Knowing how to use communication to persuade people to think and act in certain ways has been a favourite research topic since the birth of politics and commerce.
Motivated by getting into power and then staying in power, politicians are usually the most enthusiastic scholars of communication theory.
Early theories into the workings of communication included the basic ‘hypodermic needle’ theory. The idea was that information was virtually ‘injected’ into anyone exposed to the message. Imagine how easy our jobs would be. Everyone who heard your sales pitch would sign on the dotted line.
Understanding is complex
We know that that’s far too simplistic. Information is taken onboard within a complex context of preconceived ideas, influences from other sources and personal biases.
That makes our job more interesting. It suggests that people can be persuaded to change their minds and act on information received from a variety of sources and angles.
We’ll come back to that another day but, for now, let’s focus on Calls To Action, or CTAs as denoted in short-hand.
A Call To Action
CTAs have risen to prominence because of the important role they play in digital communication. On website landing pages, email newsletters, social media posts, a good CTA should firmly nudge your reader in the direction in which you want them to move.
We communicate with a goal in mind, and the CTA should move the audience towards the goal. In its most unsubtle form, we want readers to place an order, to buy our product or service. Blurting that out in copy would be reverting to the ‘hypodermic needle’ way of thinking.
Persuasion is more effective when the initial pitch is low risk. An invitation to sign up for a free newsletter, download a style guide or checklist, fill in a form for an assessment or quote, encouraging a visit to the website to view the full range – pull them closer with your own style of ‘come along, follow me’.
Digital media is a must
Digital media has made content marketing and communication a vital part of every business, whether you’re manufacturing a food product, or providing an intangible service.
We’d love to help you move new customers in the right direction. Drop me a message, or call on 083 303 1663, or email shirley@shirleywilliams.co.za. We know every client’s needs and budget are different, so we will make a plan just for you.
Come along, follow me 😉
