How can I develop an effective call-to-action?
I have two related, but distinctly different, service offerings and need to find effective and relevant calls-to-action for my marketing campaigns. My businesses are Personal Training (Group and One-on-One) and Traditional Karate classes. The target audiences are identical, i.e. male and female over 10 years with no upper age limit.
TIA
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Sep 5, 2014
Drew: You have received a lot of good answers to your question(s) here. I am going to take a somewhat contrarian view and say that there are tons of personal trainers and Karate instructors out there so to cut through the clutter or "noise" you should create a campaign with a call to action that is focused outside of traditional markets. One example would be to focus on 40+ year old guys that want to lose weight and look better (vanity is a great driver), a much bigger market, and then as part of your weight-loss/self-help program(s) you help them learn how to build muscle (which consumes more calories and helps them lose weight) and use Karate Kata as a form of aerobic exercise that is "fun". Your goal in this scenario is to create a fun, welcoming, body rejuvenating environment where you are not trying to make a Blackbelt or a Mr. Universe but to help clients achieve a far easier objective that can leverage your core skills, and expand your potential market, and potentially make you a lot more money. You can also do this at off hours like after 7:30 in the evening and on weekends to accommodate the target audience.
Also I would not limit my focus on children to over 10. I would create a 2nd opportunity with children 5-12 by marketing to parents that want to help their children improve their self esteem and instill some self discipline along with improved focus that can help with school work. Again, you can help the little folks improve their bodies, get them exercising and away from their electronics, and teach them some self-defense tactics that may someday come in useful on the playground or elsewhere.
Just thought I would throw in an out of the box suggestion for you to consider.
For the call to action...find a good copywriter...
General concepts:
Male & Over 40? - Get High School Skinny & Have Fun Doing It!
Boost your child's self-esteem & Instill self discipline - Also Improve School Focus
Sep 3, 2014
Drew, your call- to - action is always in your sales content. You must definitely find the words and emotions to not only entice, but leave your potential clientele with no reason not to join with you. It is easier the capture the minds of the young of course, but as you are engaged in a rough physical contact sport, you must also capture their parents, particularly the mothers. But, I am sure you already know this. Some may say to envision this as two separate entities, I do not agree , wives are often just as concerned. I believe that your sales pitch must find the need for training with the results of the training. So your call- to- action must encompass both. am sure your product list must have stages or types of training, everything from beginners to all sports combat, even physical rehabilitation or therapy. I commend your services to your community. Good Luck.
Sep 3, 2014
Uncover a genuine, timely need that you can solve. Then ensure your copy addresses the benefits from the clients perspective. Too many ad copies talk features such as drills speed settings instead of the benefit is ease of use and the convenience to get jobs done. FINALLY, a call to actions must provide a greater value now only!! So intro discount or add ons only available when action is take now not later.
Sep 3, 2014
Quite simply: what do you want the audience to do? Call you? Go to your website? Go to a physical location?
Pick ONE.
Studies have shown over the past 50 years that when you give the audience a choice, it actually induces anxiety.
Only you know which way you want your targeted audience to contact you.
Tim Burt
Sep 2, 2014
Develop an event designed to show self confidence, put on the showcase in churches and civic clubs.
Sep 2, 2014
First you need to narrow down your target market based on the demographics of where you are located. That way you can develop an actual strategy of where you need to focus on the most. Of course you can tie one thing into another but first you need to do the numbers.
Sep 1, 2014
Please explain what you mean by "effective and relevant calls-to-action" - do you mean via a website or?
Sep 1, 2014
It is simply a matter of how you think. I personally would not look at them as separate offerings. Start off with an open-ended question regarding your personal training and then transition into the talking about the karate classes as a fun and educational way to accomplish their goals. There is a formal sales process called the Needs Satisfaction Selling that lists the 8 step sales process, if you need help with an opening, probing and closing, etc. There are many other formal sales processes, but this is one I like and use.
Sep 1, 2014
We have 3 health care clients with a similar challenge and have provided custom solutions for each one. Give us a call at 678 525 7545 Curt
Sep 1, 2014
Thanks for the intriguing question Drew. I see that you have already received some very sage advice that covers a vast waterfront of possibilities. I know that, in itself, can create confusion as to "what do I do now?". While many state that you need to deeply analyze your target audience, I believe that you would best be served by starting with a really hard look at your product(s). To say that they are related but distinctly different leads me to saying that the consumer will be different as each satisfies a different need. This is an indication that you have formulated your offerings at too high a level. Let me provide you some examples:
1. Personal Training for rehabilitation patients
2. Personal Training for competitive sports participants
3. Personal Training for (allow me to stereotype here) couch potatoes
4. Beginning Karate for self defense
5. Karate with an emphasis on discipline (troubled youth programs perhaps)
As you can see, you may want to really sit down and determine what is feasible, what you are trained in (geriatric personal training for example), what you feel led to do, etc. This takes a lot of work though it sounds simplistic. You have to have a primary thrust with contingency activities in the event you "get it slightly wrong".
Once you have determined what it is you are really offering, you can then begin to ask the "who cares" question. Who cares about Karate for discipline, for example. But the questions always come in pairs and the pair for this question is "And how do you know?". Have a business partner ask the questions and cry OK or BS when you answer. This is not for the lighthearted because you logo/name/rjeputation, etc is at stake and more importantly, the success of your business.
So now you have a product(s) and target markets tightly defined!. What then? You have to develop a business plan that maps out the execution toward a goal of launching your products into the marketplace. This overall approach is not an absolute 1,2,3 approach but more iterative.... you have to change as you learn more.
I suggest that you partner with someone that can provide you balance in your approach, direct feedback on your ideas and actions, and can assist/lead you through the business planning work. Without the business discipline, your marketing campaigns will be misleading, ineffective, and above all, costly. Please read Jeff Klingberg's and Tomasz Kozolowki"s replys among others to get further information.
Sep 1, 2014
Hi Drew, For an effective call to action you need to know a few things - what are the 'hot buttons' of each group, where are they located, what's their income bracket, for instance. All these things give you insights about where to target your ideal customer. So, if you are aiming at kids, then you are technically aiming at their parents as they are the ones who have the cash and will give their permission for the child to train with you. I feel that you need to break it down into more specific details. What entices someone into karate over PT? Then aim your CTA specifically at those personal needs. Hope that helps!
Sep 1, 2014
Some fast advice -- they are not at all identical -- they are quite different and require different messages. Personal training hgets to age and health and recovery and appearance issues and related market segments -- karate is more kid oriented and in some cases includes 7 year olds. You need different wesites, different appeals. Good luck.
Sep 1, 2014
One of the most effective calls-to-action marketing technique is to identify the target-market "Pain" that you will be removing. Pain Creates Urgency. People are often motivated into action when the pain of not doing it is more than the comfort of not doing it. If you can clearly articulate the pain people are experiencing by not accomplishing their goals -- it will be a effective call-to-action strategy.
Sep 1, 2014
tell me how you think they are related and what their primary differences are and go from there,..
Sep 1, 2014
What is it that you ideal client wants? Are you trying to create an opt-in offer - that's what you need the irresistible offer (which I highly recommend), or is it simply a call to action such as "Visit us today for a free session"?
Here's an article - part of a 3-part series - that you might find helpful: https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140804232004-10674980-attract-more-clients-with-your-website-part-2-how-to-grow-and-engage-your-tribe-of-followers?trk=prof-post
If you tell me a little more what you'd like to accomplish, I could provide you some further tips.
Sep 1, 2014
I think you need to get more specific. What other characteristics define each of these target groups? What do each of these groups need? Why do they need them?
Sep 1, 2014
Hi Drew,
Not know much about your business, I suggest you have a look at the following URL's for some good advice on defining and understanding your "Call To Action" statements:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jayson-demers/the-definitive-guide-to-c_b_3648475.html
http://homebusiness.about.com/od/homebusinessglossar1/g/Call-To-Action-Definition.htm
Good luck!
Stephen
http://boagworld.com/design/10-techniques-for-an-effective-call-to-action/
Sep 1, 2014
Drew,
I've watched a local operator respond to the times by cutting way back on adult classes except for those dedicated to women and aimed at self defense and at children form grade through High school. They have been most successful with middle schoolers providing classes from after school until the parents pick them up at 6:00 or later. They have a bus to transport the kids from two middle schools.
Advertising an promotion are directed at each audience separately. Classes are timed to fit the schedules of the students.
Charles ... Thanks for the kind words. You have given Drew some excellent advise as well. You've shown how his products are truly unique yet related.