House Ads or Call to actions

Types of CTAs or House Ads

We will often work with 3 types of CTA: 

1. Slide-in
2. Popup
3. Before/After

Check their differences and best practices below.

1. Slide-in

What is: A popup or an opt-in form that slides in politely from the corners/sides of the screen. Highly recommended setting a two step slide-in CTA, where in the first step you make the user a direct ask to subscribe to your newsletter. The second step will only appear after a user has subscribed. It’s an opportunity to ask for their support and to offer more information.

💡 Tips for Slide 1

Heading: Make a direct ask. This will be the first thing a user reads, so be upfront about what you’re asking them to do. Make it clear and concise. 

• Example: “Subscribe to XYZ Publication” or “Sign up for the XYZ Publication newsletter."

Description: Tell them why and expand on the offering. Explain further what they’re signing up for. This can include how often and what day you send it, the content that’s included, etc. Make sure you tell them why they should subscribe.

• Example: “Get important news from our community in your inbox twice a week” or “We’ll deliver local news direct to your inbox every Wednesday.”

Button: Make sure the button stands out by choosing colors that pop and a font that is big and bold.

💡 Tips for Slide 2

Heading: Even though it’s unlikely that a user will contribute directly after subscribing, seize the opportunity to educate them on how you’re supported. Warm them up to the idea while you have their attention or emphasize your value proposition.

• Example: “We’re funded by you” or “We rely on our members” or “100% local.”

Description: Let them know that you’re grateful for their subscription and that they can expect your newsletter in their inbox soon. Explain how their support makes a difference. A lot of readers are still getting used to the idea of voluntarily supporting local news. Explain that every reader who chooses to give matters greatly.

• Example: “Thank you for subscribing! We’re powered by readers like you who invest in local news. Consider supporting us today.” or “Thanks so much! Check it out in your inbox and consider supporting us (or start supporting us today because we know you’ll love it)."

Button: Offer them more information. We don’t want their journey to stop here, even if they’re not ready to contribute. Give them the option to learn more about who you are, check out the team, or read through your guiding principles. But ultimately ask them to support you. Since support is the ultimate goal, give them the option to contribute. Even if they’re not ready yet, it prepares them to expect another ask down the road.

.cp-module-slide_in .cp-popup {
z-index: 9999999;
}

What is: A Light-box overlay that can be launched on any web page with a dedicated call to action. A full-screen popup can be very effective, but it’s most often used during concentrated campaigns.

1. Go to Configure > Launch
2. Click on After a Few Seconds on the Page and turn it off
3. You can either Click on After Number of Page Visits, turn it on and choose a number of pages visits necessary to trigger the popup, or trigger the popup After Scroll
4. For this specific CTA, make sure that the popup won't be triggered again after the reader closes it by clicking on Cookies, on the left navigation bar

Before/After

What is: A banner or an opt-in form that can be embedded before or after your blog post on a page. Placing a “support us” CTA at the bottom of each article. It’s a good opportunity to appeal to readers who are engaging with the work that you’re doing.

• You often don't want slide-ins CTAs on the following pages:
  • Privacy Policy
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • Terms of Use and Payment Policy
  • Thank you
  • Contact us