Most of you are probably familiar with the ever-so-popular poem, The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost. You know, the one that says “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by.”
Why did he take the “road less traveled?” Something must have urged him along in his choice to take a different sort of journey. He must have heard the call, whether deep within, or perhaps a simple signpost.
We may never know exactly what spurred his choice, but we know there was a nudge, a call. Or, as we like to call it, a call-to-action (CTA)—that ever-so-simple piece of microcopy that guides your audience on a delightful buyer’s journey.
What is a Buyer’s Journey?
Think of the buyer’s journey as a natural progression someone takes as they get to know your brand, and eventually, make some kind of purchase decision. First they notice you, then they get to know you, and finally, they make a commitment to your brand.
Even though we’re saying “buyer’s,” it’s important to remember this is not just about making a sale. Yes, you’re a business and profitability is important. But we want you to look at this as a journey of getting to know your client, helping them along, and showing them the important details along the way.
Kind of like Robert Frost taking the less traveled road and noticing something different.
You want your audience to notice what makes you different, while showing them you understand who they are.
Use CTAs as Signposts
Calls-to-action tell you where to go, whether it’s to a sign-up page, your blog, your website, or a shopping cart. And they usually do it with some flair. But not all CTAs are equal. They can be basic, like “Click Here,” but something about that doesn’t feel as inspired. So, how do you tell people where to go and what to do with pizazz?
What’s the Problem?
Your audience has a problem they want to solve. You want to help them solve it. But in order to keep them in the buyer’s journey and help them solve it, you have to show them that you hear them, understand them, and are a trustworthy source for helping them get solutions.
Developing simple, actionable CTAs can help point your audience towards the information to help them solve the problem. Perhaps it’s towards your “About” page, or a “Services” page.
The key here is actionable. Just saying “Learn More” may not inspire people to really learn about the solutions you offer.
So, make it sound personal and relevant to their problem. If they’re looking for a doctor at your medical office, consider a CTA that says “FIND MY DOCTOR” instead of “FIND” OR “FIND A DOCTOR.” Make the CTA (in first-person) personal and tell them exactly what problems they can solve with that click. And of course, make sure you can help them solve it when they arrive!
Spark Emotion
First stop on the buyer’s journey is to consider their emotions. When they land on your website, what are they feeling?
Douglas Van Praet, author of Unconscious Branding: How Neuroscience Can Empower (and Inspire) Marketing says this: “We feel our way to reason. Emotions are the substrate, the base layer of neural circuitry underpinning even rational deliberation.”
In layman’s terms, emotions make us do something. When we feel something, we want to take action. Think of it this way: if you’re suffering through the worst headache of your life, you’re probably feeling desperate for relief. You’re scouring the internet for solutions and are willing to try just about anything. Your pain and desperation lead you to make a decision. Perhaps it’s buying a certain medicine or contacting a particular doctor.
Regardless of what the decision was it was sparked by a feeling, and probably a fairly big emotion. As a business, understanding that feeling that leads people to you is key in developing language for your CTAs and copy in general. It’s also key for creating that initial interest in what your business does.
Brand Consistency
We’ve mentioned it many times, and CTAs are no exception: creating a consistent brand image and tone is SO important to helping your audience feel comfortable with, and trusting of your brand.
Similar to branded hashtags, you can make branded CTAs that are used around your website and in email newsletters. Here at Wayward Kind, we have a phrase— “Let’s Get Wayward”—that we use for hashtags and buttons. It’s also an actionable, brand-specific CTA that would be a great segue to basic information about our business. Pair it with a brand color, and you’ve got yourself a fancy, branded CTA button.
Keep in mind that your CTA should align with what you want to guide people towards. If you’re trying to educate them about your team and your business, a CTA like “Let’s Get Wayward” can be great. It’s general, but still actionable and fun.
If your audience is further into the buyer’s journey, you’ll want to start guiding them towards some kind of decision, like making a purchase or signing up for a workshop. In that case, something like “Let’s Get Wayward” isn’t clearly communicating what they’re supposed to be doing.
Let’s take the signup example: if you’re hosting a workshop and want to point your audience to the signup page, you could say “SIGN UP” or “CLICK HERE.” But they’re not really super exciting or inspiring. A simple shift in language, like “SIGN ME UP” takes your CTA from a generic command, to a personal action. Or, enhance the sense of urgency and importance: “SAVE MY SPOT!”
Unlike Robert Frost, you want your buyers to know where to go and what to do. Don’t make them guess. They’re on a journey, but you want them to take that journey with you.
You already have a lot to think about when it comes to your digital marketing strategy. Let Wayward Kind help with the details, like awesome CTAs that move prospective customers deeper into the buyer’s journey. Contact us today to we can take your CTAs, and everything else, from ordinary to extraordinary!
