Name: morphsites
Address: The Undercroft, Eaglewood Park, Ilminster, Somerset, TA19 9DQ, United Kingdom
Telephone: 01460 984284

11 April 2023 10 mins

How to keep your CTA content short and to-the-point

Eloise Blower

A project manager sat in front of a glass partition screen in a modern office space looks at his laptop during a video call.

I think you’d agree that having a good call to action button is the cherry on top of every content cake. Without it, the whole point of your copy goes down the drain. But the reality is, it can be pretty hard to get people clicking – especially with our attention span nowadays.

So how do you create a call to action (or CTA as colloquially used) that works?

You keep it short and sweet.

It may sound simple, but that’s really what’s needed.

In this morphsites insight, I’m going to share with you how to create effective CTA buttons that will do exactly what they are supposed to do – motivate people to action. I’ll also discuss a few SEO copywriting hacks that will help you build organic traffic with the content you use for your CTA’s.

First things first, what is a CTA?

CTA – what is it and why is it important?

A CTA is a marketing tool used to motivate people to action. In fact, it’s one of the most necessary tools to get your audience involved. Think of all the times you downloaded an app, signed up for a freebie, or purchased an item. You were called by the mighty CTA!

Of course, what comes before the CTA holds a lot of weight. All your content needs to captivate your audience’s attention. But with a strong CTA, you’ll be able to convert your audience and start seeing results.

Now we’ve cleared that up, let’s get to the good stuff: how to keep your CTA short and precise.

How to keep your CTAs short and to-the-point

Hook, line, and sink ‘em. That’s what we’re going for. If you want to convert, then your CTA needs to be:

Short, powerful, and precise
Unique and interesting
Fit for purpose

Short, powerful, and precise

I’ve seen some businesses get caught up trying to create engaging, witty CTAs – but they end up writing an essay in a button. While your CTA needs to be captivating, it also needs to be short and sweet.

You’ll see many well-known businesses such as Spotify using strong, short, to-the-point wording in their buttons. That works because they tell you exactly what you’ll get after clicking. No nasty surprises. No extra legwork. Just three words that tell you what you need to do.

Nice and simple.

Here are a few great examples that may help you see what kind of CTAs will work and get your audience clicking that button.

1 | Slack

Slack uses short wording in its buttons such as “Try for free”. Not only is it short and quick, but it is appealing because… well… it’s free! And there’s no commitment just yet. You’re just “trying” it.

2 | Dropbox

With more complex software like Dropbox, there are a variety of options and plans for you to choose from. So having a CTA that just states “Find your plan” works well. It suggests you get to find a plan that works for you, not just one plan to suit all.

3 | Wool and the gang

A smaller brand, but they have a basic CTA that just about works well for all businesses. And that is “Download now”. Yep. Pretty straightforward, right? You know exactly what you are going to get when you click that button.

Content tip! Avoid bland CTAs that read, “click here” or “sign up”. Anything that doesn’t add value or is not imperative should be left out.

Unique and interesting

Now for the fun bit! When creating CTAs, you have the freedom to get a bit creative and write something more persuasive now and then. Some businesses use humour to stimulate their audience’s interest, and some use quirky idioms or unique expressions tailored to their brand.

This doesn’t need to be overdone. Having unique and interesting CTAs that other businesses don’t have will add to the persuasiveness of your content and will build a rapport with your audience.

Fit for purpose

Looking at what other businesses do is a great way to get an idea of what CTAs work. But a word of caution: not all CTA styles will fit your business. It’s always good to enthuse life and character into your copy. And while some businesses can get away with witty CTAs, not all can.

It all depends on your brand, its tone of voice, and the message you are conveying. When creating a CTA, think about its purpose. What is your aim? Are you looking to generate more leads, cultivate new customers, or build traffic to a certain page on your site? Once you have the purpose down, it will make it easier to come up with a good CTA that is still appropriate and fits your brand.

SEO tip! When adding a link to certain words in your content, avoid hyperlinking words like “read more here”. Focus on adding hyperlinks to your key words.

Short, precise CTAs for the win!

It’s all about creating content that appeals to your audience, builds connections, and converts. And having short, on-the-ball CTAs will help you do just that. With CTAs that are short and precise, unique, and fit for purpose, you will start noticing growth in clicks and conversions, and hopefully loyal returning customers.

If you’d like some guidance on content or would prefer to have a digital marketing specialist help you with those all-important CTAs, we’re here to be of assistance! Get in touch with us and we will guide your way to some cracking content.

Let’s talk CTAs