Call to action in newsletters – a checklist for better CTAs

What is a call to action (CTA)?

Call to action or CTA is a marketing term. In web communication, a CTA is a banner, a button, some kind of graphic or text that is meant to encourage the reader to take the next step. The ways to encourage, engage and inspire in newsletters and other email campaigns are countless. Images, text, headings, offers, lists and links can help you make your campaign varied and exciting. But getting your readers to open your newsletter is only half the battle. The next step is to inspire action.

Your CTA should get your readers to act – for example, to make a purchase, sign up for something or visit a web page. First and foremost, you of course need to be clear about the purpose of each mailing; how do you want the recipient to act? For your CTA to do its job, you also need to strike a balance between the goal of your newsletter and your subscribers' needs.

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How to design a good CTA – a checklist

Writing the copy

– Am I expressing myself clearly?

Write simply and to the point. Tell your readers exactly why they should click and what they get out of it. An effective CTA should give clear answers to three questions:

• What? What are you offering or encouraging?
• Why? What value or benefit does the reader get?
• When? Is there a time limit or a specific occasion?

Make sure there is no doubt about what happens when the reader clicks your CTA. Stick to one CTA per newsletter to avoid confusion and increase the chances of action.

– Is my content engaging? And does it tie in with my CTA?

The content of your newsletter should engage the reader and prepare them to act on your CTA. Headings, images and text should support the message of your CTA. Examples:

• If your CTA button says “Download the guide now”, the introduction should clearly explain what the guide is about and why it is useful.
• Avoid overly generic phrases like “Click here” – be specific and describe what awaits after the click.

– What is the tone of the communication?

Adapt the tone to your target audience. If you are targeting a younger audience, a relaxed and humorous tone can work. For an older or professional audience, a more formal style may be more suitable. Examples:

• For a younger audience: “Want to keep up with the latest trends? Check out our guide!”
• For a professional audience: “Get insights into the industry – download our latest report.”

Do not be afraid to experiment with the language, but always keep it relevant to your audience.

– Is the CTA balanced or too pushy?

A CTA that is too aggressive, like “Buy now!”, can be off-putting. Softer wording can encourage action without pressuring the recipient. Examples:

• Aggressive: “Buy now!”
• Softer: “Discover our offers” or “Learn more about our products.”

TIP: When you write your CTA, start by writing from the reader's perspective, for example: “I want to learn to surf in 5 days.” Then remove “I want to” to create a clear and engaging CTA like “Learn to surf in 5 days.”

– Can I link my CTA to a gift?

Adding an offer or a gift can make your CTA more tempting. A time-limited offer creates a sense of urgency, which increases the likelihood that the recipient acts right away. Examples:

• “Sign up today and get 10% off!”
• “Download our guide before the offer ends!”

Creating a sense of exclusivity and time pressure helps drive action.

Design & placement

– Is my CTA clearly clickable?

A CTA can be a short text, an image or a button, but buttons tend to get the most attention. Whatever the format, make sure the link leads to a relevant page that matches expectations. The button does not always have to be a classic rectangular box – it can be an image or a shape that clearly signals that it is clickable.

– Does my CTA stand out?

Most readers skim through newsletters quickly, so it is important that your CTA grabs attention immediately. Use a color that contrasts with the background to draw the eye to the button. Also make sure the size is big enough to be clearly visible, without taking over the whole design.

The best placement for a CTA is often high up in the newsletter, where it is visible right away. A well-placed button can increase the response significantly.

– Have I adapted my CTA to its purpose?

Think about what you want the recipient to do and adapt the CTA's look and text accordingly. Avoid generic texts like “Read more” and instead use something that clearly describes the benefit, like “Download the guide” or “Book a demo today”.

– Am I repeating it enough?

Place your CTA in several places in the newsletter to give readers more chances to act. But avoid making it feel repetitive by using other elements such as logos, images or headings to link to the same content.

– Am I using icons and images?

Visual elements can reinforce your CTA and make it more engaging. For example, a shopping cart icon can encourage a purchase, or an arrow can signal that it is time to move on. Use visual cues like these to increase the click-through rate.

Technical aspects

– Have I made my CTA work in different email clients?

Images can sometimes be blocked by email clients, which can make your CTA invisible. To avoid this, you can create buttons with HTML text, background colors and background images. Also make sure there is alternative text as a backup if the images are not displayed.

– Have I optimized my CTA for different devices?

More than half of internet traffic comes from mobile devices, so it is important that your CTA works on computers, phones and tablets alike. Make sure the button is easy to tap and clear regardless of screen size, and that the design looks consistent across devices.

Ten quick tips for a good call to action

Analyzing and following up your call to action is important. Look at what the recipient did before reaching the button and whether the newsletter's content was engaging enough to lead to a click. Also think about what happens after the recipient clicks – does the link lead to a relevant and convincing page?

1. Clarity: Your call to action should be clear and easy to understand. Use plain, direct language.
2. Action-oriented: Prompt a specific action with verbs like “Buy now”, “Sign up” or “Book here”.
3. Tempting: Emphasize the benefit for the recipient, for example “Get 20% off today” or “Download our exclusive guide”.
4. Contrast: Use colors and design that make your CTA stand out and catch attention.
5. Placement: Place your call to action where it is easy to see, such as high up or near the end of a product description.
6. Responsive design: Make sure your call to action works well on both computers and mobile devices.
7. A/B testing: Test different versions of your call to action to find the most effective one.
8. Repetition: Give several chances to click by placing the CTA in different places.
9. Create urgency: Use words like “Limited number of places” to create a sense of urgency.
10. Follow up: Make sure the link leads to a page that keeps the same quality and engagement as your call to action.

Want to go deeper? Check out these guides:

• Guide to lead scoring
• Read more about the customer journey
• The big guide to the GDPR
• Guide to inbound marketing
• How to create more B2B leads
• Guide to SMS in marketing
• Learn more in our complete guide to email marketing