A few weeks ago, one of my friends asked me about email CTA, saying, “Should I include a clear call-to-action in the email?” Which I answered with- “Of course you should, silly!” A centered-placed email call to action (CTA) can alone receive 680% clicks, can you imagine!
An email without a CTA is like a ship without its rudder. Undoubtedly, my friend is unaware of the importance and proper guidance about this highly essential part of an email, and I believe some of you do too. Worry not, I’m here to help!
In this blog, I will discuss CTA in email in depth. You will learn its usage and best practices along with examples of some of the best CTAs for email. So, be my guest and join this email call to action discussion.
Table of Contents
What is an Email CTA?
First, let’s learn: What is a CTA in an email? An email call-to-action (CTA full form) is a link or button within an email template that prompts the recipient to take a desired/required action. For example, such actions can be performed by clicking a link, making a purchase, signing up for a service, or downloading content. It transforms passive readers into active participants, drives conversions, and provides valuable insights into your audience’s behavior.
The email CTA is:
- Usually short, clear, and action-oriented.
- Guides the subscriber toward a goal/aim.
- Offer numerous benefits like boosting engagement and conversions, and higher click-through rates.
Why Does Email CTA Matter?
CTA in marketing is highly essential, and the same applies to email marketing. Let’s learn why email CTA matters!
- Email CTAs are essential to guide your audience; otherwise, how would the recipients know what needs to be done? An email call to action is a must to guide them on what they are supposed to do.
- Email call-to-actions are set with a crucial aim for boosting conversions. Want new subscribers or lead them to the sales funnel? Your email CTA is the direct road to achieving those goals.
- CTA in email provides the ability to determine the state of success of your email campaign. Your CTAs are key indicators of your email campaign’s effectiveness. How? By tracking the click-through rates (CTR) on your CTAs, you can dive into valuable insights of your recipients’ preferences, which is essential to shaping your business.
- To improve engagement. A compelling CTA encourages interaction with your brand beyond just reading the email. It invites participation, fosters a sense of connection, and can lead to stronger customer relationships.
- To simplify a smooth email customer journey. A clear CTA ensures a smooth and intuitive user experience. It directs subscribers to the next logical step in their journey with your brand.
Email CTA Best Practices
You can consider these best practices to maximize the impact of email CTAs.
Use action-oriented words and verbs for email CTA
For email CTA, use action-oriented words and verbs. Try to begin with intense action-taking verbs that can encourage clicking and purchasing, such as:
- Buy Now
- Shop Now
- Download ‘X’
- Register Now
- Learn More
- Contact Us, etc.
Keep it Concise and Clear
Keep your email CTA short and concise; avoid making it overly lengthy. Also, use simple words that are easily understandable. Don’t use idioms or jargon and complex phrasing. Plus, wondering how many CTAs in an email can be used? You can use multiple CTAs, but avoid placing too many unnecessarily.
Make the CTA in email visually appealing
You have to make the CTA in an email visually appealing. Try using contrasting colors and ensure consistency with the email template display. Additionally, focus on the appearance of CTA buttons and ensure the CTA text is consistent with the email fonts to make your CTA stand out from the rest of the email content.
Convey a sense of urgency or the FOMO concept in CTA
Whenever appropriate, you can use words that convey a sense of urgency. Or even better, apply the fear of missing out (FOMO) concept in email call to actions. Use words such as:
- Limited Time Offer
- Ends Soon
- Grab Now Before it’s Gone
- Claim Before it Ends
- Register Now/Soon, etc., to encourage immediate action from recipients.
Personalize your email CTAs
For personalized email campaigns, give your email CTA a personal touch too. Tailor your CTAs according to the segmented audiences’ specific interests and needs for higher engagement.
Run A/B testing to determine the best CTA in email
Run an A/B test with different email call to action buttons/links. Utilize our effective email marketing platform, MailBluster, which ensures fine A/B testing. Use it and test email CTA’s wording, button layout, and placements to see what performs best with your audience.
Email CTA Examples
Want to have some of the best CTAs for email? Alright, let’s go over a huge variety of email CTA examples that you can use suitably in your email campaigns. Plus, these examples will help you learn how to write a call to action for email campaigns.
Sales CTA example in email
Below is a sales CTA example in an email. Wet n Wild uses “Shop now” as the email CTA with the heading “Festival must-haves.” The sales or purchase CTA button is placed at the beginning of the email, directing the recipients to take action from the get-go!
Examples of Sales CTAs
- Buy Now
- Buy it Now
- Shop Now
- Make Purchase
- Click to Purchase
- Claim 30% Off Coupon
- Shop from the Limited Collection
- Order Today and Get Free Shipping
- Want to make a purchase
- Add to Cart
- Add to Shopping Cart
- Grab and Save 50%
- Buy for “X”
- Buy “X”
- Activate Your Discount Code
- Shop New Collection
- Shop New Arrivals
- Explore New Collection
- Explore New Styles
- Try “X” Now
- Pre-order Now
- Order Now
Newsletter CTA in email
This Newsletter from Bite was sent to inform recipients about getting early access to their upcoming event, urging recipients to sign up for text regarding it. Additionally, it has effectively utilized a unique newsletter CTA, “Text us.”
Newsletter CTA in email
- Get Your Free Newsletter
- Subscribe to Our Blog
- Sign Up for Exclusive Content
- Be the First to Know
- Subscribe Now
- Join the Community
- Text Us
- Contact Us
- Get the Latest News
- Stay Informed
- Find Out More
- Discover More
- Learn More
- Get Tips & Advice
- Read More
- Read Blog Post
- Get Updates Straight to Your Inbox
- Never Miss a Thing
- Get the Checklist
- Update Your Preferences
- Get the Full “X”
- Get Started
Seasonal CTA in an email example
Check out the following Seasonal email CTA from MailBluster. It’s a winter sale email, and the Call to action they have used is “Get Your Spot Now” with a suitable winter wishing message underneath.
Occasional or seasonal email CTA examples
- ‘Tis the Season to Shop
- Order and Get Your Spot Now
- Claim Your Gift
- Get the Best Gifts
- Your Birthday Gift Awaits
- Grab Holiday Deals
- Claim Festive Offers
- Grab the Best Holiday Deals
- Get the Best Holiday Deals Ever!
- Claim Your Gift: 50% Off
- Claim Your Holiday Offer
- Grab Your “X” (name of the season) Deals
Limited-time CTA example in email
The following example is a limited-offer email CTA example. As a Spring cleaning limited-time offer CTA in this email template, Stiches N Giggles uses “Take me to the sale!” and has mentioned the offer validity below.
Limited-time offer email call to action examples
- Limited Time Offer
- Grab Limited Time Offer
- Grab It While You Can
- Claim Limited Time Offer
- Claim Your Discount Now
- Don’t Delay; Act Fast
- Wait No More; Act Now
- Get It Before It’s Gone
- Act Fast Before it’s Gone
- Take Me to the Sale!
- Claim Your Special Deal
- Save Big Before It’s Too Late
- Don’t Miss This Limited-Time Deal
- Act Fast Before the Offer Expires
Lead nurture CTA in email
What would CTA be in a lead nurture email? The answer depends on the types of lead nurturing email campaigns. For example, the following lead nurturing email is a welcome email that sends a warm welcome message upon joining Shopify. And it has used “Log in to your store” as the lead nurture CTA, prompting the new joiner to explore by logging in to the store.
Lead nurture email CTA examples
- Explore the Site
- Explore Store
- Log in to Your Store
- Get Started Now
- Download Your Free Guide
- Explore Our Shop
- Explore Our Products
- Set Up Your Account
- Set Up Your Profile
SaaS CTA example in email
The following email is from Grammarly, and they have used “Upgrade now” as the SaaS email CTA. Urging the recipient to upgrade.
SaaS email CTA examples
- Try It Now
- Sign Up for a Demo
- Try a 30-Day Free Trial
- Start Your Free Trial
- Upgrade Now
- Upgrade Your Account
- Book Your “X”
- Get Started Today
- Claim Your Exclusive Offer
- Grab the Exclusive Deal
- See It in Action
- Explore Our Features
- Enroll for Free
Wrap Up
Don’t let your carefully crafted emails fall flat and embrace the power of the email CTA. A well-designed and strategically placed email call to action is the essential bridge that connects your email message with your desired results. Suitably implement the email CTA examples and best practices from this blog. So, the next time you hit “send,” using an effective email marketing tool, make sure you have clearly told your subscribers what you want them to do– and watch your engagement soar!