Entries Tagged 'Call to Action' ↓

What is a copywriting motivator?

Well, before I answer that, think for a moment about what it is that makes you decide to buy something.

First off, you’ll have a need (whether you’re conscience of it or not). Whether it’s a party coming up that you need a new dress for (and shoes, bag, make up etc.), or a problem with your business that you need a solution for, something will trigger a potential buying decision.

Last week, I was leaving my Accountant’s office at about 5pm. It had been a long day and I’d not had a lot to eat. As I walked back to my car, my stomach was beginning to complain bitterly about the lack of food it had seen that day. To reach my car, I had to walk past a new Indian restaurant. The smell was absolutely heavenly – so you guess what I had for tea that night.

In that instance, my motivator was hunger and the solution I was presented with was the aroma of Indian food.

Hitting the right spot at the right time

Generating sales through copywriting motivators is all about identifying your audience and being in the right place at the right time.

The motivators you identify are going to be pressure points that when pressed, encourage your customers to buy.

Therefore, as well as identifying your target market, you’ve also got to convince them they must buy your product or service, because if they don’t, they’ll be missing out on an excellent opportunity.

For arguments sake, let’s say you have an email marketing solution to sell.

You’ve identified your target audience as being SMEs who are looking for an automated solution to help them reach a wider audience via email.

Your copy shows all the benefits of your product; they know they want to buy it because it will help them market their business more effectively, but they’re still hanging back. So, it’s up to you to give them the motivation to buy.

Becoming Mr or Mrs Motivator

OK, it’s time to bring on the big guns.

What is it going to take to make them buy your product?

You’ve already sold them on the benefits and they know your product offers them all the features they’ve been looking for. So how do you get them to take the final step and buy?

It’s time to get motivating:

Whether you use a limited discount, offer a free service (for a limited time only) or limit your product in number (scarcity = desirability), these motivators will encourage your customers to make their buying decision quickly – after all, no one likes to think they’ve missed out on a great deal.

It’s human nature to hang back before parting with our hard earned cash. Every now and then we need a little push to sign on the dotted line.

We all love that feeling of getting something for nothing (or at least a discount), so offering a motivator, like one of the above, will help you get your sale and your customer the service they need.

Over to you

What motivators have you used in the past?

Have you found some to be more effective than others?

Leave a comment and share your experiences.

Creating eye-catching, interesting and relevant copy is not easy.

Whether you write your own in-house, or you hire in a professional copywriter, your copy has to address your reader directly and really sell the benefits of your product or service.

Let’s assume for a moment that you’ve got some stonking copy written. Your website looks amazing and has all the latest social gadgets and gizmos. Your brochures look slick and really grab attention. Even your emails are pretty snazzy.

But you’ve got a problem.

Despite all that, your conversions are really low. Your phone isn’t ringing and rather than your inbox being full of leads, it’s full of junk mail from companies trying to sell you Viagra.

What’s gone wrong?

Your CTA is AWOL

The most probable cause is your Call to Action (CTA), or rather lack of one.

There is an argument that states that your customers are intelligent and will therefore know what you want them to do.

Granted, they are most probably intelligent, but that doesn’t mean they will make contact with you. If you want that to happen, you have to tell them that’s what you want them to do.

A clear, commanding and effective Call to Action is the crowning glory of your copy.

1. Relevant

The first thing to remember is that your CTA must be relevant to your business.

If you want them to sign up for a newsletter, tell them and provide a link so they can do it easily. If you want them to call you, tell them and give them your phone number.

2. Commanding and clear

Don’t make them hunt round your copy for your CTA because they won’t bother. Make sure it stands out and is commanding.

Adding a line such as “It would be really nice, if it’s not too much bother, to hear from you. So if you have time, we’d be grateful if you could perhaps call us at a time that’s convenient to you” is not going to inspire them to pick up the phone.

“Call us on xxxxx”, “register now by clicking here”, “Email us today on xxxx@xxxxx for more information”.

Be commanding and tell them exactly what you want them to do.

3. Make it part of your copy

Your CTA doesn’t have to be left to the end of your web page, brochure or email. You can dot them liberally throughout the text. But make sure they fit the context.

If you randomly add one halfway through a text section it’s going to jar and leave your reader confused. Make sure the content immediately before your CTA leads up to it so it’s a natural progression.

4. Make it visible

You can make your CTA stand out by placing it in bold text and having it as a paragraph on its own. As I mentioned above, don’t feel as though you have to wait until the end before adding it.

If the content allows, add them in several locations so they are always visible to your reader. That way, as soon as they’ve decided they want to make contact, they can without having to hunt round for your details.

The best Calls to Action are:

• Clear
• Simple
• Commanding

Be bold and tell your reader what you want them to do.

Over to you

Take a look at your marketing materials.

Do they all have clear CTAs? If not amend them quickly. If you don’t have a CTA, you’re unlikely to get great conversions.