Best Call to Action Ideas for Writing Emails and Articles

Andrey Novoselov Andrey Novoselov
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If you want to sell your product or service on the web, you may have already created an attractive website with all the necessary information for customers. Or, you have already started mailing people with advertisements for your product. Have you noticed that successful websites, advertisements and emails have one thing in common? It is the presence of “catchy” phrases which draw your attention in and persuade you to spend more time with the content. On this page, we will teach you how to write a call-to-action email or article.

Best call to action ideas for writing emails and articles

What Is a Call-To-Action?

Let’s start with the basics. A call-to-action (CTA) is a word or phrase with strict persuasive sense. It helps you capture a user’s attention. It encourages people to choose your product and persuades them to do what you want them to do (subscribe to your newsletter, buy the product, etc.).

Without knowing how to write a CTA email, you may be met with problems. For example, the number of subscribers is insignificant and sales are low.

If you don’t know how to write a CTA email and want to learn how to use a CTA in writing, we are here to provide you with the best ideas and examples!

How to Write a CTA in the Content

A good CTA should be simple, clear and persuasive at the same time. How do you achieve this?

All successful CTAs always have three features:

  • Voluntary: Use “try” instead of “do”

There shouldn’t be any obligations in your text. If people can get something for free (first lesson, trial etc), they are more likely to try it. So, show users that your services have more benefits and fewer obligations than your competitor’s services.

  • Urgency: Use such words as “now,” “today,”

Make people feel like they need your product right now, and help them get it by adding buttons like “Get it now!” Direction to do an action “now” encourages readers not to put it off until later.

  • Simplicity: Make your CTAs easy to follow.

Honestly, nobody wants to read tons of instructions. Therefore, good CTAs should be as simple as possible. Avoid long multi-valued phrases. Make the CTA clear and easy to read. Remember, a customer must have no doubts about what he or she wants to do next.

In addition to these features, keep in mind that your CTA should be personal. Using pronouns such as “I” and “You” is a tricky way to make the reader feel special.

Before we proceed to some great CTA examples useful in writing, let’s take a detailed look at four strategies for creating breathtaking CTAs.

4 Strategies for Creating Ctas in the Content

1. Use the Three Basic Principles

It is the simplest way, but it works! The combination of the voluntary, urgency and simplicity principles will help you convince readers to use your product.

However, there is one issue: People see such CTAs every day. Your content should look different, otherwise, people will forget about it. So, if you want to make your CTA really unforgettable, try to use another strategy.

2.  Intrigue your users

Remember the simple phrase “to be continued…” at the end of a TV show episode? Writers and scenarists use it to make their readers or viewers intrigued – and it works! So, why don’t you use it while creating your CTAs?

Tell people about the benefits of your services, but don’t reveal all the details to them. Make them interested and convince them to get more information from you.

3. Find the Problem and Give the Solution

Sometimes you should help readers understand that they need your help. You can describe their problem and the main pain point(s) in the heading. Or, it can be included in the text itself. It depends on the case. Define their problems and explain how they can be solved with your help.

4. Use Social Proof

We all live in society, therefore its opinion is a persuasive argument. If the majority of people use one product, your customer will want to try it too. Write something like “thousands of people are satisfied with our company,” and it will start working as an advertisement.

What if you don’t have many customers yet? Don’t worry! Put some statistics on your page. Social proof makes your website trustworthy for people.

These four strategies are suitable for different cases. However, if you want to learn more, read Neil Patel’s article.

How to Test a CTA

Another essential step in creating an excellent CTA is testing. You need to check whether your CTA reaches its goal or not. The best way to do it is to perform A/B testing. A/B testing reveals weak spots and helps you get the most efficient CTA.

How does it work? For A/B testing, you should prepare at least two versions of CTAs. Then, during the A/B test itself, users interact with a randomly chosen variant. As the result, you will get the statistics (the click rate, etc.) to determine the most efficient version of CTA.

A great way to check your page is to use online platforms like Crazyegg (Their website has a lot of examples of creative CTAs, by the way).

Best call to action ideas for writing emails and articles

20 CTA Examples

What is the best way to make an excellent CTA text? It is simple: Learn from the experience of other writers. Below, you’ll find 20 different CTA phrases, so feel free to use them for inspiration!

Add to cart Start your free trial! Try it free Subscribe now
See what’s next Limited time only! Find your dream house now Try the club today
The best video maker for your online ad campaign You deserve the best We’re having a surprise sale! Get our free X
Yes, I want X! Start your journey toward X Do you want to X? Yes or No Activate X today!
You are running out of time! Watch now, cancel anytime Become one of the (number) people who subscribe to my emails. Reserve your spot now!

There are many more examples on the web. You can check out this useful link here, for instance.

How to Test CTA Phrases

Don’t limit yourself by the ready-made phrases. You may test your own. The easiest way to test CTA phrases:

  1. Create contextual ads with your CTA phrases in the tiles (for example in Google Ads)
  2. Launch a campaign for at least 100 clicks (better to do more!)
  3. Look at which phrase has the highest CTR.

This is how you will learn which phrases works and which are not attracting people.

Five CTA Button Ideas

Familiar buttons like “Subscribe” or “Log in” always work. But, if you want to provide your users with an outstanding experience, try to write something more creative.

Here are five fantastic ideas for CTA buttons:

  1. What’s next? A simple phrase that intrigues your readers.
  2. Grab the template! Such button will quickly catch your eye.
  3. Get started.  It sounds a lot better than the simple “Start.”
  4. Give us a try. What a great combination of creativity with persuasion.
  5. What we do. It is a less common version of “Our portfolio” or “Our Services.”

If you need more templates and examples, read the full article written by Brittany Leaning.

How to Write CTA Texts

Writing CTAs can be an exciting challenge, but it results in content which will sell itself. The takeaway is use the examples of effective CTAs to increase your sales in a reliable way.

Making content without CTA features is a very common mistake. You can increase your income if you implement our CTA ideas in your texts. Just try it, and see the power of the this strategy.

We hope you’ll reach your goal with our CTA ideas and we’re waiting for your comments!