What new age Creators and Marketers need to learn about CTAs
Creators and Marketers need to stop using standardized, generic CTAs, or only crickets will land on their page.
Concerts are fun. DJ parties are fun.
An immersive, sense of theater, and coming together of unique individuals are the DNA of memorable experiences.
But heavy hangs the pull of the entertainer. How’s your crowd work?
‘Are you having a good time?’ is a classic.
‘Everyone raise your hands in the air’ is outplayed.
‘Let’s get this party started.’
Repetition is not a friend.
Imagine this:
You are attending a boat party. The party kicked off not long ago, drinks were served, the food is delicious, and the boat presents a beautiful view of the city nightscape.
Life is good. But within 30 minutes, the DJ has already asked if you are having a good time 5 times. A bit incessant.
It can get worse:
The DJ only asks that question THE ENTIRE NIGHT.
After an uproar of yaays, a few raised beer bottles, and several glass clicks, a fatigue sets in. A numbness surfaces.
A DJ would NEVER have a singular call-to-action.
OR Think sports.
If a game plan revolves around just one tactic being beaten to death for the entire duration, the game is over before it even begins.
Readers respond to CTAs similarly.
Repetition lends a helping hand in content recall and makes the message stick, that is true. But with digital-first interactions becoming the norm, a delightful user experience is not a nice to have, but a must.
If brands and creators don’t tailor and optimize their messaging copy, only crickets will land on their page.
Many content creators on platforms like Medium, LinkedIn, etc. use standardized, repetitive call-to-actions blog after blog, post after post, article after article, that does not inspire action, nor imprint a unique value proposition.
Tip: This also comes in handy for the standardized email sign-up message embeds and tipping CTA button on Medium.
Cousin Of?
Consider pop-ups that interrupt your browsing experience the very instant you land on a webpage. Annoying and infuriating. The reflex action is to reach for the ‘x’ button; every time.
Not long ago, banner ads were effective digital advertising outlets, and then denizens got desensitized and developed banner blindness. Call-to-Actions will seal the same fate for themselves with a run-of-the-mill, generic content approach.
In Closing
Call to actions offer strategically vital capabilities, but if your singular message (for example): ‘X% of [your target audience] do this and don’t make any money online. Do [Y] instead’, follows your target audience across digital platforms — they will become desensitized to the message.
A good call-to-action strategy leverages multiple copywriting frameworks and uses empathy-based problem-solving to open up new perspectives and help the prospect address their pain points.
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