Sending an email doesn’t guarantee that your recipient will take action. Create a compelling call to action and get the boost in response (or sales) that you need without lifting a finger!
Anyone writing an email will tell you that they’re dreaming of the thousands of visitors coming to their site, or purchasing their products and services simply on the merit of a single email. While this scenario isn’t entirely realistic, there are ways that you can optimize the call to action (CTA) on your email, and boost responses from 2-4 percent up to 11-15 percent depending on the audience and the offer. Even a not-so-great offer can take on a life of its own if the messaging is consistent, on brand and timely for the reader. Want to improve the responsiveness of each business email leaving your building? Keep reading for killer CTA tips from Karen Turner at Turner Efficiency in Calgary, Canada, that will keep your customers clicking.
Clean and Concise
There is often a tendency to overshare via email, as it’s a great way to get all of your thoughts down on paper and deliver them to another individual or group. However, is the recipient ready for all of those details? Creating a wordy or overly-involved email may be a great way to have your message ignored completely. Think about it — if you’re in a rush for time, and you receive an email with multiple paragraphs, are you more likely to read it or save it for later “when you have time?” Unfortunately, more emails roll in after the one you’re saving for a free moment, and before you know it several weeks have passed and the sender is still wondering how you want to take action on the project.
One Subject, One Email
Along with creating a clean, simplified email message, it’s important that you only attempt to tackle one subject at a time. People are incredibly distracted and have little time to focus. When you begin an email with one subject and then shift halfway through, you’re reducing the chances that your recipient will act on any of the items listed! Sure, it may feel more efficient to list a variety of actionable items per email, and in some circumstances such as a meeting followup or project management email that works. However, in selling emails or when you’re attempting to get a quick response from a colleague, the rule of one subject per email is the most effective and efficient method of communication for action.
Action + Urgency
Don’t be afraid to use action terms to detail how you would like your recipient to respond. People are much more likely to give you the go-ahead and take the next step in a process when they clearly understand what you’re asking them to do. Create a sense of urgency by listing a specific time and date by which you need someone to take advantage of an offer or respond to a request. As soon as possible can be interpreted differently depending on your point of view, so avoid using this language if you want to drive real responses to your emails.
Get Noticed
Finally, look for ways to stand out from the crowd! Whether this means through personalization for your audience or a tactic such as an interesting image, different font colors for action words or underlines, find a way to make your email look engaging and interesting enough that your audience wants to take action. Boring is definitely not “in!”
