Call-to-Action Strategies

𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸. We hint. We suggest. We 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 the donor knows what to do next. And then we wonder why conversions are low. The fix? 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗼𝗱. It’s not bossy. It’s clarity. “𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘸.” “𝘚𝘪𝘨𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘺.” “𝘞𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘍𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘺.” These are direct, actionable, and clear. They remove guesswork. Vague calls like “𝘚𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘶𝘴” or “𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘢 𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵” leave donors in limbo— even the ones who 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 to help. Here’s the truth: People appreciate knowing exactly what’s expected. They’re busy. They don’t have time to decode what you mean. So make your call to action unmistakable. Not just once, but multiple times in every appeal. Because fundraising isn’t about being coy. It’s about making it easy for someone to say “yes.” 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻—𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁?

Your CTAs are failing. Here’s how to fix them. Your Call to Action (CTA) is the final push that turns attention into action. But too many CTAs fall flat—vague, uninspired, or buried where no one notices them. Here’s the truth: A killer CTA doesn’t just ask for a click or a sign-up; it commands attention, creates urgency, and shows the value of taking action. 📝 Here are 8 principles for writing CTAs that actually convert: 1️⃣ Clarity Beats Cleverness Don’t confuse them—be direct. 💬 Before: “Learn More.” 💬 After: “Get Your Free Guide Now.” 2️⃣ Create a Sense of Urgency “Limited Time Offer” works for a reason. 💬 Example: “Act before midnight to save 50%.” 3️⃣ Make It Personal Talk directly to your audience. 💬 Example: “Your deal is waiting—claim it now.” 4️⃣ Highlight the Benefit Show what’s in it for them. 💬 Example: “Boost your productivity in just 10 minutes a day.” 5️⃣ Simplify the Action One clear step—no hurdles. 💬 Example: “Sign up with one click to get started.” 6️⃣ Place CTAs Strategically Put them where they can’t miss them. 💬 Tip: Above the fold, at the end of emails, and on landing pages. 7️⃣ Use Strong, Action-Oriented Verbs “Claim Your Deal” > “See the Offer.” 💬 Example: “Book Your Spot Today.” 8️⃣ Test, Refine, Repeat Learn what works and double down on it. 💬 Example: Test “Get Started Now” vs. “Start Your Free Trial Today.” ✨ The best CTAs are clear, bold, and deliver on their promise. 💬 Challenge: Take a look at your most recent campaign’s CTA. Does it inspire action or leave room for doubt? Share your favorite CTA tips or examples below—I’d love to hear them! ♻️ Share this post with your team and save it for future campaigns. ✅ Follow Tom Wanek for more actionable marketing insights to level up your campaigns today.

Most LinkedIn outreach dies at the Call to Action (CTA). Not because people aren't interested. But because you asked the wrong way. Here are 10 high-converting CTA styles I’ve tested across 10,000s of cold outreach messages: (1) Direct CTA “Do you have 15-20 mins this week to see how we could turn LinkedIn into a top revenue channel?” → Works best when the value is clear and the timing feels right. (2) Soft CTA “Would it be alright if I shared a few ideas for how you can [solve X problem]?” → Low friction. Great for cold prospects. (2) Interest-Based CTA: “Want to see how [X competitor] boosted close rates by 28%?” → Curiosity > pressure. (3) Content CTA “Would it be alright if I sent over a Loom showing how this would work for [Company Name]?” → Offer value before asking for time. (4) Strategic Question CTA “How are you currently using LinkedIn to bring in new revenue?” → Turns your CTA into a conversation starter. (5) Calendar Link CTA “Feel free to find a time that works best for you here: [link]” → Easy, but only use when they’ve shown interest. (6) Exit CTA “If not relevant, no worries at all.” → Decreases pressure. Increases replies. (7) Referral CTA “Is there someone else on your team I should speak with?” → Great when messaging larger orgs. (8) Hypothetical CTA “If I could show you how to use LinkedIn to bring in new revenue, would that be worth a convo?” → Pattern interrupt magic. (9) Micro-Yes CTA “Okay if I send a few bullet points on how we could help?” → Small yes = Big opening. Your CTA is arguably one of the most important things to turn a positive reply into actual revenue. 👉 If you’re not testing 3–5 CTA styles, you’re probably leaving money on the table. Shoot me a DM if you want help turning LinkedIn into a top revenue channel for your company this year.

The Outbound Equation: R=CRM Here's how to use this framework to land more meetings 👇 Let's start by breaking the equation down: Response = Call-To-Action + Relevance + Medium ✅ Response This is what we want at the end of the day. A sign that there's another human on the other end of our call, email, or DM. ✅ Call-To-Action This is the "ask" of our outreach. The CTA is a combination of: - Effort: How much effort it takes for the prospect to comply with the ask - Value: How much value the prospect will receive in return for their time Most reps make the mistake of asking for a lot and providing very little. This part of the equation is all about providing a ton of value in return for spending time with you. Examples of bad CTAs: - Can we schedule a 30 min. demo? - Can I share more about how our solution can help you? - Do you have an hour to chat so I can learn more about your business? Examples of great CTAs: - We mystery-shopped 300 of your competitors. Interested in seeing how your customer experience compares? - I ran a site audit and found three opportunities to increase conversion rates. Can I share them with you? ✅ Relevance What everyone and their grandma is talking about these days. Relevance is a combination of the three Ps: - Priorities: Does this align with my current priorities? - Problems: Will this help with a problem I'm having? - Peers: What are my best in class peers doing? Ideally, you incorporate elements of all three into your messaging. Most common mistake: Talking all about your solution, and nothing about your prospective buyer's world. ✅ Medium It's 2024. Everything is multi-channel. Your contact rate increases by nearly 3x when you use 3 channels instead of 1 (Salesloft). The most common mistake: Channel neglect. Favoring passive channels like email/social and completely neglecting the phone. ~~~ Here's how to put this framework into action 1) Come up with a sick CTA/offer Make prospects feel stupid for not spending time with you. Use free audits, run mystery shopping campaigns, create a "state of" report, share executive briefings, etc. 2) Upgrade messaging Stop talking about your solution in outbound messaging. And talk only about how you can align with your prospect's priorities & problems. And don't forget to incorporate social proof. 3) Invest in multi-channel Train reps on how to master every channel. And be deliberate about making channels work better together. ~~~ How can you use this model to improve your outbound results? #sales #outbound #pickupthephone

Every year, millions of letters are sent from health authorities to patients – to encourage them to get vaccinated, do their cancer screening or health check-up.   Evidence from #BehaviouralScience can help increase the impact of health letters – and to make people act. Our new policy brief proposes several concrete steps to help health authorities: ✔️ ensure a clear call to action ✔️ keep a letter short and simple ✔️ address the barriers and drivers of behaviours, by for example clarifying services are free of charge ✔️ draw on relevant psychological mechanisms such as social norms ✔️ adapt a letter to a cultural context ✔️ attract the readers’ attention with the email subject or letter envelope ✔️ use the right sender and signatory ✔️ test the letter and engage with intended recipients ✔️ use reminders Read the full policy brief here: https://lnkd.in/dW2TvfYJ #BCI

Here's what marketers know that analysts often forget: No call to action = no engagement A “call to action” (CTA) is the next step you want your audience to take based on what you’ve just told them. You’ve seen classic CTAs like: - “Register now” - “Reserve your spot today” - “Click here to learn more” But look closely, and you’ll notice CTAs everywhere: - LinkedIn posts (“repost”, “follow”) - Instagram posts (“like this post”, “comment for link”) - YouTube (“hit subscribe”) - Commercials (“call now”, “try today”) CTAs are crucial for turning your audience into active participants, ultimately driving conversions and engagement. If you don’t tell people what to do, they will do nothing. What most analysts don’t realize is that CTAs are critical for presentations as well. Every stakeholder presentation should include one (and no more than two) CTAs. But this doesn’t mean you have to end every presentation with a “go do X right now!” Effective presentation CTAs can be: ➤ A decision (e.g., go/no go decision for a project) ➤ A discussion (e.g., determine next steps) ➤ An approval (e.g., for more resourcing or budget) ➤ An invitation (e.g., be a project sponsor) Most importantly, including CTAs makes you part of the conversation. Remember: you’re a strategic partner, not just a number-cruncher. —-— Want more tips on how to effectively communicate, present, and visualize your data? Follow me (Morgan) for daily weekday tips and examples.

A Weak CTA is Worse Than No CTA at All Your LinkedIn profile might look impressive… But if your Call-to-Actions are weak or missing, you’re leaving valuable opportunities behind. Every profile visit is a chance to: ✅ Attract the right audience ✅ Spark meaningful conversations ✅ Convert views into business opportunities Yet, most profiles fail at this because of poor CTA strategy. Here are 3 common CTA mistakes—and how to fix them: 👉🏻 Being Vague: A generic CTA won’t inspire action. ❌ “Let’s connect.” ✅ “Let’s connect if you’re a founder scaling your team!” Why?  Because specificity speaks directly to your ideal audience. When your CTA is clear, the right people know you’re speaking to them. 👉🏻 Using Too Many CTAs: When you ask people to do too much, they do nothing. ❌ Multiple CTAs create confusion. ✅ Focus on 1-2 clear actions in each section. Example: In your About Section, invite them to connect or DM you. In your Featured Section, direct them to your newsletter or service page. Keep it simple and intentional. 👉🏻 Hiding Your CTA A CTA that’s hard to find is a CTA that’s ignored. Make your call-to-action impossible to miss by placing it strategically: ✅ Headline - Example: “Helping founders scale, DM me to learn how." ✅ About Section - End with a clear invitation. ✅ Featured Section - Showcase resources with direct links. Your profile should guide visitors toward the next step. If they have to search for it, you’re losing potential leads. Remember a strong CTA isn’t just a closing statement, it’s a powerful tool to turn profile views into real business opportunities. PS - If you're a coach, founder, or CXO looking to optimize and grow your profile with effective strategies, then DM me today, and I'll help you get it right. #personalbrandingstrategists #calltoactions #opportunities

Most cold emails end with: 👉 “Let’s book a quick call.” 👉 “Do you have 15 minutes next week?” And then… silence. The problem? You’re asking for too much, too soon. Your prospect’s calendar is packed. They don’t wake up thinking, “I hope I get to take a sales call today.” Instead, try a low-friction CTA: ✅ Offer something valuable that’s NOT a meeting—like a resource, insight, or quick takeaway. ✅ Make the next step as easy as possible. ✅ Test multiple CTAs until you find what converts best. Example: Instead of “Want to book a call?”, try: 🔹 “Want me to send over a quick breakdown of how [Company] solved this?” 🔹 “I have a 2-min teardown of what’s working in your space—want me to send it over?” The easier you make it to say yes, the more replies you’ll get. What’s your best-performing CTA? Drop it below. 👇 #sales

The best cold email calls to actions aren't calls to action at all. Let me explain... Most people end their emails with: "Want to jump on a quick call?" "Let me know when you're free to chat"  "Can I get 15 minutes of your time?" Instead, here's what's booking me and my students 100+ meetings every month: "Mind if I share a short video showing how we helped [similar company] achieve [specific result]?" Or: "Mind if I send over a quick doc explaining our exact process?" Or: "Worth checking out a few samples of our recent work?" See the pattern? You're not asking for their time. You're offering them value. But here's the crucial part most people miss: When they say yes, you need to deliver something worth their attention. Your video needs to be short and impactful - no longer than 3 minutes.  Show real examples from similar companies.  Give them insights they can use right now, even if they never buy from you.  Make the next step feel natural, not forced. The same goes for your documents. Make them easy to scan. Pack them with real results and case studies that matter to their industry. The path forward should be crystal clear. First, they say yes to seeing your examples. You deliver something valuable, fast. They naturally want to learn more. And before you know it, they're the ones asking YOU for a call. This is how you turn cold prospects into warm leads. Want to learn my complete framework for cold emails that convert? → clientascension.com