The Most Effective Twitter Calls to Action

Social media marketing must include calls to action. Calls to action, or CTA, are an essential part of inbound marketing. Their goal is to convert a user into a lead and, later, into a customer. They are a way for you to entice your social media audience to focus on the action you want them to take.

Twitter analyzed more than 20,000 Promoted Tweets that were randomly sampled over a three-month period. They examined how various types of Promoted Tweet engagements differed depending on which types of calls to action were included, and compared them to a baseline of Promoted Tweets that did not include any calls to action. Here are the results:

1. Ask for a download.

Have a new product to promote that's available for download? Tweets in timelines that explicitly ask people to download from an included link increase URL clicks by an average of 13 percent. Tweets in search that feature this call to action increase clicks by an average of 11 percent.

Tips from Twitter:

• Give people clear direction.
• Offer an incentive to click.
• Use # (hashtags) and @ mentions sparingly, to keep users focused on one action.
• You can also set a deadline to increase the sense of urgency.

2. Ask for a retweet.

Want to turn followers into advocates and generate earned media? Offer a clear, compelling reason to retweet your messages. This increases retweets by an average of 311 percent.

Twitter recommends:

• Spell out the word "retweet" instead of using "RT."
• Tell your audience why your tweet is worth sharing by giving them something valuable in return.
• Keep formatting clear and simple, so people know exactly what you want them to do.

3. Ask for a follow.

Want to reach new audiences on Twitter? It could be as simple as asking for a follow. Twitter's data shows that tweets that asked for a follow increased responses by 258 percent.

Twitter's suggestions for improving effectiveness:

• Highlight the exclusive content you're offering, e.g., "Get a sneak peek at exclusive new products" or "See what goes on behind the scenes."
• Provide an incentive to follow you by promoting contests and prizes.

4. Ask for a reply.

Want a response from Twitter users? Ask for it. Tweets that ask for a reply increase replies by an average of 334 percent. Replies increase 307 percent when this call to action appears in search results.

Twitter tips to improve response rates:

• Get personal in your tweets.
• Use a conversational tone.
• Combine the question with a contest or other exclusive incentive.

Source: Pam Dyer