or perhaps they’ll save money? If so, then say it! Linking CTAs to value propositions is a really effective way of creating compelling CTAs, you just need to make sure you really nail that key benefit.

Creating highly effective CTAs can be challenging, but as with all forms of content-writing, it’s possible if you take the time to understand the target audience and focus on communicating the right message, at the right time.

How many of these CTA rules do you try to incorporate into your writing? Let us know.

This post was originally published by Sanina Kaur on www.skcopyco.com. You can reach Sanina on sanina@skcopyco.com.