When drafting emails or updating copy on your membership website, the goal – nine times out of ten – is to get your members to take action. Maybe you want them to register for an event. Or to renew their membership. Or to serve on a committee. 

Whatever it is, the key to getting them to act is to include a compelling call-to-action (CTA). 

What makes a CTA strong? Below are a few tips to keep in mind when drafting yours:

1. Keep it short and simple 

When it comes to CTAs, less is definitely more. You want it to be crystal clear what you want the reader to do. 

You also want the CTA to be scannable. (Most people scan website pages and emails, after all.) The shorter your CTA, the more comprehensible it will be when scanning. 

But you also need to…

2. Make it stand out 

Speaking of your CTAs being scannable, it’s crucial that yours stand out – whether in an email or on your website. To get your CTA to stand out, try putting it in a different color, making it larger/bolder, and/or surrounding it with white space. 

You want all eyes on that CTA…and quickly too!

3. Mention the benefit (The real appeal)

Sometimes, companies and organizations will simply state what they want the reader to do. “Join today!” “Register now!” “Get the free report!”

And there’s certainly nothing wrong with that. But from time to time, to keep things fresh and prompt action, try including the real benefit in the CTA. 

For example, will downloading the report give them insights that will ultimately save them time at work? If so, a compelling CTA might be, “Save time with these industry insights!”

4. Switch it up

You likely have CTAs scattered all throughout your membership website AND in just about every email you send…and that’s normal! But to prevent your CTAs from getting stale (in other words, less exciting and less compelling), try switching up your verbiage from time to time. 

For example, when trying to get someone to join your association, you might switch between, “Join today,” “Become a member,” “Grow with us,” and “Join the [Industry Name] community!” 

At the very least, by switching up your approach, you’re increasing the likelihood that at least one of your messages will resonate with readers.

5. Repeat 

We mentioned how when it comes to CTA copy, less is more. (The shorter, the better.) But when it comes to CTA frequency, more is more. (Repetition is a good thing, especially when you switch up the verbiage of your CTAs.)

So, when sending your renewal reminder emails, don’t just have one “Renew here” button at the bottom. Have a link at the top (within your copy) AND a button at the bottom. You never know at what point upon seeing and reading your message that someone is going to be compelled to act, so give them opportunities along the way. 

Speaking of boosting engagement via emails, including compelling calls-to-action is just one component. For more email marketing tips and tricks, check out our free guide below!