Email call-to-actions are money-makers. A large part of email marketing's high ROI is thanks to effective CTAs.
Of course, a CTA needs other email marketing elements such as design, copy, subject lines, personalization and segmented marketing campaigns–but CTAs do more heavy lifting than you think.
That’s why learning how to write compelling email call-to-action elements within your emails is your very own money-printing machinery.
In this article, we’ll explore how to create compelling CTAs that get results. I’ll give you email marketing CTA examples and reasons why they’re effective. Without further ado, let’s hop in!
Stick to the Basic CTA Formula
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel when learning how to write compelling email call-to-action copy or buttons. The trigger you’d need your potential customers to take is often hiding behind the simplest of call-to-action ideas ever.
The basic formula goes like this:
- 3 words
- one coupon
- one offer
Take a look at how Hungry Root executes this formula in its emails, on top of using attractive visuals and excellent copywriting.
The call-to-action they used was “Get 40% Off”.
Nothing fancy.
Used over a billion times by several brands worldwide, this type of singular coupon-driven or offer-driven offer is tried, tested, battle-proven, and highly effective.
It’s the kind of call-to-action within an email that your potential customers have come to expect.
Tap Into FOMO
We are humans and we don’t want to miss a good thing, especially a good deal.
All of Black Friday and Cyber Monday campaigns rallies around this singular truth. You already know just how much business is drummed up during the shopping frenzy that occurs at this time of the year.
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel when learning how to write compelling email call-to-action copy or buttons. The trigger you’d need your potential customers to take is often hiding behind the simplest of call-to-action ideas ever.
You don’t always have to wait until the end of the year to use the power of FOMO for your marketing campaigns.
Look at what the brand Weezie does, combining the classic offer (25 percent off sitewide) and making it a limited-time offer.
Taking the extra step involved in getting the discount code, the whole email is primed to drive sales the smart way.
Trigger Curiosity
We can’t stop ourselves from wanting to be the first to know.
When you combine the power of creating a focused call-to-action that stirs curiosity and serving it to a captive audience, you have a magic wand for conversion.
The brand Bite uses a hyper-focused email marketing campaign showing nothing. It says nothing, shows nothing, but uses one of the oldest tricks in the marketing playbook.
They are not telling you what lies on the other side of the email. If the reader wants to find out, they have to click the button or send an SMS first.
Gamify your CTAs
Gaming is addictive. Gamers love the adrenaline rush of being the center of all the action, scoring points, working their way through different levels, unlocking rewards, and winning.
Humans obsess over these little wins. It’s no wonder that the entire gaming industry uses hooks, levels, scores, points, and rewards as a way for players to progress.
Gamification is the practice of using mechanics of gaming in other spheres such as marketing.
How do you use gamification in marketing? That’s a topic that deserves an entire series of blog posts, webinars, and live streams.
For now, though, see how the brand Blush Mark uses gamification elements with a simple “Click to Play” call-to-action in its email campaigns.
Click or tap on “Click to play” and it will spin a wheel that reveals rewards for you. It’s simple gamification in action that triggers the brain to spin and find out what they’ll win.
Write CTAs with Context
With call-to-action buttons inside emails, the usual choices are straightforward, trusted, and proven to work.
You can’t go wrong with making offers such as Shop Now, Shop Sale, or Buy Now. Admittedly though, these regular CTA options can be boring and unoriginal.
Boring doesn’t mean they don’t work. It just means that you can truly stand out if you can make contextual CTAs where the call-to-action flows with the accompanying copy.
You don’t have to stick with the exact same offers. You could add some context to the call-to-action or the offer and boost the effectiveness of the CTA multi-fold.
Briogeo makes the familiar offer but uses context (following through with the heading, sub-heading, and the main copy) to make their CTA pop by saying “goodbye frizz”.
It’s out of the ordinary copy but it doesn’t take intense brainstorming to create. The collection informs what CTA you’ll use. It makes it more enticing for readers to click on when you use creative prompts like this.
Mastering Email CTAs for Higher Conversions
Writing effective email call-to-actions (CTAs) is essential for driving engagement and conversions. Simple yet powerful CTAs, such as discount offers or urgency-driven messages, work because they tap into customer psychology.
Leveraging curiosity, gamification, and contextual messaging makes your CTAs even more compelling.
By applying these strategies, you can turn emails into revenue-generating tools. Keep testing different CTA styles to see what resonates with your audience.
Looking for more examples?
Use Panoramata and scan or dig through some world-class email marketing campaigns that brands (including your competitors) send with real-time updates, email design inspiration, email copy, and email marketing subject lines.
Panormata also gives you access to view the landing pages for each campaign; website and SEO profiles; SMS marketing examples, the marketing tools that your competitors use, and more.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What makes a good email CTA?
A good email CTA is clear, action-oriented, and relevant to the email's message. It should stand out visually and create urgency or curiosity to drive clicks.
2. How long should an email CTA be?
Shorter CTAs (typically 2-5 words) perform best because they are easy to understand and act on. However, contextual CTAs can be slightly longer if they align with the email's message.
3. Where should I place my CTA in an email?
Your primary CTA should be placed prominently near the middle or end of the email. If possible, repeat it in different sections to increase visibility and engagement.
