Crafting Compelling Call to Action in Emails: 25 Inspiring Examples
If you click to purchase a product or service based on our independent recommendations and impartial reviews, we may receive a commission. Learn more
Written and researched by:
Comments: 0
When creating your email marketing campaigns, one of the most critical aspects is considering what kind of response you want from your audience.
For example, do you want them to make a purchase, sign up for an event, or read a blog post?
Whatever response you’re hoping to prompt, the best way to encourage action from your audience is with a compelling call to action (CTA).
CTA email prompts tell users exactly what action to take, driving website traffic and conversions.
But what should you say in your email CTAs? Fear not, we’ve put together 25 fun and compelling examples that are sure to get your audience clicking and converting.
What Is an Email Call to Action (CTA)?
Before we get stuck into the email CTA examples, we first need to cover the basics, like what is a call to action and how can it be used in emails?
An email CTA is a linked button or text included in your email that encourages users to take action, such as visiting your website, buying a product, or reading your latest article.
When a user clicks on your CTA, they’ll usually be taken to the relevant page of your website. For example, a “Shop now” CTA will direct traffic to your product pages, or a “Read more posts” CTA will send users to your blog.
Often a CTA will use vibrant colors and engaging text to attract the attention of users and encourage them to click and convert.
Your CTA should be concise, engaging, compelling, and easily distinguishable from the rest of your email content.
25 Call to Action Examples for Emails
Need some inspiration for writing your CTA email lines? Take a look at these 25 examples put together by our email marketing experts…
CTAs To Encourage a Purchase
- Shop the new range now!
- Limited stock – get it before it’s gone!
- Claim your free gift
- Shop with free next-day delivery now
- Upgrade to premium – access all features
CTAs for Content
- Read on to find out more
- Download your copy for all the details
- Hear from our CEO
- Want to learn more? Check out our latest YouTube video
- Read the full story
Seasonal CTAs
- Get it before Christmas
- See all our holiday inspiration
- Browse Easter gifts
- Shop the Black Friday sale
- Summer offer ends at midnight
Repeat Purchase CTAs
- Restock your supplies
- Need a top-up? Buy now
- Come back for more
- Shop new colors of your favorite purchases
- Buy again
Abandoned Cart CTAs
- Resume your order
- Checkout now with free shipping
- Claim your 10% discount code
- Return to your cart
- Uncover new prices
6 Tips To Use CTAs Effectively in Your Email Marketing
Take a look at these expert call to action email tips to help you convert as many users as possible.
1. Have an Attractive Subject Line
The subject line of your email can make or break the success of your email marketing campaigns.
You need a subject line that’s engaging and catches the attention of readers. When your email lands in their inbox it’ll be fighting against all the other emails they receive and the only way to stand out is with your subject line.
You can feature your CTA within your subject line too. For example, “Shop our new collection now” or “Download our latest whitepaper for free”.
2. Personalize
One of the tricks to a great email marketing campaign is personalization and your CTA email lines are no different.
You can personalize content for users by grouping them into different demographics, such as gender, age, location, or shopping habits. This then allows you to target them with personalized content for their situation.
You can also take the personalization further by adding their name to your CTA – for example, “Jack, it’s time to shop the new range!”.
3. Be Unique
Think about how you can include a call to action that makes your emails unique.
Rather than using a generic CTA such as “Buy now”, “Book your tickets”, or “Read more”, consider opting for CTAs that are unique to your business. Some examples of this include “Shop our award-winning dog beds” or “Read the interview with our CEO”.
Provide details about what the user can expect if they follow the CTA and why they should act upon your email instead of the competition sitting in their inbox.
4. Language
Make sure you opt for engaging language within your CTA.
Use phrases that will intrigue and catch the attention of your audience and you can even create a sense of urgency by using terms such as “Get it before it’s gone” and “Don’t miss out”.
The more interesting and exciting you make your CTAs sound, the more likely users are to click on them.
Keep your CTAs short and straightforward and focus on the benefit you can provide users.
Top Tip:
When writing your email CTAs, make sure they’re a natural progression from the content featured within your email. For example, if your email is promoting your new line of winter boots, a CTA that says “Read our latest article” wouldn’t make sense. Instead, you would want to use a CTA such as “Shop the new range now” or “Get your exclusive discount”.
5. Formatting
For users to click your CTA, it needs to stand out from the rest of the email content.
Think carefully about how you format your email and the layout you opt for. Some emails will include multiple CTAs for different pieces of content within the email and others will stick to one CTA.
We recommend using a larger font and different colors to ensure your CTA is clearly visible.
6. Create a Button
Creating a button for your CTA, rather than just using hyperlinked text, is the ideal way to make your CTA stand out and encourage clicks.
Use white space to your advantage and opt for a size that ensures it isn’t missed by users. However, don’t be tempted to make the CTA too big – make sure you preview your email first to ensure your button is the right size.
A CTA button is also a clickable feature, further increasing the chances of a user undertaking your preferred action.
Email CTAs: Summary
By using some of the CTA email examples we’ve listed in this article, you’ll be able to drive users to your website and encourage the conversions you’re looking for, whether that’s making a sale or getting traction on your content.
All that’s left for you to do is try them out. Include some of these email CTAs in your next email marketing blasts and let us know in the comments what results you see!
Frequently Asked Questions
Every email you send to your subscribers should include a CTA of sorts that directs them to a specific area of your website and encourages them to take action.
Every email should include at least one CTA but you can include more. The more content you have, the more CTAs you can include, but we’d recommend a maximum of two or three different CTAs per email.
No, using different CTAs is important if you want to keep users engaged. Even if you want to encourage the same action and drive them to the same page, consider switching up the text of your CTA each time you send an email. Once you work out which CTAs get the best results, you can switch between these.
Written by:
Found this article helpful?
Share this article or comment below!
Leave a comment