7 Tips for Creating Attention-Grabbing Calls to Action

In a previous post on rewriting DFY content, one of the tips I mentioned was needing a strong call to action in each piece. In this post I want to expand on that a bit and give you some tips for creating attention-grabbing calls to action that your readers can’t wait to click on.

As you know, it’s important to always have a call to action in each piece of content you share. It doesn’t always have to be asking your audience to spend money with you. It could be as simple as offering them a freebie, or inviting them to sign up for your list, or even just clicking a link to read a related article.

But, whether your call to action gets clicked on or not, depends on a variety of factors. It has to get your readers’ attention and make them want to take that next step. And here’s why…

The content you’re creating for them should be drawing them in and making them want to know what you have to offer. So, at the end of the article, blog post, social media post, or whatever content you have for them, they should be ready to click whatever link you have for them as a next step.

But what happens if you have a boring, generic, “I don’t really care if you stick around or not” call to action at the end of your content?

Your reader/watcher/listener will just leave thinking they’ve wasted their time. And you’ve just lost a chance to convert that person to a loyal follower, or even a paying customer.

That’s why creating attention-grabbing calls to action is so important whether you’re rewriting DFY content or creating your own content from scratch!

Here are 7 tips for creating attention-grabbing calls to action:

Tip #1 – Stay on topic

Your calls to action need to be on the same topic as the content your readers have just finished. While it might be tempting to send them off in another direction, that will only leave them feeling confused and wondering what the point is.

Since your goal is to get them to take action, you want what you’re asking them to do to align as closely with your content as possible.

If, instead, it leaves them scratching their head, it’s not an attention-grabbing call to action.

Tip #2 – Incentives are always good

Everybody likes to get goodies, right? Attention-grabbing calls to action work best when you include some kind of incentive for your audience. Things like coupons, printables, or a free report can increase your chances of getting them to follow through and take action.

Tip #3 – Simple is best

Don’t get carried away when coming up with actions for your audience to take.

The best attention-grabbing calls to action focus on one key takeaway for your audience. It makes it easier for them to remember what the action is and why they wanted it in the first place.

If they have to come back and refresh their memory, then you’ve already lost them.

Tip #4 – Your language matters

How you word your calls to action has a huge effect on whether they will grab your audience’s attention or not. You should be using strong, persuasive action words that are proven to convert. Words like “now,” “discover,” and “free” work well.

And while I like to keep my language positive, you can also appeal to your audience’s sense of FOMO by using language that implies scarcity such as “limited time,” “limited quantities,” “don’t miss this,” etc.

And remember to always use language that’s appropriate for your audience. Some words and phrases that convert well for one niche, might not work well at all for yours.

Tip #5 – Include an image when possible

Not all calls to action lend themselves to including images, but when you can it’s a good idea to also have an eye-catching image to go with your CTA. Mockups showing how your product can be used are a good way to get your audience’s creative energy flowing because it starts to give them ideas on how they can use your offer in their own business and/or life.

In the image below, you can see how I’ve used 3 images of ways to use a digital paper pack just above the call to action section of the sales page:

mockup example for calls to action blog post

Tip #6 – It MUST be easy!

I can’t say this strongly enough… DO NOT make your audience jump through hoops to take action!

Attention-grabbing calls to action should be clear, concise, and easy to understand. “Click here,” “Sign up for my newsletter,” etc. are clear instructions for your audience to follow.

But it doesn’t stop there. Make sure that your forms and links work and send people to the right place. The last thing you want is to have an amazing call to action that leads to a dead link.

Tip #7 – Always be testing

Testing is the lifeblood of creating attention-grabbing calls to action! If you don’t test and track your results, you don’t really know whether or not your calls to action are attracting the attention you want them to.

Use methods like split testing with different headlines, language, graphics, etc. to see what works best and keep updating based on your results.

Final Thoughts

How well your offers – both free and paid – convert is dependent on how attention-grabbing your calls to action are. Keep these tips in mind when creating yours, test your offers and track your conversions, and you’ll soon have a very good idea of what types of calls to action appeal to your audience.