The call to action (CTA) is quite possibly the single-most important component of a successful website, advertisement or marketing pitch – and it’s often missing.
The point of advertising and marketing is to get someone to do something — to take action (hence the term “call to action”). Without a clear call to action, the most well-written and persuasive copy is the literary equivalent of trailing off in a conversation. How will a lead learn more about you and your expertise if you don’t prompt them? A few well-chosen words can give you credibility, capture leads and highlight your skills.
Common reasons for action include:
Signing up for something free
Downloading something free
Contacting you
Any of the above will get you a name, phone number and email address. With this info, you can nurture and grow a contact into a client. And ultimately, a client is your goal.
Good CTAs offer something unique, or at least something difficult to find. A phrase that taps into your expertise, such as “CALL ME TODAY!” is by definition a CTA (it’s asking the user to do something), but it’s not an effective CTA.
Why not?
Asking someone to call you isn’t unique. Anyone with a phone can call you. There is also no indication of why you want someone to call; no “what’s in it for me” for the visitor.
You need to spell out a benefit — why should the visitor complete the call to action? So show them what they will get!
Most people are familiar with the two main types of CTAs that agents use:
Search for homes
Find out what your home is worth
Buyers want to see homes for sale, and sellers want to know how much their home is worth. Every real estate website needs to offer that basic functionality.
Don’t stop with just the two standard CTAs. There are many more that you can offer. Here are some examples of effective CTAs for real estate advertising and marketing.
Build your mailing list. A newsletter does no good if you don’t have anyone to send it to. A strong and prominent CTA can help build your email list.
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Remember your audience! It is highly unlikely that you’re going to sell or list a home for a real estate agent. Your audience is the typical home buyer and seller — someone who buys or sells a home only every few years. As such, your target audience doesn’t understand the “language of real estate” so watch out for use of real estate jargon in your CTAs.
The classic example is this popular CTA:
- Get a free CMA!
You and I both know that CMA = comparative market analysis. Joe Consumer, however, might think you are referring to the Country Music Association. So, speak “consumer English” and skip the agent-speak. For example: Find out what your home is worth (free, no obligation).
Click here to tell me what you'd like to learn about in next week’s newsletter. (That’s a CTA!)