Email campaigns exist to drive action. That small CTA button, which takes up a fraction of your email's real estate, is what separates a campaign that converts from one that gets deleted.
Without a clear CTA, readers have no path forward. The email simply ends.
So how do you write a CTA that actually gets clicked? Before the tips, a quick definition.
What is a CTA and why does it matter for email marketing?
Definition: A call to action (CTA) uses short, direct wording to prompt readers to do something, click through to a website, make a call, buy a product, request a quote, or any other next step.
CTAs tell readers what to do and take them to the right place to do it.
The numbers:
- CTAs are the number one driver of click-throughs on email and website
- Button-based CTAs increase click-through rates by 127%
- CTAs move recipients along the customer journey
- They play a direct role in improving conversions
Want more action from your call to action?
We have all seen the generic CTAs, bland wording, no urgency, easy to scroll past. Getting readers to stop and click takes more than a button and a verb. At TouchBasePro, we have spent years helping South African businesses improve their email results. Here is what works.
Follow our top 5 pointers for improving yours:
#1 Understand your audience
You cannot write a CTA that resonates if you do not know who you are writing for. Audience research and segmentation are the foundation.
Audience research means understanding your subscribers' preferences, behaviour, and needs. When you know what drives them, you can write CTAs that speak directly to those motivators.
Research areas to cover:
- Demographics, age, gender, location, income level, occupation
- Psychographics, attitudes, interests, and values
- Surveys and feedback, understand subscriber pain points and expectations
- Past engagement, look for patterns in CTRs, conversions, and response times
Segmentation means splitting your subscribers into groups based on shared characteristics or where they sit in the customer journey. Once you have your research, you can speak directly to each group rather than broadcasting the same message to everyone.
#2 Make it stand out
Design matters as much as copy. A CTA that gets missed or looks cluttered is a lost conversion.
How to build a CTA that catches the eye:
Use a button
A button draws more attention than hyperlinked text, especially on mobile. According to our research, buttons have increased conversion rates by as much as 28%.
Use white space
Clutter kills CTAs. Leave enough empty space around the button to give the reader a visual break and a clear target, particularly useful for mobile users.
Choose strong colours
Orange and green tend to perform well, but your brand palette matters most. The key is contrast: make the button colour stand out against the background. Test a few options to find what works.
Limit distractions
Too many images, links, and buttons pull attention in all directions. If you include more than one CTA, make the primary one clearly the largest and boldest.
Test it
A/B split testing lets you compare colours, placements, and styles against each other. Run it consistently and let the data guide your decisions.
#3 Place it in the best spot
Placement is one of the more debated topics in email marketing. Here is practical guidance:
Above or below the fold?
Above the fold means the CTA is visible without scrolling, it will not be missed. Below the fold gives the reader context before asking them to act. There is no single right answer. Base the decision on the goal of each specific email.
Follow a natural reading path
Readers move top to bottom and left to right. CTAs placed near the bottom or on the right of content tend to outperform those on the left.
#4 Write readable, enticing and accessible copy
Now for the wording.
Four ways to sharpen your CTA copy:
- Get personal, use first-person pronouns ('I' or 'me') rather than second-person ('you'). 'Start my free trial' or 'Yes, I want a free upgrade' outperforms 'Start your free trial' consistently.
- Use action-oriented text, swap flat words like 'submit', 'enter', or 'click here' for active verbs like 'get', 'shop', or 'try'. 'Reserve my place' or 'Get the discount' give readers a clear, motivating instruction.
- Keep it short, aim for 2 to 3 words. No more than 5 or 6.
- Create urgency and incentive, words that signal scarcity or a time limit lift CTRs. Examples: 'Exclusive offers', 'RSVP now, 7 spots left', '50% off today only'.
#5 Align with the right email marketing partner
A great CTA can only do so much. If the rest of your email is weak, poor subject line, unclear offer, bad deliverability, the button will not save it.
Getting email right across the board takes more than good copy. It takes the right platform and the right support. TouchBasePro helps South African businesses build email strategies that work from top to bottom: subject lines to deliverability, offers to automation.
Partner with TouchBasePro to build CTAs and email strategies that convert.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a CTA in email marketing?
- A call to action (CTA) is a short, direct prompt that tells email recipients what to do next, click through to a website, claim an offer, book a call, and so on. It is typically a button or linked text and is the primary driver of click-throughs in an email.
- Where should I place my CTA in an email?
- Above the fold works well when you want maximum visibility. Below the fold can work better when readers need context before acting. Place CTAs on the right side of content or near the bottom, as these positions tend to outperform left-side placement. Test both for your specific audience.
- How long should a CTA button label be?
- Aim for 2 to 3 words, and no more than 5 or 6. Short, action-oriented labels like 'Get the discount' or 'Reserve my place' outperform vague ones like 'Click here' or 'Submit'.
- Do CTA buttons perform better than hyperlinked text?
- Yes. Button-based CTAs have been shown to increase click-through rates by 127%, and TouchBasePro data shows buttons can lift conversion rates by as much as 28%, particularly for mobile readers.