How financial advisors can write a business call-to-action that works
Financial advisors typically have more experience with numbers, tax laws and financial products than they do with words. So, when they write a business call-to-action (CTA), they may not be familiar with the best practices for writing powerful CTAs that inspire clients to get in touch.
A business call-to-action means any meaningful action taken by a visitor, such as purchasing a product or watching a video. For financial advisors, it usually means filling out a contact form for more information or requesting a quote for services.
It’s the final threshold between “visitor” and “customer”, and you’ll need to write persuasively and effectively if you want your visitors to cross it.
Six ways to write a business call-to-action that shines
Ensure your CTAs are successful by following these practices:
- Write for a target customer
- Remember the importance of placement
- Use active language
- Focus on the value
- Differentiate yourself
- Strive for excellence
Keep reading for an in-depth look at each of these tips.
1. Write for a target customer
As a financial advisor, you might think your services are valuable to everybody, which can tempt you into writing a CTA that appeals to everyone. But it’s more effective to target your CTA to a specific audience. This way, you’ll be able to craft more relevant messaging, which will encourage your audience to take action. As you write, consider:
Demographics
Think about the people you’re targeting. Are you trying to reach young professionals or seasoned workers preparing for retirement? Men or women? Business owners or freelancers?
Chief concerns
What is your audience worried about? Are you helping people create a better budget? Internationalise their assets? Build wealth for the future? Retire comfortably? Understanding your audience’s main needs and concerns will help you create a CTA that speaks to them directly. For example, you might write, “Save for your children’s education” rather than “Find a financial advisor”.
Level of expertise
You should also know how familiar your audience is with the topic so you can use the appropriate level of vocabulary. You don’t want to talk down to someone who has a grasp of the basics, nor do you want to go over the heads of people with limited knowledge of financial jargon.
2. Remember the importance of placement
The placement of the CTA on your website is one of the most crucial details. When placing your CTAs, think about:
Frequency
Ideally, you’ll have CTAs throughout your website. This will maximise visibility and increase the chances that visitors will come across one, no matter how many pages they visit.
Length
CTAs can be long or short depending on where they’re located. At the end of a detailed blog post, for example, you might have room for a couple of sentences. But as a user is scrolling down your homepage, a simple, “Contact me today” is appropriate.
Location
Your CTAs should, for the most part, be in the top half of your website, though there are exceptions to this rule. Most importantly, they should always be visible, and big and bold enough to encourage action.
3. Use direct, active language
The problem with wishy-washy language is that it doesn’t inspire action. You want your prospective clients to be excited to take the next step and motivated to do so. Visitors might not be encouraged to click if you use bland phrases like, “Are you ready for retirement?” or “Do you want more?” Use something more urgent like, “Start your retirement plan today,” or “Build financial independence now”.
4. Focus on the value
Focus not just on the action you want visitors to take, but also on the value they’ll get by taking it. What’s in it for them? Let’s say you offer a downloadable budget template in exchange for some personal information.
A straightforward, action-driven business CTA might be, “Download my budget template today”. But your visitors are busy. They need to know why they should take this action. So, a more successful CTA might be, “Save more money each month by downloading my budget template”.
5. Differentiate yourself
Some financial advisors are able to articulate the value of their conversions plainly, indicating the potential for clients to save money, build wealth or plan for retirement. But this doesn’t differentiate you from your competitors in any meaningful way. If you want to be successful, you’ll need to find a differentiator that helps you stand out from your contemporaries.
Do you offer lower rates than the other advisors in your area? Do you cater to clients with certain needs? Do you have access to more resources or more experience? Try to mention these differentiating factors in your CTA or in the content leading up to it.
6. Strive for excellence
It’s important to understand exactly what your conversion rates are and what kind of ROI you’re getting, so you can recognise problems and improve over time. Too many financial advisors write first drafts of their CTAs, but never check the metrics to see how they’re doing. Even if they do, they might grow complacent with mediocre results.
If you want to be successful, measure your conversion rates consistently, and experiment with new variables and new approaches, gradually pushing your rate even higher.
In conclusion
Follow these tips and you’ll produce perhaps the best business call-to-action in the industry. As long as you’re getting a steady stream of inbound traffic, your conversion rates will give you all the leads (and hopefully, long-term customers) you need to keep your financial business profitable.
This article has been adapted from an original piece by Jayson DeMers.
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