5 Email CTA Examples & Best Practices

Do you feel that your emails lack some extra push? Your email call-to-action (CTA) should be irresistible, and in this guide, we’ll tell you how to achieve that. 

No matter how great your subject line and email content are, CTA is the final and crucial nudge for the recipients to act. Use these tips and examples in your campaigns to achieve the best results. You can thank us later!

What is CTA in Email Marketing?

A call-to-action is a short phrase that tells recipients what you want them to do. In email marketing campaigns, a CTA is usually a link or button that directs subscribers to take a specific action, such as visiting your website or purchasing. 

A well-crafted CTA should be clear, concise, and persuasive. It should also be relevant to your target audience and be consistent with your email copy and other elements.

The most common type of CTA in email marketing is a button. The button’s design can vary depending on your brand style and campaign’s goal.

Here’s an example from Airtable:

Ultimately, any email marketing campaign aims to guide prospects in the customer journey so they eventually buy your products. And your CTA buttons help you achieve this goal.

Call to Action Email Examples

Let’s look at some email call-to-action examples to help you create email CTAs that resonate with your subscribers and persuade them to take action.

1. Newsletter CTA

Email newsletters typically contain news, updates, and information about your company. You can use them to promote your products or services, build customer relationships, or keep subscribers informed.

A newsletter CTA tells readers what you want them to do after reading your newsletter. Therefore, it should be specific, relevant, and easy to understand.

Here’s an example from Old Pal: 

2. Sales Email CTA

A sales email is typically sent to customers to promote products and services and boost revenue. 

They can be effective tools to generate leads and close deals. So the CTA should encourage recipients to take the next step, such as purchasing, visiting your website, or scheduling a demo.

Here’s an example from Moo:

3. Cold Email CTA

We typically send cold emails to targeted individuals or businesses who haven’t expressed interest in your products or services. As a result, when you see a cold email, the first thought is to ignore it unless the subject line piques your interest. 

Because of this, you also need to watch out for your CTA’s tone.

For instance, you risk offending a reader not yet ready to buy if you make your call to action too salesy. On the flip side, if you don’t make your CTA persuasive enough, you may miss out on the chance to nudge prospects who are close to the finish line.

Therefore, if your objective, for example, is to schedule a call or a meeting to discuss your offering, you can use the following cold email CTA examples:

• CTA 1: Are you available for a chat?
• CTA 2: Are you available for a 15 mins chat on August 5th at 3 PM EDT?

You can also provide a calendar link:

• CTA 1: Book a 20 mins slot at your convenience. Here’s my calendar link: [Link]
• CTA 2: Please use this link to select a date and time that works for you: [Link]

Or, reiterate your value proposition:

• CTA 1: Are you free for a call tomorrow at 3 PM?
• CTA 2: Are you free for a call this Tuesday to discuss how you can boost your employee productivity?

Also read: Cold Email Strategy: 9 Tips for Your Outreach Campaigns

4. Internal Company Email CTA

Internal company emails are formal messages sent to employees within an organization. 

They’re used to:

• Share news and updates about the company;
• Announce new policies;
• Provide training or instructions;
• Collaborate on projects;
• Resolve issues;
• Give feedback or recognition.

Since an internal email addresses employees of the same company, it may have a CTA or lack one, depending on the purpose of the email.

For example, a company survey email may have a CTA button linking to the survey platform. But a company update email may lack a CTA since it’s only passing information. 

Here’s an example:

Want to build a perfect email with a perfect CTA in minutes? It’s easier than you think! With Sender’s drag-and-drop email builder, you can do it even if you’re a beginner. Free.

5. CTA in Email Signature

A CTA email signature has a clickable CTA that promotes products and services relevant to the recipient. It may also direct readers to perform specific actions like reading your latest blog posts or downloading a white paper.

Therefore, your signature CTA should be simple and direct so recipients can take action that adds to your company’s goals.

Here’s an example:

CTA in Email Best Practices

Here are some email campaign best practices to help you create CTAs that stand out and increase conversions. 

Use Contrasting Colors for Your Call to Action Button

When designing your CTA, examine your email design and pick a CTA button color that stands out in the whole email. Remember, the goal is to lure subscribers into action, so make the call-to-action button the most visible element on the screen.

Here’s a nice example from AllTrails:

Notice how the green CTA button pops out from the email and matches the background color at the top. The email also has a lot of white space that makes the CTA button stand out from the email copy.

Use Action-Oriented Words

When writing your CTAs, use action words so recipients know what you want them to do. The CTA button should also be clear, friendly, and ignite urgency.

For instance, phrases like “Only X Products Left,” “Shop Now,” and “Limited Time Offer” create a sense of urgency and cause shoppers to act fast. Other commonly used command verbs include buy, read, learn, watch, download, and discover.

That said, you don’t have to use the same old examples. You can be creative and come up with your own call to action copy, as Stitch Fix did:

The “Shop your looks” CTA button is direct and concise. It tells recipients exactly what to do and adds an element of personalization, which piques the user’s interest and encourages them to click on it.

Make the CTA Button Large Enough To Be Easily Seen

Your CTA button should be bigger and brighter than other elements to catch subscribers’ attention. Although, ensure it’s not taking over your email content.

Consider the best option for your CTA to stand out, here’s how Kizik did it:

Kizik’s “Shop Athens” CTA button is surrounded by product images and email copy but still stands out as the most prominent element in the email. The black button also contrasts nicely with the background and is large enough not to be overlooked.

Key Takeaways

The best CTA for email campaigns typically generates more leads and increases conversions for your business. 

With that in mind, here’s a recap of some best practices you can apply to your email CTAs:

Also read: 

• What is Email Content? Definition, Types & Examples