Choosing the Best Call to Action: Phone, Email, or Both?
A call to action (CTA) can be presented in many ways, all with the same goal: to get your customers to do what you want. But how do you decide on what method works best for you and your business?
Every business is unique and, subsequently, will require unique marketing solutions. Today, we’ll be exploring the pros and cons of calls to action via phone and email.
Your product or service usually speaks for itself, but sometimes, you need to talk to your customers directly. So, which do you choose? A call to action by phone, email, or both?
Let’s explore.
What is a Call to Action?
A call to action, as a marketing concept, means prompting your customers to take action—usually involving either signing up for a service or purchasing a product. Whether it is a newsletter, a tangible product, a subscription, or the like, ideally, you want them to take action to connect with you and your business.
It exists as a persuasive element embedded into an email, advertisement, or website. For example, you may have a “Sign up” or “Buy now” button embedded into your landing page, or a hyperlink in a blog that leads back to a contact page. Certain ad formats, like Google call ads and Meta lead ads with calling, include a “Call now” button that makes it easy for mobile users to call your business straight from the ad.
If you’re exploring a website, imagine you see in bright, bold letters: “BOGO: Buy one get one free”—and when you click it, it takes you to a sale page with discounted items. This call to action is to buy one item and get one for free. Ideally, they’ll maybe even buy a few sale items because the deal is just too great.
For nonprofits and the like, a call to action could be donating to a specific cause, in case you wanted another example. News articles sometimes call you towards a cause.
This results in a happy customer who got a great deal and money in your pocket from the sale. This is the primary function of a call to action.
Phone Calls to Action
A “Call now” call to action can be a highly effective way to connect with potential customers.
Think of it this way: your website, your ads, your social media presence—they all serve as platforms to initiate a conversation. Asking customers to call is the invitation to start that dialogue.
Here are some examples of how you can incorporate “call now” into your marketing materials:
- “Call now for a free consultation!”
- “Limited time offer—call now to secure your discount.”
- “Have questions? Call now to speak with an expert.”
- “Call now to schedule a demo and see [product/service] in action.”
- “Don’t wait! Call now to reserve your spot.”
Or, in the case of many ‘call ad’ formats, it’s simply a button under the ad itself that says, “Call now!”
All these examples provide a smooth transition into actionable steps that have a desirable result.
What Are the Benefits of a Call to Action Over the Phone?
Phone calls are direct and to the point. They allow you to make a more personal connection with your customers, for starters.
But let’s explore some more of the benefits of phone-based calls to action.
- Encourages Immediate Action
- It prompts potential customers to engage with you right away, increasing the likelihood of conversion (you’re striking while the iron is hot.)
- Creates a Sense of Urgency
- A “Call now” CTA implies there’s a limited-time opportunity or immediate action that customers should take.
- Clarifies Next Steps
- Calls provide clear next steps for what the customer should do next to reduce confusion.
- Establishes commitment
- Phone calls allow the customer to verbally commit to the next step, increasing follow-through.
- Builds Trust and Rapport
- Creates an opportunity for further conversation and relationship-building, showing that you’re invested in their journey.
- Provides a Chance to Address Objections
- If there’s hesitation, you can immediately address concerns or provide more information, encouraging good communication and commitment.
- Increases Engagement and Responsiveness
- Phone calls turn a passive conversation into an active one, making it more memorable and impactful.
Email Calls to Action
When someone sees your ad, you don’t always want them to call you right now. Sometimes, the better approach is to collect their email address so you can follow up later. This sets the stage for you to build a relationship and share information at a more deliberate (and often more manageable) pace.
The best way to encourage sign-ups is to offer something in return, like a lead magnet, a newsletter, a free quote, or a product demo:
- “Schedule your consultation today!”
- “Don’t miss out—reserve your spot now!”
- “Join our community—sign up here!”
- “Download your free guide today!”
- “Get your exclusive discount—redeem it here!”
- “Secure your place in our next webinar—register now!”
- “Get started with a free trial here!”
All of these examples are excellent prompts to encourage your customers to take tangible action.
Why Focus on Email Sign-ups?
- Reduce Incoming Calls
- Not everyone has the time or the workforce to handle a higher-than-usual volume of phone calls, especially when those calls require you to work your sales magic to ‘close’ potential customers. In that case, asking customers to fill out a form makes it more feasible to manage those incoming leads.
- Target Your Messages
- Depending on the form fields you include, you can learn more about your audience’s interests and use that to create stronger promotions, advertisements, emails, and more.
- Automate Your Sales Funnel
- Email marketing platforms like ActiveCampaign, Mailchimp, and Constant Contact make it possible to automate parts of your sales process. At a basic level, this could be a simple confirmation email that lets customers know you’ve received their message. Beyond that, you can build entire automated email sequences that gradually guides the customer towards taking a bigger action (like making a big purchase.) It all starts with capturing that email address!
So, Which Do You Choose?
Choosing the right call to action for your ads depends on your business goals, your target audience, and the nature of your product or service. Sometimes, a direct “Call Now” is the best approach, and other times, capturing an email address for follow-up might be more effective.
When to Use “Call Now”
- Great for industries where customers are more likely to connect with calls than email, especially if you have an older demographic.
- Great for industries such as IT, finance, insurance, banking, telecommunications, education and training, hospitality and tourism, construction and contracting, and more.
- Excellent when direct communication is more beneficial, rather than relying on someone responding to an email.
When to Use Email Capture
- Great for busy customers (and busy businesses!) who might not have the time to make/receive calls throughout the day.
- Excellent for digital, on-the-go customers who prefer to interact with businesses online.
- Great for industries such as retail and e-commerce, health and wellness, nonprofits and charities, software and technology, marketing, online learning and education, and more.
- If your sales process requires more than one touchpoint or building a relationship over time, capturing emails allows for follow-up.
When it comes to choosing which is right for you, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons of each approach and choose what works best for your business. Ideally, you want a balance of both and choose the option that’s appropriate for the scenario.
Hopefully, this blog post has helped clarify your options!