The Constant Contact Guide to Email Marketing

Calling for Action with Your Email Content

Calls to action are short phrases, links, and headlines that prompt your audience to take a specific action. Using calls to action can greatly improve the responses you get from your readers.

A good picture may be worth a thousand words, but a good call to action may be worth a thousand sales! There are two primary types of calls to action. In the following sections, I highlight the differences between them and tell you how to use them appropriately.

DIRECT CALLS TO ACTION

Direct calls to action become the direct cause of a sale because they ask for an immediate purchase or a decision that benefits your business financially and immediately. The best direct calls to action have a sense of urgency and leave the recipient feeling that if he doesn’t ’act quickly, he will lose out on the opportunity. Examples include the following:

• Links that add products to a shopping cart.

• Links that start an event registration process.

• Links to forms that recipients fill out to order products.

• Statements that prompt recipients to order by phone.

• Links that send order information via email.

• Links that ask for a pledge or donation.

• Messages asking for email addresses to send order information.

• Links that activate a one-click purchase process or standing order.

It’s best to use direct calls to action in combination with promotional emails. It’s also a good idea to make sure your audience is ready to buy. You can accomplish both by ...