Let’s make one thing clear: nothing in email marketing is definitive and the best you can hope for in the way of guidance are ideas to test. You probably know that anyway, but it bears repeating. You are unique.

The next thing to make clear is what a Call To Action is. It’s nothing more than the button on your marketing email which you want your subscribers to click on. If they don’t, your campaign has failed, so you can see it is a vital aspect, despite how little time is expended on their creation, at least that’s the impression you’d get looking at some campaigns.

Many commentators suggest dousing your CTA with words such as get, join, click, free, register, et cetera. The theory behind this is that you need to direct your subscribers. There is a lot of logic in this. On the other hand, you have a subscriber you are trying to build a relationship with and who has been kind enough to open your email and read through it. Being abrupt, demanding and definitive might not be the best way of keeping them onside.

Some of those on your email marketing list might respond better to something more gentle, perhaps a reminder of previous business you have had with them. Maybe cajole them.

Another directive on CTAs is they should be as short as possible: between two and six words I’ve read. If it works for you, or rather if it works for those on the segmented email marketing list, then fine. Others might prefer a fuller explanation of what occurs when they click on the button. Make it clear they will not commit themselves to anything; they will have a choice. Only you can say which is best.

Don’t say, “30% off today” if they could get 30% off tomorrow. Fear of missing out is a great motivator, but deceiving your subscriber motivates them to click the unsubscribe button. There’s no need to test that.

The CTA button is one which deserves careful attention. And, as everything in email marketing, it deserves repeat testing. There are no definitive answers, apart from the ones you discover yourself.