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Constructing the Call To Action

Ah, the legendary call to action.

We’ve all seen them and know what they are.  But your call to action isn’t just the catchy tag that you put in the print ad or on the website.  You are a walking talking call to action, my friends.

The finest call to action in the history of mankind will do you no good buried in garbage content, after all.  What’s more, in small business marketing, your call to action is carried in how you (and your staff) communicate with customers on a daily basis.

If you are the only vendor in your category and absolutely own the field, you can stop reading now – no need to market.

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Still there?  Good!  Because let’s face it, no one really owns their field like this.  Kleenex is a ubiquitous term, as well as a brand name.  Why?  They spent millions of dollars and countless hours to get there – and they still work on marketing.  So if they are doing it, shouldn’t you?  Of course!

The Three W’s

To build your call to action, whether in print or in person, we work around 3 key areas:

What do you want them to do?

Why should they come to you?

When should they do so?

To begin with, you need to send prospective clients clear instructions on how to get hold of you.  With proper knowledge of your target market, you can certainly make an educated guess that most will use the phone, your website or whatever the case may be.  This brings up a key point:

Don’t limit client access

I had a boss tell me once that I needed to include every possible contact method in our help wanted ads. I was putting email in there because, well, it was most convenient for me. No phone calls to fight through, I could read and respond to emails at my convenience. Made sense, right?

Wrong!  I was wrong.  If the perfect candidate in every other way didn’t happen to use email, I was not going to hear from them.  The same is true for your clients.  Don’t assume “everyone is using the web” – even if they are, what if they have a question that can’t be answered off the site?  Your call to action must include phone, fax, email, web.  Sure, you can lead them to a landing page to assist with tracking – but give equal access to everyone.

What is your unique selling proposition (USP)

If you don’t know the answer to this question, we need to back up several steps.  What makes you, Tom’s Widgets, a better choice than Joe’s Widget Emporium down the street?  Sure, you know that Joe buys his widgets from a low-grade producer in Southeast Asia and the quality doesn’t touch yours.  Do your clients know?  Probably not, unless they’ve already bought from Joe and the widget failed.

Tell them why you are the resource they need to use.  Make it important to them.

Take some time to determine (or review) what sets you apart.  Then make sure to tell every customer and employee and person driving by and resident of your city and… well, you get the idea.  They need to know; it’s your job to tell them.

Limited Time Offer!

By now they know what to do and why.  But why now?  Make it essential for them to act quickly.  Inform the client of price increases, offer a free trial period, upgrade the first 10 customers… these things get repeated because they work. Small business marketing is a classic case of “imitation is the most sincere form of flattery.”  Don’t reinvent the wheel; use a wheel that fits your car and is suited for the type of driving you are doing.

Repetition begets familiarity…

which breeds contempt?    You know the ads: “Call 867-5309, that’s 867-5309.  Call now for a free entry to our sweepstakes.  Don’t forget, 867-5309.”

Is it annoying?  Yes.

Do you remember the freaking number?  Yes.

Repeat your call to action, place it wherever the triggers are.  (Meaning, if the sweepstakes entry is what drives traffic, put the contact info there.)  On your website, put the call to action, well, everywhere.  Every page should give them the link to buy.  Online buying is a different world; we meander our way through the buying cycle, getting distracted by shiny popups.  As the provider, you need to be sure there is an access point for whenever someone decides, “I’m just going to go ahead and buy it before I forget (again). ”

Remember the Three W’s, What Why and When (notice the repetition, eh?) and use things that work.  Test different ideas, send out a couple different postcards or emails and analyze the results.  Keep the good, table the bad.  Small business marketing gives you the freedom to play on a wide open field.  You don’t have the inflexibility of major brands; they can’t be as nimble as you.  On the flip side, a failed campaign is a blip to them, but a punch in the nose to you.  So test, analyze, rinse and repeat.  Try new things, but keep them grounded in the basics.

Remember, you are your greatest call to action.

-Karl
@karlkoelle

With 10+ years in restaurants and 12 years in communications, I have learned a lot about how to successfully market a restaurant - yet I still learn something new every day and whenever I talk to a client.  Looking for help with your restaurant or small business, whether marketing or management?  Let me know, I am always happy to help.