Using Call To Action Buttons On Facebook

In February, Facebook added the ability to add call to action buttons to newsfeed based ads. This means that advertisers can now tempt users with the following call to action messages direct in their newsfeed ads:

Here’s an example of how the ads can look with the call to action fixed in the bottom right corner:

If you use Facebook advertising, this is something you must test. We’ve already seen clickthrough rates (for website clicks) increase by around 25% and cost per acquisition figures falling from the ‘official’ inclusion of a call to action.

Within a crowded newsfeed, your ad stands out just a little more with the call to action buttons. Whilst this does indicate that they’re an ad to users, the clarity offered by the call to action seems to over-rule any negative sentiment to draw extra clicks and results.

We’ve found that ‘Download’ and ‘Learn More’ work best for most of our clients, due to their slightly softer nature, whereas the more aggressive ‘Shop Now’, ‘Book Now’ and ‘Sign Up Now’ deliver weaker clickthrough rates. However, when you do a click from a more aggressive call to action, naturally they are more likely to be interested in converting to a sale or booking.

The choice of button provides another element to optimise within your campaign. Where you do have a product or service that can fit more than one of the call to actions on offer, then you need to run them simultaneously to find out which is going to perform the best for your specific brand, product/service, and targeted audience.

Consider trying different call to actions for different audience segments for instance. Based on your results, you may find that a stronger call to action works for a slightly older audience, whereas a younger audience appreciates a softer sell - it will all depend on who you are targeting and how your brand is positioned - there is no one size fits all approach.

In conclusion, you need to be making the most of Facebook’s new call to action buttons to advance your Facebook advertising performance. As always, test and learn with the new elements to find which work best for each advert and audience. Good luck, and let us know your results!