When writing ad copy, it’s important to keep in mind what your advertising goals are. Your advertising goals will help you determine your Call to Action (CTA).
Your CTA is a key element to any successful ad campaign because it drives consumers to take a certain desired action, which in turn, will help your campaign performance. It should be persuasive, provide some sense of urgency, and be immediately actionable by the consumer.
Here are some questions to ask yourself as you start your PPC advertising campaigns, and they will help you figure out what your CTA should be.
- Do you want the consumer to buy your product or service?
- Do you want them to sign up?
- Do you want the consumer to call your company?
- Do you want them to learn more by downloading a PDF or whitepaper?
Below are some examples of CTAs to get you started.
E-commerce: buy, shop, order
If you have an e-commerce company, the goal is to sell your products; CTAs targeted towards intent-to-purchase will be great additions to your ad copy to motivate consumers to follow through with a purchase on your site. The various intent-to-purchase CTAs that we use most frequently are “buy now,” “shop now,” “order today,” or similar variations, which create a very clear message.
Subscriptions: sign up, subscribe, join, start your free trial
Subscription services come in many forms; there are video and music streaming services, meal delivery services, gym memberships, news outlets, etc. For a subscription, Calls to Action that gives consumers their next step, such as “start your free trial,” “join now,” “subscribe today,” or “sign up now,” are all good phrases to put in your ad copy. For example, Paramount Plus is a television streaming service that offers a free trial and discounts for students. As you can see below, they’ve featured both of these offers in the ad copy and the sitelink copy to entice consumers to sign up with special deals for their streaming service.
Services: contact us, call us, get a quote, learn more
When offering services, it might not be as simple as just a one-click booking. The consumer might be looking for more information, so it’s good to call out in your ad copy that you’re here to help simplify their booking process and answer any questions. For example, CTAs such as “contact us,” “call us,” or “get a quote” put your customer service reps in direct communication with the consumer, which can help with conversion rates. If a customer contacts you and has a conversation with someone about your services and feels confident about the answers they received or good about the quote they got, they are that much more likely to follow through with using your services.
Bookings: book, reserve, rent, schedule
You can book a hotel, a rental car, flights, reservations, appointments, tours, and so much more. The CTA that we would use the most in ad copy for any of these ads would be “book now.” In some cases, the price may change, so booking now is important to lock in the price. If you’re booking something with specific dates, the dates you want might be available now but unavailable tomorrow. Having “book now” in your ads will help drive people to follow through with a booking on your website.
Another option to consider when writing your ad copy is long-form CTAs that provoke enthusiasm in a consumer and create a sense of missing out if they don’t act now: “Buy 1 get 1 free,” “buy now and get 50% off,” “limited time offer,” and “get the best prices.” Include any special offers and deals you have going on in your ad copy for better performance. Below are a few examples of how to include various CTAs in exciting and different ways to give your ad something extra.
There are multiple ways to deliver your CTA in your ad copy, like the many examples we’ve shown. But did you know there’s a little-known extension in Microsoft Advertising that can add a separate CTA button to your search ads?
It’s the Action Extension. This extension has a preset list of 62 (at last count) different CTAs can choose from, including Shop Now, Download, Apply Now, Register, Learn More, Free Quote, and many more. Action Extensions are an eye-catching way to add a CTA without taking up more ad copy real estate. These Action Extensions are on the campaign or ad group level.
And a Call to Action isn’t only important on your ads but also on your landing pages. Read more about it in a previous post, 3 Clicks or Less: Where’s Your Call to Action? from the JumpFly blog.
