The call to action is the universal element in a marketing piece. A call to action may appear several times throughout a piece, but the most important call to action is usually positioned near the end of the marketing copy. As the name suggests, it calls the reader to take an action that is relevant to the information in the piece.

Consequently, the call to action can be considered one of the most significant elements of the marketing copy, because the rest of the copy should be leading up to it and should point in the direction of the next step that the reader should take.

The call to action may be worded a variety of different ways, but the real key to an effective call to action is immediacy and simplicity: let the reader know what he or she should do next, without multiple steps and without any confusion. Calls to action tend to be short and to the point.

An effective call to action should include two parts. One part should indicate whom the reader should contact – via phone, email, or website – and the other should let the reader know what will happen when he or she makes contact (i.e., acquire further information, make a purchase, talk to someone, and so forth).

Because of the significance of the call to action, those preparing a marketing piece should keep several considerations in mind. For one, it is important to make use of the call to action.

In other words, do not pass up an opportunity to add a call to action within marketing copy. Also, look for more than one opportunity to use a call to action in a marketing piece. One call to action is not necessarily enough: it is important to start hinting at what the reader should do throughout the piece. At the end, a final call to action can offer definitive direction to the reader. Finally, avoid too much repetition in the wording and utilize different ways to say the same thing. Stay away from copying and pasting the same call to action throughout the piece. Additionally, if several different contact options are available be sure to give them to the reader as well.