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Here’s the Best Alternative to Pushy Call-to-Actions

Consumers take action only when there’s a motivation behind their actions.


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Nick Chai

3 years ago | 3 min read

Read any marketing blog on the Internet and you’ll notice that call-to-action is something they worship like an angel from heaven. Bringing them leads and customers so they can pay their bills.

I’m a copywriter. The call-to-action is the lifeblood of my work. Everything I do will always lead readers to either a link or a button so I can pay my bills. Well, except for this article.

Times have changed. And I think it’s about time call-to-actions change too. Why? To keep up with the trends of how consumers convert nowadays.

Something better: Call-to-value

The better alternative to call-to-action — call-to-value. You have to know consumers have total control over their spending activities. It’s not the 80s anymore. Back then everything was new. The only way to inquire about a product or service is to be sold to.

Today, we have Google. If you’re not sure about anything, ask Google. Consumers get to choose when and where to convert. It’s not up to you to decide when or how they should convert. That’s the great thing about call-to-value. Unlike call-to-action, it’s an offer to convert rather than a command to do something.

If you could take away one thing from this article, take this. Offer value whenever you can. You may not have control over consumers’ conversion, but you have control over how you present the offer. So might as well offer an enormous amount of value.

Why the hell use call-to-value

Call-to-value puts the emphasis on value. That goes without saying. But here’s the deal. Consumers take action only when there’s a motivation behind their actions. Nobody clicks on something without gaining something in return.

In other words, when you call someone to action, they don’t see the reason for it. But when you offer something of value, they see the reason behind the link or button. With that being said, here are 3 reasons why you should use call-to-value in your copy.

Ending with value is less pushy

Compare these two: Buy now vs Get a copy now. I’d prefer the latter because I feel like it’s not shouting at my face. Call-to-actions have the reputation of being direct and commanding. In fact, that’s how we are taught to use CTAs. It has worked for centuries but times have changed.

More marketers and copywriters are adding value to their call-to-actions. Taking back the example above. ‘Buy’ sounds more transactional while ‘Get’ seems to offer more value to the audience. People want value nowadays. Simply selling what you offer won’t cut it. They want more than the product or service.

Value is attention-grabbing

When you present value to the audience, it’s like eating food when you’re hungry. Value is irresistible when we see the potential it brings to the table. In other words, we tend to look for things that could benefit us in some shape or form.

The typical call-to-action is direct and highly effective when used correctly. However, they are meant for audiences at the bottom of the funnel. These people are ready to buy. But what about audiences at the top and middle of the funnel? This is where a call to value comes in handy.

Soft selling at its finest

In digital marketing, the first impression is a deal-breaker. You either nail it or fail it. It’s hard to make up for something that you messed up in the beginning. Unless your audience knows, likes, and trusts you, coming up too strong is not ideal for the first few encounters. You have to sell regardless. But you do it subtly.

Selling the value first and the offer second is the best strategy for an excellent first business impression. Soft selling gives you the room for your marketing efforts to work their magic. The worst thing you can do is to scare potential customers away because you’re being pushy. Remember, only 2–3% of your customers are ready to buy. Nurture the rest of them through value.

Conclusion

Call-to-action has its place which is at the bottom of your funnel. For the most part of your digital marketing touchpoints, a call-to-value is your best weapon. Trust me when I say value is everything to your audience. Once you start to offer value instead of selling, I promise you’ll see a drastic improvement in your business. No matter the industry.

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Nick Chai

Your sales message is the fundamental key to marketing success. I'm writing to share everything I know about neuromarketing so you can apply what works to get more leads and sales. Follow me for more content on persuasion and marketing.


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