Call to actions aren’t just important for landing pages. You can use them on social media networks like Facebook to encourage users to follow through with a desired action.
Adding a CTA button to your Facebook page can be done in a single afternoon. But, like all good marketing strategies, creating a social media CTA deserves careful attention. What call to action is best for reaching your goals? What page will the CTA bring the user to? How will you measure its effectiveness?
In this post, we’re going to cover all the basics on setting up a CTA on Facebook, plus how to make sure that it’s working for you!
Grab your cup of coffee and let’s begin.
Meet Facebook’s CTA Feature
Facebook first rolled out the option to add a CTA to Business Pages in December 2014. It was introduced to select businesses in the beginning, but then it quickly became available to all businesses in the United States and across the globe.
The functionality of the CTA feature is simple and straightforward. Page admins can choose from twelve (originally seven) pre-made options:
- Shop Now
- Contact Us
- Sign Up
- Book Now
- Use App
- Watch Video
- Play Game
- Call Now
- Send Message
- Watch Video
- Send Email
- Learn More
These call to actions can be linked it to any URL that makes sense, such as a home page, landing page, video, contact sheet or anything else! The best approach is to link your CTA to a page that meets your current business objectives.
For instance, if you sell firewood and want to increase sales, it would be wise to link your “Buy Now” CTA with an order form on your website. In other words, bring the most important goal of your business to the front and center of your social media presence.
How to Set Up a CTA on Your Facebook Page
Adding a call to action to your Facebook Page can be done in just a few steps.
- Log into your Facebook Business Page.
- Click the button that says “Create Call to Action” that is located at the top right of your Page, under the Cover Photo.
- Select which of the 12 pre-made buttons you want based on your business goals.
- Enter the link that you want the call to action to send your users to. It’s best to use a unique UTM tracking code so that you can see how many people are clicking the button.
- Choose the destination for mobile users, which is either a website or app. Next to the “website” tab is a tab for both “iPhone” and “Android.”
- Click “Create” and you’re done! You can edit the button anytime by clicking “Edit,” which you will find when you hover over the CTA button.
How Do I Know if the CTA Button is Effective?
It’s important to know if your CTA button is performing well. If it’s not, you can make changes that might help you meet your business objectives. For instance, some businesses find that having a Contact Us button is most beneficial for generating leads, while others benefit from a Book Now button that allows users to book an appointment or event.
Here are a few tips for determining how effective your CTA button is performing.
Facebook’s Page Statistics
When you hover over your CTA button, you’ll see an option for “View Insights.” This tells you how many clicks the button has received in the past week. There’s also a handy graph that shows CTA clicks by the day, as well as the percentage increase or decrease over the seven days.
The View Insights feature is definitely handy because it tells you how many people are clicking your button and whether this number is increasing, decreasing or staying the same. However, it’s limited because you don’t know what people are doing once they get to the landing page or URL. Are they actually buying your product? Downloading your app? Booking an event? You will need more insight to determine if your CTA button is actually generating the results you want.
UTM Tracking Code
The second way to determine the effectiveness of your CTA button is by using the URL’s UTM tracking code that you set up initially. Use the analytics on that code to get a better understanding of how the button is driving conversions and traffic. If you find that your button is getting clicks, and you’re seeing conversions, then you know that the CTA is working for you.
Conclusion
Facebook’s CTA button isn’t going to create miracles for your business, but it is very easy to implement and can deliver some worthwhile results. Facebook also has the option to promote your CTA (for a price of course), so you might see even better results by promoting the button to your audience. Plus, having a CTA makes your Page look more complete and gives users something to do when they stop by for a visit.
