In the world of marketing and advertising there is a little something called the “call to action.” Basically, what this means is that any advertising, promotional items, or marketing materials you produce should have a call to action for the prospective customer—you want them to do something. There needs to be something for them to do, or someplace for them to go—in order to find out more about your product or services.
So, I’ll bet you’re thinking that call to action is really to make a purchase. Well, ultimately, yes, that might be the case. Ultimately, you want the individual to become a client or customer and to use your products/services. But, a call to action needs to be appropriate and specific. For instance, if you have pens printed to give out as promotional items, have both your business name and the web site printed on each one. You might even add the line: “Visit our web site at: www…” This constitutes a good call to action.
Every promotional or marketing effort you make should have a definite purpose and a call to action for the consumer. Do you want to drive them to your web site? Have them call for more information? Send in an order form? Make a purchase? Whatever it is you want customers to do when they respond to your marketing, you need to direct them to do it. Don’t assume that they will just “know” or be so inspired by your marketing materials that they “sense” what to do. Be direct, be explicit, and be simple—this way your call to action will be clear and your materials and promotional efforts will have a definite, understandable focus.
Keep in mind it isn’t enough just to say something like “buy now”—you’ve got to make sure that you tell the consumer exactly how, where to go to make a purchase, how to pay, etc. The call to action needs to be complete.