Sometimes when working with a client, we will get to a point in the discovery process and find that the client has no clear call to action for their experience. We will often pause the process to brainstorm to generate desired consumer responses. But having this measurable in mind as you develop an experience is so clutch in producing results for your brand experience.

We all know and love a good call to action. You see it in commercials, on landing pages, and almost any place where there is an advertisement. And a good call to action will elicit an active response from a customer. It will also generate a return for the brand. But how does using a call to action work in Experiential Marketing? Simple. It works the same as in any other marketing space because a CTA only really works if two things happen. 1) You make a request 2) You provide the customer with a motivation to complete your request.

Let's take a quick dive into these two details and how you can use them to make an authentic ask of your community of customers using experiential marketing.

1) You must ask the customer to do something and/or how you'd like them to do it.

This first piece is non-negotiable, and the entire request hinges on what you want the customer to do or how you want them to behave. You can not assume that the customer already knows this. You have to actually, and very literally present a request to the customer.

For example, you can ask an attendee to share the experience on social platforms by creating a shareable wow moment. Our team was able to do just that when we partnered with Noble Clay Fitness for their annual fundraising event. We developed a larger-than-life installation and signage where participants and venue patrons alike could snap a quick self and share the event with their followers. By using a custom hashtag, we pointed those same followers back to the brand and the event.

photo courtesy of Envisioning Freedom Photography

One thing to note about the ask in this example is that it is true to the brand. The colors, language, and motif were all focused on making fitness accessible to all.

2) In exchange for the desired response, you need to give the customer an incentive.

To give your customer more motivation to complete your action or behavior, it is always a good idea to incentivize them. You can do this through a giveaway, a repost or shoutout, or several other clever ways. However, you must ensure that the incentive is something that your community of customers is interested in receiving. That is where data and knowing your community comes in handy.

Take, for example, the event we mentioned earlier. The incentive for the customer to participate was to spread the word about this mission of the non-profit. They were motivated, on their own, to spread brand awareness. And for both a brand and our team, you couldn't ask for anything more.

All in all, adding a call to action to your live activations is a great way to extend the life of the experience and boost brand awareness. Would you try this tactic for future events and experiences? Share in the comments below.

How a Call-to-Action Works in Experiential