If you’re a realtor I’m willing to bet my bottom dollar that you’ve heard of CTA’s or Call to Actions before, I’m also betting you’ve used them once or twice in your marketing to attract more leads. The truth is, if you aren’t using them in ALL of your marketing, then you, my friend are missing out! According to AdRoll, Adding CTAs to your Facebook page can increase click-through rate by 285%, and Unbounce found that 90% of website visitors read headlines and CTA copy, many of whom don’t read anything else! CTA’s are essential from growing your email list to fostering more engagement on social media platforms. Chances are if you stumbled upon this post, then confusion and frustration have left you wondering how to put together a Call to Action that will convert readers into leads. We’ve got you covered! Read on to find out how you can craft the perfect CTA for real estate.
ONE | DETERMINE YOUR AUDIENCE
The first step in creating the perfect call to action is to determine who you will be talking to. Are you trying to attract seasoned sellers? First time home buyers? People Downsizing? You may not address these groups specifically in your CTA, but knowing who you are speaking to will help you visualize pain points and incentives that will drive them to take action. This will allow for a deeper connection and will increase the likelihood of that group clicking through. When you see “Call today for your FREE Home Evaluation” On marketing material, who is that speaking to? Chances are, this realtor is casting a wide net to attract as many leads as possible, but the truth is the broader you are, the less likely you are to attract anyone. People appreciate experts, someone who will understand their pain points or who has something to offer them specifically. So let’s rephrase that CTA to something like, “Never sold your home before and not sure where to start? Call us today, we can help.” In this revised example, we are addressing first-time home sellers, showing them we understand where they are coming from and creating an instant connection with anyone who hasn’t sold a home before. Impactful and speaks to a very specific audience.
TWO | ACTION
The next step is figuring out what you want your prospect to do. Do you want them to visit your webpage, sign up for something, download a guide, give you a call? I like to tell my clients to write what they want in plain everyday English as if they were speaking to their 2-year-old child. This might sound something like “I want people to download my free guide,” or “ I want people to call me with their real estate questions.” Keep it simple, keep it clear, keep it short! Once you’ve done that it’s time to move on.
THREE | RESULT
You know the action you want your prospect to take, now you need to figure out what result they can expect from taking that action. If you want people to download your free guide, you might say “Get your home spring ready, with our free 5-day home makeover guide” We’ve identified exactly what they will get (a 5-day home makeover guide) and why they should get it (get your home spring-ready).
Here’s a helpful formula you can use when crafting your result based CTA’s:
GET [THIS] BY DOING [THIS]
Ex. GET A $5 GIFT CARD BY SIGNING UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER
DO [THIS] BECAUSE OF [THIS]
Ex. DON’T LOSE MONEY ON YOUR HOME, CALL THE EXPERTS TODAY TO HELP YOU DETERMINE THE BEST POSSIBLE SALE PRICE
FOUR | PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
All that’s left is to craft your work into a compelling CTA. Here are some things to remember when crafting your CTA:
- Focus on one goal and one audience
- Consider the pain points of your audience
- Use action words that promote urgency
- Refine, refine, refine (keep it as short and impactful as possible)
If you want people to take action right away your copy needs to be highly impactful, speak to a specific audience and create a sense of urgency. Remember, even if you aren’t addressing them by name you can still be speaking to a specific audience set. When we look at the example “Get your home spring ready, with our FREE 5-day home makeover guide,” we are attracting people who might be thinking of selling and want to make their home look smashing and sell-ready by spring. Notice we didn’t say “Trying to get your home sold in the Spring?…” By minimizing the bulk you are left with a refined CTA that says everything you need it to say. Concise is key.
Here’s another example:
“Call today to get a no-obligation mortgage quote so you can start living your homeowner dreams!”
Refined
“Your mortgage is waiting, call us today.”
FIVE | USE IT
Now that you have your perfectly crafted CTA, it’s time to put it to use. So where is the best place to do this? The answer is, EVERYWHERE! CTA’s should be a part of ALL you marketing, from email blasts to social media to print marketing.
Here is a list of places to post your CTAs
- Email blasts
- Social media posts
- Blog posts
- Pop-ups and opt-in bars on your website
- Print marketing
- Videos
- Property websites
- Property print marketing
- Business cards
A lot of realtors underuse CTAs or rely on outdated or underperforming phrases, so take a look at your marketing, your audience, and your desired result and make an effort to incorporate them more often.
There you have it, your guide to crafting the perfect CTA for your real estate business. If you’re still not sure where to begin or you want to take the guesswork out of the process download our 30 Compelling CTAs for Realtors Guide.
