CTAs - Marketing's Last Chance

CTAs - Still Useful After All These Years

How many of you use CTAs at the end of your marketing materials? 

How many of you even know what a CTA is?

The acronym "CTA" stands for Call To Action, and should be the last thing you leave your customers with when they are learning or reading about your company or business.

A Call To Action is a statement included at the end of a piece of marketing material that gives the person viewing the material the option of receiving more information. Whether the marketing material being viewed is a website, a downloaded document, a video, or some other type, a CTA should always be included at the end.

 A CTA can be as simple as a "For more information, email us at info@youraddress.com, or contact us at (xxx) xxx-xxxx" type of a statement at the end of a piece, or as complex as a form that can be filled out specifying exactly what additional information the customer needs, and whether they would like to schedule a meeting with a salesperson.

The key to CTA effectiveness though, is that simpler is usually better. Remember, you don't want to come across as being pushy.

Using CTAs

So why should you use a CTA? 

Why wouldn't you? 

Putting a CTA at the end of your marketing material is quick and easy. Using a CTA allows you to close the loop with a customer while at the same time helping you move the prospect through the sales funnel.

A CTA also shows the customer that you are interested in them and their situation, but are not trying to cram something (like a sales pitch) down their throat. Essentially, a CTA allows the customer to come to you when they are ready.

Warm Leads, Not Cold

And if a customer does approach you through your CTA, then you now have a warm, not a cold lead, as they are the ones that have indicated to you that they want more information or to speak with a salesperson. You have not coerced them, they asked you to come to them.

The Forgotten Tactic

Unfortunately, regardless of what type of content you're using, CTAs are a tactic that many marketers forget to use. Why? Probably because it is so simple and basic.

Truthfully, many marketers have become so focused on "digital this" and "online that", that they forget that some of the simplest, most basic marketing techniques still work, even in today's digital world. 

What's even more amazing is that CTAs work in both online and offline environments, as well as in print, digital, audio and video formats.

What more could a marketer ask for?

CTAs - Effective When Used

So remember, for a quick and easy way to help fill your sales funnel and increase conversions, be sure to use a CTA at the end of your content. 

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© 2019 – Richard Hatheway, Catalyst Strategic Marketing

All rights reserved

 

All Marketing, All the Time

Overview

This blog provides insight on why business owners need to understand the critical nature of marketing to the success of their business.

Marketing and Your Business

Marketing.

Along with sales, it's one of the critical functions of any business. Perhaps even the most critical. Unfortunately, many business owners don't understand that. They think that as long as they're selling product, they're growing their business.

While that is true, it's only true to an extent. That’s because a sale is the culmination of everything that has gone before it. Whether that’s as simple as a walk-in customer who saw your sign and then bought an item off a shelf, or a customer who was enticed by an ad or coupon, or a customer who placed an order on your website, the final step is the sale.

And yes, all businesses want sales. Lots of them, in fact. But sales don’t happen without a lot of legwork and preparation.

Marketing Drives Sales

Marketing is critical to the growth and success of the business.

Why?

Because marketing drives sales.

Sure, without marketing your business may make some sales, but each sale is likely to have a different cause, so you’re not sure what drove that sale or what prompted that customer to buy your product. Essentially, you don’t really know what is working for your business and what isn’t, so you can’t repeat the steps to drive more sales. This method is basically a hit or miss, throw it at the wall and see what sticks approach.

That doesn’t work, it’s not repeatable and it’s definitely not scalable. You also really don’t know who your customers are. That’s why you should not only want to include marketing as part of your business operations and strategy, but you must include it.

Marketing is what raises awareness about a business, a product, a service. Marketing is what provides customers and potential customers with information about a product that they may not have previously known about, or provides reasons and incentives for them to try a product, buy a new product, or switch from one they’re currently using.

And just like in sales, marketing is not about doing just one thing and then being done. It’s also not about doing the same thing over and over again and expecting it to continue to be successful. That isn’t realistic.

Marketing includes all the creative aspects of your business, from the design of your logo and website, to picking colors and fonts for your packaging. From the blogs you write, to the posts and coupons you send out via social media, to the words you use in your emails. Marketing also includes the different ways that you approach and interact with your customers. This means that everything from your signage, to your store layout, to which methods and channels you use to communicate with customers is all considered part of your marketing.

Marketing is Much More

The more you become aware of what marketing includes, the more you will begin to see and learn other ways that marketing can help your business grow and prosper. So remember, for your business to continue to be successful, Marketing needs to be part of everything you do, all the time.

It really is “all marketing, all the time”.

© 2019 Richard Hatheway – Catalyst Strategic Marketing

All rights reserved.