“Don’t trick them. Don’t piss them off.”
– Eric Goeres, Director, Times Magazine.
When it comes to writing the perfect CTA for Native Advertising, the mantra has always been simple and clear –
You need to add value to your campaign right at the start. Make a mark & define the utility of your campaign right at the onset by making complex decisions less complicated & technical issues less technical.
Understanding what the audience needs is a key jumping step to writing the perfect CTA for your native ad. Just by 2020, the global investment in Native Advertising has reached a whopping $85.5 billion! To put a number like that into perspective, one must understand that the CTA determines as much as 60% of the chances of your ad getting clicked on.
When the stakes are that high, you would need all the help that you can get to write a killer CTA for your native ads.
First things first, the Call To Action of your Native Ads is the brand message that the users will connect to right at the beginning – needless to say the rest of the content/video won’t even matter if your CTA falls flat.
You can’t go wrong with these tips:
1. DON’T get stuck on word count
Your CTA tells the user exactly what action they need to take & how to take it. It could be as simple as two words or a well-crafted sentence.
But if you are being too wordy with the CTA, you do run the risk of losing your viewer’s attention and not being able to communicate your message.
Case in point: German Rail boosted revenue by 24% with its ingenious campaign sporting an intriguing and impactful CTA – No Need to Fly?
The headline strikes off the brevity checkpoint of the CTA rulebook very well & manages to convey the required message so effectively.
2. Use a strong & clear command verb
Strong command verbs like ‘start’, ‘download now’, ‘find out how’, add that much required zest to your CTA.
A call-to-action is all about increasing the CTR and leading viewers towards that action. Your copy needs to be concise and assertive.
Case in point: Adidas’s Goodbye Gravity campaign hit home and translated to a phenomenal success. In this campaign, Adidas sent soccer balls to the atmosphere to check their spin. The strong & concise CTA did justice to the innovative campaign idea.
3.Add urgency to your CTA
Next to using a strong command verb, what works best with CTA is a note of urgency by using words like ‘now’ & ‘today.’
CTAs for Native Advertising in India have worked best when the command verbs have been accompanied by specific time words like ‘find out today’ or ‘ending soon’ or ‘start now’.
By adding a time word to your CTA, you are ensuring prompt action on the part of the viewer.
4. Add the value proposition
What carries the most weight for your CTA is the unique selling point that ought to appeal to the viewer. In more direct terms, what’s in it for them?
One of the best ways to increase the CTR is a nice & to-the-point CTA+USP mash up that can capture the user’s attention immediately and get them to take the desired action.
Case in point: Again German Rail comes to mind. The chief selling point for them is that it is a more economic alternative to flying. By including ‘No Need to Fly’ in the ad CTA, what they achieved is a certain level of economic appeal so consumers would gravitate towards the brand and the campaign.
Also Brandless achieves this so effortlessly with an uber-intriguing CTA – “How can this be only $3?!” With a CTA like this you can immediately build brand awareness and highlight your chief selling point.
5. Instil the fear of missing out
One of the sure-fire ways of getting clicks on your ad is to establish the fear of missing out on your CTA itself.
Fear of Missing Out, or FOMO in short has been seen to be an excellent motivator. All you need to do is blend it in with a factor of urgency in your CTA – when people feel they might be missing out on a chance that might not come around again, they usually take action promptly.
Instilling the FOMO factor in your CTA by using phrases like ‘Subscribe now to get 50% off’ in your Native Ad CTAs can create a sense of urgency and drive action.
For instance, CanvasPop used this technique in their CTA “Turn your favourite family photos into high quality canvas prints. Get 60% off when you order today!” By incorporating a note of urgency into the campaign while also explaining what you can get, their CTA conveys a complete message that is bound to attract users.
6. Make use of social proof in the form of Customer reviews
Has your brand been successful in harbouring consumer faith? Well, then it’s time to flaunt that in your CTA!
Write compelling CTAs that also exhibit customer support and faith to establish a brand image & maximize your CTR.
7. You cannot go wrong with first person speech
By using a compelling first person tone, you establish an instant kinship with your viewer.
By changing CTAs from second person speech (get your free trial) to first person speech (Get my free trial) has been shown to increase CTR by almost 90%!
8. Know how to use different CTAs for different stages of the decision making process
Each of your native ads have an agenda & your CTA should be based on what suits you best. The main stages in decision making are:
- Information Search Stage
- Alternative evaluation Stage
- Purchase decision Stage
It is important to note that the CTAs apt for each of these stages will obviously be very different & you should use them wisely to optimize your CTR.
When it comes to writing the perfect Call to Action for Native Advertising, there are a number of things to consider – ranging from degree of urgency, purpose, and stages of decision-making process.
We have witnessed how even a change in the form of speech has been instrumental in raising CTR by as much as 90%!
Learn all the tips and tricks of writing the best CTA & turn your Native Ads campaign into a resounding success today!
