One of the most common mistakes in advertising and marketing materials — one that’s even made by professionals who should know better — is forgetting to include a call to action.
In simple terms, a call to action is the instructions you’re giving the reader or viewer, so they know what you want them to do. Call you for an appointment? Request a free estimate? Download a white paper? It’s the point at which you turn the impact and effectiveness of your sales message into a practical action of some sort.
What’s the right call to action? That all depends on what you’re trying to accomplish, whether it’s setting up a personal sales call, making a direct sale, or simply showing a reader who wants more details where they can be found.
When you don’t give the reader or viewer a call to action, they’ll choose one of their own: they’ll do nothing. And at that point, the time and money you’ve put into developing your message becomes a waste.