How to Write a Call to Action that Works

By: Carol Dorman

In any marketing piece, the call to action is, arguably, the most important part. A snappy headline may grab the readers' attention while the body of the message outlines why they absolutely must have the advertised product, but it is the call to action that tells them how to get it.

Writing an effective call to action does take practice, however, there is a S.U.R.E. way to remember the basics:

Specific - Tell your reader exactly what you want him to do. For example, instead of saying "buy our widget" say "call us now on 1300WIDGET and you can be widgeting away in just three days!"

Urgency - Add a sense of urgency to your call to action. Using terms like Act Now, Call Today and Limited Offer will instil a notion that this offer really must be taken up now.

Reinforce - Reinforce the reasons why the reader simply must have this product. State the benefits again in abbreviated form. For example: "Call us today on 1300ALIENCRAFT and experience your very own extraterrestrial adventure."

Entice - Offer something extra to entice the reader to take action. It may be a free report or extra month's membership - whatever it is, ensure that it is something that the reader will value. In the case of our space buffs above, the enticement may go something like:
"Remember, the first 200 to order receive a free working replica of the First Contact space craft that landed at Parliament House in 2008."

Futuristic fairy tales aside, implementing the S.U.R.E. system will help you to write calls to action that motivate your market and get your products moving. A surefire way to success.