Use 'Call to Action' Offers They Cannot Refuse
Special offers that get your reader to click and take action.
By Clare Gambaro, Solutions Found                                                                   

When you email the people on your list, you engage in some level of marketing – marketing that request an action on the part of the recipient. One element of good direct marketing is an offer that engages the reader to take action.

Action is What We Want

Action is what we want readers to do when they receive and read your email. To buy a product, pay for a service, come to a special event or volunteer for your organization. Keeping in mind, the goal is for a direct response from the reader.

It is important to remember why you would make an offer. The 40/40/20 rule of getting a good response from your email campaign is based 40 percent on targeting the right audience, 40 percent on the offer you make, and 20 percent on your creative copywriting and design. 

This article will explain different types of offers that get a call to action result.

Offers That Encourage and Immediate Sale

A question to ask yourself before you consider what to offer is, “Is my product or service one that I can sell directly?”

Do you sell a product that people can and will pick up the phone or visit your website to buy immediately as a result of your email? If you sell clothing, jewelry, a workshop, pet supplies, or a host of other products, then, you can expect direct sales as a result of your email.

Also, if you want to get people to sign up for a special event, like a fundraiser or a golf tournament, then you can expect a direct response as well.

EXAMPLES
Examples of direct sell purchase offers are “Buy One, Get One Free”, coupons with a percentage off, or giveaway items with a purchase…”Buy $100 worth of plants from Smith’s Nursery and receive the latest book from Don Burke on “How to maintain your garden this winter”.

It could be to promote a special event; you might offer an “early bird discount” or provide a two for one offer before a certain date. Giveaways also work well for events. Like sign up for the Cancer Foundation 5k fun run and receive a free t-shirt and sun visor; or Purchase the VIP package today and receive a special voucher for $267 worth of teaching CD's on “How to successfully market your business online”.

Offers That Attract Interest and Get Sales

There are some products and services that will require more consultation before someone decides to buy. This is when you might make a soft offer with the goal of engaging your receiver to build trust and move closer to an eventual sale.

EXAMPLES
A good example would be a white paper – a brief article about a topic of interest to the reader. This will assist the reader in gathering more information on your product or service.

For example, if you are a public relations consultant, you can offer a white paper on the “10 Tips for Getting Great PR” or if you run a health store, you can offer a white paper on “Foods that you keep you Fit and Healthy”. Other Offers include free consultation or a free sample of your product…”Call today and receive a 12 month subscription to our life Style Magazine.

Maybe it is to create interest in an upcoming workshop or church giveaway, you could offer a brief article or a podcast on a related topic to engage its members and entice their interest in the event.

Questions to Ask Yourself

The specific call to action is a determining factor in getting your readers to click and respond to your offer. Some questions you might want to ask is what you want them to do, why they should do it and how to take that next step.

Whatever action you want your recipient to take, you can make it happen often with a good call to action. Help them decide what you want them to do, whether it is to:

• Buy something

• Sign up for a service

• Fill out a form

• Read an article

• Request more information

• Visit your website or store etc.

When you have decided on your offer, run it through questions like:

• Do you offer value?

• Is your offer easy to understand and take action on?

• Is your offer relevant to the product, service, or event you are promoting?

Also go back to 40/40/20 rule when you prepare your next email.

Remember, 40 percent of your direct results will depend on your offer, so it’s well worth giving some careful thought to what you want that offer to be. 

Finally, never underestimate the power of testing different offers to see which one gets the best results. 



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