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Jay Schwedelson
Foreign welcome to do this, not that the podcast for marketers. You'll walk away from each episode with actionable tips you can test immediately. You'll hear from the best minds in marketing who will share tactics, quick wins and pitfalls to avoid. We'll also dig into life, pop culture, and the chaos that is our everyday. I'm Jay Schwedelson. Let's do this, not that. We are back for do this, not that podcast presented by Marigold. And today is the ultimate call to action button episode. Wow, does that sound nerdy? Oh, well, who cares? The reason that this is exciting is that I don't know if there's anything in all of marketing that can have a greater impact on the outcome of your marketing that costs no money, that takes less than five seconds to do, and anybody can do it. And it's so overlooked. We're talking about call to action buttons in your emails, on your social posts, on your landing pages. Those are the rectangular buttons. Literally the rectangular buttons in all of your marketing. And the words that you're putting on those buttons have a massive impact in the outcome of everything that you're trying to sell, business and consumer. So first, let's jump into this idea of call to action versus statement of value. The words matter. Those writing the word register, writing the word shop. Now writing the words. Read more on your call to action buttons. That's what's holding you back. Because that's all it is. You're asking them to take an action. What you want to be doing is giving them a statement of value. And here's the stat and I'll give you examples. When your call to action buttons are actually statements of value, these value statements increase click through rates by over 20%. So for example, instead of watch the video, your button would say unlock the secrets in two minutes. Instead of request a demo, it would say see it in action. Instead of shop now, it would say upgrade your style. Right? It's all about what is the value. And it's not that somebody's going to look at that button and say, wow, that's really exciting. I'm so into that button. No, it's going to be instant. They're moving very fast and like, oh, I get it. I'm going to get this out of that, right? Instead of read more, it's discover the full story. Instead of subscribe, it's get exclusive updates. What is the value? And put it in that button. Your button could be really long. It doesn't need to be one word. Now, beyond just statements of value. There's one secret sauce thing that you could do on your buttons, and this is when you're doing it in your emails, this is when you're doing it in your social posts. Anywhere where you have that big, long rectangular button. If you write your call to action buttons in first person, okay, Increases click through rates for business and consumer marketers by over 28%. What, what does that mean, writing in first person? Let's say you're promoting a webinar. Should the button say Register, which is the commitment that you want them to make? Register or save my spot. That's first person and that's a benefit to me. What would you rather click on Register or I want in? When that button is written in first person, it crushes it. On the consumer side, the same thing. Buy now, which is what you want them to do, versus first person. Yes, I want my 25% off. Writing in first person is the great easy test. So simple to do. Now, forget about just on your social posts, forget about just in your emails. What about on your destination page? What? On your landing page, great, they've clicked on a search ad, they've clicked on something on your social ads, they've clicked on email. Now they've gone to that landing page, that destination page, the offer page. When your offer, okay, is mentioned in the submission button, it has your submission rates rise by 17%. What does that mean? So on that form, on that landing page, they're filling out the form. That final button, does it say the word submit? Which by the way, is a horrendous word to use. Does that button say the word submit or does it restate your offer? So let's say you're trying to promote free quotes on insurance. Instead of submit, it would say get three quotes now, exclamation mark. It's restating the offer. If you're trying to get somebody to take advantage of a free trial, does it say submit or start free trial? Right. Submit or get free assessment. You want to state the offer in the words on that button. And that's how you increase your submission rate by 17%. And it's not just about what's on the button, it's also about what's near the button. Okay? When you have social proof on the side or right below that submission button on that landing page, that destination page, that offer page, when you have social proof right there, either next to or right below, it'll actually increase your convergence by 21%. So right below, below that button, it would say something like saved us 30% on our CRM costs, said Todd. Right. Cut our monthly bill by $50, said Sarah. You put a standard testimonial right there. It's that last validating point. It's that last thing to get them over the hump to say, you know what, I'm going to do it. Just by doing that, you can increase your conversion rates by 21%. And if you have like a 4.9 star review, you could list that right there by the button. It's the same idea as a testimonial. So the words that you're putting on the button, right. The words that you're putting near your button, this can change the. Radically change the outcome of the performance of all of your offers. Okay, so before we get to. Since you didn't ask which is the ridiculous portion of this podcast, I want to let you know that this podcast is presented by Marigold. Now, I talk about Marigold a lot because they're my email sending platform. Everybody here, you're listening right now. You have an email setting platform you don't really like. It drives you a little bananas. It's annoying. It doesn't have all the features. It takes you a lot of time. I've been using Marigold for years and I am telling you, it is great. If you're a business marketer or consumer marketer, small, medium, large. I send out billions of emails. It is fantastic. You need to check them out. DM me on LinkedIn. I will connect you to the exact right person at Marigold. Or just go to meet marigold.com and tell them that the podcast sent you. Okay, meet marigold.com. at least check it out. Find out what you're missing. I've been using them for years. All right, let's get into. Since you didn't ask. So I've just been traveling a lot and I've been flying around a lot and I, I need to know if something that happened is wrong that I did because I got. Somebody got angry at me and maybe I'm wrong. Okay, so I'm flying, right? I'm getting, I'm on the airplane. I got my seat. Now for me, I like sitting in an aisle seat. I always do that. Like, that's it. I need to sit in aisle seat. And the reason I like to sit in aisle seat is I don't like getting trapped when I sit in the middle or a window seat. If the person next to me, like is some, some big person and they fall asleep and then I want to get up, I can't get up. I'm. I'm literally in jail. I don't like that. So I always want an aisle seat no matter what I do. Okay, fine. So I have my aisle seat. So now this family comes on board. Whatever. It wasn't little kids, okay? They had like teenagers, whatever. And there was a dad, a teenager. And then I had the aisle seat. And the mom was like, hey, can you switch with us? And she didn't even have a window seat. She had a middle seat, okay? And she goes, would you mind switching with me so I can sit with my family? And I was like, well, I really would like an aisle seat. If you have an aisle seat, I'll switch with you all day long. Even if you're way back or I don't care where you are, you're near the bathroom. Doesn't matter to me. If you have an aisle seat, I'll switch with you. You could be with your family, whatever. Now she had a middle seat, okay? And I was like, well, you got a middle seat, so that's kind of not going to work, right? And she's like, no, no, no, no. But I want to be with my family. I'm like, I don't want the middle seat, though. And so like. And I didn't understand why that I just couldn't take it, right? And so I said, no, I'm not switching. And I got the side eye. Everyone thought I was rude. Not everyone. She thought I was rude. This other random person thought I was rude. I kind of feel like I was right. Am I wrong? Did I do something wrong? Isn't there like an unwritten rule that you only swap for equal level stuff like aisle seat for aisle seat? Isn't that like a thing? Shouldn't. Well, I don't know. I don't know. What? I always feel like I do something and the whole flight, forget it. They hated me. I don't care. Leave me alone. What am I talking about? I don't know. Anyway, hope everybody's doing great. Check out eventastic.com. that is our new giant free event that's coming up. We just opened up registration eventastic.com. it is the world's largest event about all things events. It's about webinars, in person events. Virtual events. It is going to be virtual. It is going to be wild. We're going to have over 10,000 people there. Eventtastic.com check that out. Thanks for being here. And only swap suites with me if you also have an aisle seat later. You did it. You made it to the end. Nice, but the party's not over. Subscribe to make sure you get the latest episode each week for more actionable tips and a little chaos from today's top marketer. And hook us up with a five star review if this wasn't the worst podcast of all time. Lastly, if you want access to the best virtual marketing events that are also 100% free, visit GuruVents.com so you can hear from the world's top marketers like Daymond John, Martha Stewart Stewart, and me. GuruEvents.com check it out.
Episode 250: ULTIMATE Call-To-Action Button Episode!🤓I said "NO" to switching seats!✈️😡Jay’s SCOOP
Released on January 3, 2025
In Episode 250 of "Do This, NOT That! - Marketing Tips with Jay Schwedelson," hosted by GURU Media Hub and presented by Marigold, Jay Schwedelson delves into the critical yet often overlooked element of marketing: Call-To-Action (CTA) buttons. This episode not only offers actionable strategies to optimize CTAs for better marketing outcomes but also shares a personal anecdote that provides insights into human behavior and decision-making.
Jay begins by distinguishing between traditional CTAs and Statements of Value. He emphasizes that the wording on CTA buttons can significantly influence user engagement and conversion rates.
[02:30] Jay Schwedelson: "When your call to action buttons are actually statements of value, these value statements increase click-through rates by over 20%."
By transforming CTAs from mere action prompts to value-driven statements, marketers can achieve substantial improvements in click-through rates. Jay provides compelling statistics to underscore this point:
Jay offers practical examples to illustrate how changing the CTA wording can lead to better results:
[05:15] Jay Schwedelson: "It's all about what is the value. Instead of read more, it's discover the full story. Instead of subscribe, it's get exclusive updates."
Jay highlights the power of first-person language in CTAs, which personalizes the call to action and resonates more with users. This approach not only makes the CTA more engaging but also aligns the action with the user's self-interest.
[07:00] Jay Schwedelson: "When your call to action buttons are written in first person, it crushes it."
These subtle shifts can lead to significant increases in user interaction and engagement.
Jay advises that the final submission button on landing pages should restate the offer rather than use generic terms like "Submit." This reinforces the value proposition and reminds users of what they stand to gain.
[10:45] Jay Schwedelson: "Instead of submit, it would say get three quotes now!"
By aligning the submission button text with the offer, marketers can boost submission rates by 17%. Examples include:
Incorporating social proof—such as testimonials or star ratings—adjacent to CTA buttons can significantly enhance trust and persuade users to take action.
[14:20] Jay Schwedelson: "When you have social proof right there, it can increase your conversion rates by 21%."
These elements act as the final nudge, validating the user's decision to engage.
Transitioning from marketing strategies, Jay shares a relatable personal story about his recent experience on an airplane:
[20:10] Jay Schwedelson: "I prefer aisle seats because I don't like getting trapped. When a family requested to switch seats, I hesitated because their offer didn't align with my preference for an aisle seat."
Jay discusses the unwritten social rules surrounding seat swapping:
This anecdote illustrates how decision-making and personal values play out in everyday scenarios, echoing the behavioral science principles discussed earlier in the episode.
[25:00] Jay Schwedelson: "Isn't there like an unwritten rule that you only swap for equal level stuff like aisle seat for aisle seat? Shouldn't?"
Through this interaction, Jay ponders the importance of assertiveness and knowing one's boundaries, drawing parallels to marketing where understanding and respecting user preferences is crucial.
In this episode, Jay Schwedelson provides a comprehensive guide to optimizing Call-To-Action buttons, emphasizing the following key strategies:
Additionally, Jay's personal story underscores the significance of understanding and applying behavioral science principles both in marketing and personal interactions.
[29:50] Jay Schwedelson: "The words that you're putting on the button, right. The words that you're putting near your button, this can radically change the outcome of the performance of all of your offers."
By implementing these actionable tips, marketers can significantly enhance their campaigns' effectiveness, drive remarkable results, and stay ahead in the competitive landscape.
Episode 250 of "Do This, NOT That!" serves as an invaluable resource for marketers seeking to refine their CTA strategies. Jay Schwedelson's blend of practical advice and personal insights provides a well-rounded perspective on effective marketing techniques grounded in behavioral science.
Thank you for tuning in! To unlock your full marketing potential and stay updated with the latest strategies, subscribe to "Do This, NOT That!" and join us on this thrilling marketing adventure.