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Write a Call-to-Action (CTA) That Inspires Engagement

What’s a CTA? And Why is it important?

A call-to-action (CTA) is a statement designed to get the person reading it to take specific action. Traditional advertising provides us with the most obvious examples; as a consumer, you’ve certainly encountered a CTA like “Buy Now!” “Start your free trial,” etc. in your inbox.

And while your fundraising efforts have a different end goal, your nonprofit still needs to market your cause to your audience. Every successful fundraising appeal employs a CTA to motivate supporters to donate, volunteer, subscribe or otherwise take action. Without a clear CTA, you’ll leave your supporters wondering what to do next.

Since it’s a key part of every appeal, we’re sharing how to write and use a CTA to inspire engagement.

 

What should your CTA say?

Keep it simple.

Start with the basics and take a direct approach when you’re first getting started. Always include an action word (a verb) and give a sense of urgency when possible. Some examples of effective CTAs include:

• “Donate Now”

This CTA is both clear and effective.  It will guide your supporters to take action in the context of a well-written fundraising appeal. While it might not be the most original, an easy to understand CTA always wins over one that is clever, but confusing.

• “Become a Volunteer Today”

Imagine someone has just learned about your organization and wants to get more involved. This CTA tells them exactly how to take action.

Be descriptive.

Once you’re confident that your CTA tells supporters exactly what to do, you can get creative with your phrasing. Play with the verbs you use and connect the action you want your supporters to take to a concrete outcome. Examples of CTAs that do this include:

• “Sponsor a Child” or “Plant a Tree” or “Provide Medical Care”

You can write a CTA that is specific to your work and that makes supporters feel like they are the ones making a difference. Of course, you want to make sure that these CTAs are in the right context with more details about why your supporters should take action.

Pair action with a specific dollar amount.

You can use the strategies above and supercharge your CTA by adding a dollar amount. Perhaps the trickiest part for this third type of CTA is making sure that it’s short and to-the-point. But it’s worth the effort. When done well, these CTAs can be the most effective because they explain both how and why someone should get involved. Anyone can understand your campaign at a glance with CTAs like:

• “Donate $27 to Support Oakland Teachers” or “Give Just $5 a Month to Save the Rainforest”

Both examples follow a formula of ACTION WORD + DOLLAR AMOUNT + RESULT. This style of CTA is especially effective when you’re seeking smaller or recurring donations.

 

Where do you place your CTA?

Once you’ve crafted an engaging CTA, you also want to make sure that it’s easy to spot.

You’ll want to include a clear CTA:

in your fundraising emails and on your website.

Make the button a contrasting color so it stands out from the rest of your content. Test your CTA button on mobile to make sure that the text is legible, even on a small screen. The button itself needs to be clickable, so leave white space both above and below—don’t crowd it with other content.

“above the fold” in emails.

“Above the fold” in an email means right at the top. Imagine that your email is a folded letter. The CTA should be right there when they open it! Don’t make your readers scroll through a long message to understand what you want them to do.

We’ll re-emphasize a final time: clarity is key for a successful CTA. Don’t make donors dig around or guess at what they should do! Using the techniques outlined above, you’ll be well on your way to engaging your supporters in your next appeal. Of course, your CTA is only one part of your fundraising campaign. You’ll also want to craft a compelling story and cultivate strong relationships with your supporters. If direct mail is part of your outreach strategy, you should even consider including a CTA in your appeal letters to move your donors online.

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Have you found a particular CTA that works well? Let us know what it is in the comments!