In the world of content marketing, a Call to Action (CTA) is universally acknowledged as one of the most important lead generation tools a business can use. It’s the extra push readers need at the end of a piece to spur them into action. A good CTA can be the difference between a single added website view and a lead.

How can you make sure your CTAs are working as hard as they should be?

These five major mistakes could have your readers clicking that little red X and leaving your blog or newsletter forever. Avoid them, and you’ll significantly increase your chances of readers raising their hands and taking the action you want them to take.

1.  Not having them. The first and biggest mistake you can make with a CTA is to not include it. Your content can be interesting, helpful, and informative, but if you don’t remind your viewers of the next step once they’re done reading it, it could all be for nothing.

Small Business Trends’ B2B Call to Action Study showed that 70% of B2B organizations don’t regularly use CTAs. Make sure you’re part of the 30% who encourage and help your readers to engage with your content.

2.  Too much, too soon. Don’t overstep your bounds! If you ask for too much, too soon, your readers will ignore you. It’s important to establish trust before asking your viewers for detailed information. Demanding everything from their mailing address to their mother’s maiden name after a single blog is excessive.

Remember: a lead doesn’t have to happen instantly. A CTA’s goal is to engage your prospect, not entrap them. If you ask for less up front, you’ll get a lot more people who are comfortable expressing their interest. One website even found that by removing their signup button from the homepage, they increased signups by a whopping 350%.

3.  Vagueness. No one wants to send their email address, name, phone number, etc. off into the void without knowing where it’s headed or for what purpose. Make sure to tell your reader what they’ll get when they click through or sign up.

Will they receive a free whitepaper? Will they get regular updates on industry-relevant topics? What are you offering in exchange for their valuable information? Make sure they have that incentive at first glance.

4.  The Invisible CTA. Nothing makes a CTA less effective than when your readers can’t find it. The two most popular options are “above the fold” (meaning that your readers can see it without scrolling when they first open the page) and at the end of your post (so that when they finish reading, the next step is obvious).

You can also use page design to ensure that your CTA stands out. Some marketers swear by highlighting them with color, while others are convinced that integrating them as much as possible with the text of the content stops readers from ignoring them.

5.  Letting readers be lazy. The default action for your viewers is to do nothing. It’s your job, through the CTA, to convince them to change their minds. In order to motivate them to take action, you have to create a sense of urgency. Don’t let your readers be lazy!

Remind viewers why it’s important to click that button as soon as possible. Are they letting information or sales leads slip through the cracks by waiting? Are they missing out on a time-sensitive deal? They should feel fired up after reading your CTA, not ambivalent.

If you avoid these major CTA mistakes, your calls to action will be the powerful lead generation tools they’re meant to be. Push your readers to action with a well-crafted CTA and you’ll see your conversion rate rise to match.

Not confident that your CTAs can do the heavy lifting? Here at Proven Systems, we have expert writers and marketers who can produce actionable content every time. Contact us for a no-cost consultation to learn more.