Specific rather than generic calls to action are a means to stand out in business marketing.
A recent exchange on Marketing Profs [1] discussed calls to action for B2B trade magazines, resulted in generic answers such as ‘free gift’, ‘free sample’, ’subscribe to our newsletter’ etc. But everybody else uses these same calls. As with bacteria and antibiotics, users become rapidly immune against them.
F
or business marketing, here are 7 specific calls to action.
For visiting your website from an advertisement or article:
#1 Describe typical symptoms of a recognisable problem, and offer a troubleshooting guide or other practical solution.
#2 Use a metaphor, such as a doctor or paramedic, to have people check your offer in a sense of mild emergency. Make sure to have your support organisation on standby.
#3 Tell a funny story of all the ‘bad things’ that happened to somebody who didn’t follow the call to action.
For subscription to your newsletter:
#4 Offer a relevant tool for your target audience, i.e. a design tool for engineers, or a slide library for marketers.
#5 Offer unique information that is nowhere else available - e.g. pictures and anecdotes from your field engineers, market information, tutorials on emerging technologies, …
#6 Offer access to a unique resource - e.g. a library of application notes, case studies, …
#7 Be the pulse of the industry - run a news or insight service
Having something relevant, desirable and scarce on offer is far from easy, but not impossible. In your vertical niche, you know much more than most. This knowledge, combined with persistence and time will suffice as main ingredients to build something unique.
[1] Marketing Profs Knowledge Exchange : B2B Trade Magazine Calls to Action
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