There are quite a few ways to generate sales leads. For instance, your business might create useful content such as podcasts and how-to guides on its blog, or it might send newsletters to registered subscribers. No matter what, an essential part of the lead generation process is writing a strong call to action. However, too many businesses do not pay enough attention to this aspect. Here’s how to develop a strong call to action that increases your sales.

1. Create a Compelling Hook

Suppose your goal is to get consumers to download a whitepaper. You could write a headline along the lines of, “Want More Information on ABC Topic? Download This Whitepaper!” However, this is not much of a hook, least of all because it neglects to explain how taking this action helps address consumers’ pain points. On the other hand, a headline such as, “Tired of Never Meeting Your Fundraising Goals? Download This Whitepaper for Free!” conveys a problem that a prospective consumer may very much want to be solved. No matter where the call to action is — on a blog post, on a landing page, in a newsletter — a compelling hook makes a world of difference.

2. Make the CTA Obviously Clickable

Part of your job is to make life as easy as possible for your consumers. To this end, your calls to action should be interactive in some way. For example, you could have a green button overlaid with text such as, “Sign up for our newsletter!” This approach will likely entice more people to sign up than if you simply had a blue link to the newsletter signup form. If your call to action includes asking prospects to call your office, then include clickable Skype phone numbers or the like.

3. Match the CTA to the Goal

If you are looking to foster long-term relationships, the call-to-action text should be different from the call-to-action text that is promoting an immediate download. Long-term relationship building requires engagement on both sides and a call to action such as, “E-mail me more details!” or “Call Us Today!” Be sure that your call to action is appropriate for your goal.

4. Experiment

Experimentation is one of the best ways to develop a strong call to action. After all, how do you know what works best? Look at factors such as whether red buttons get more conversions (say, newsletter signups) than green buttons or blue buttons. CTA placement on the website page and CTA wording are other key considerations worthy of experimentation.

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