# CTA Matrix — Buttons, Links, Microcopy, Trust Signals

> **Loading rule:** Load when generating a **set of CTA variations** (Mode 6 campaign package, ad sets, A/B testing) or when the project needs CTA discipline beyond what `patterns.md` covers (CTA patterns are formulas; this file is the **full surface** — button + link + microcopy + trust signals + commitment ladder).

The CTA is the only line of copy that the prospect MUST read to act. Everything else can be skimmed; the button cannot. Treat it that way.

---

## The 5 dimensions of a CTA

A complete CTA isn't one line. It's five overlapping decisions:

1. **Action verb** — what the user does (Get, Start, See, Discover, Buy, Subscribe, Download, Book, Try, Unlock, Claim)
2. **Object** — what they get (the offer, the trial, the demo, the consultation, the content)
3. **Person** — first ("Get My Plan") vs second ("Get Your Plan") vs neutral ("Get the Plan")
4. **Commitment level** — low (See, Learn) → medium (Try, Start) → high (Buy, Subscribe)
5. **Adjacent microcopy** — what reduces friction below the button (trust signals, what happens next)

Most copy fails at #5. The button is fine; the surrounding copy is missing or wrong.

---

## Commitment ladder

Match commitment to funnel stage. Mismatched commitment is the single biggest CTA failure.

### Low-commitment CTAs (top of funnel)

Used when the prospect just arrived. They don't know if they trust you yet. The CTA is a reading invitation, not a buying decision.

EN:
- "See how it works"
- "Learn more"
- "Read the case study"
- "Watch the 2-minute video"
- "Browse the product"

Additional canonical examples:
- "See how it works"
- "Learn more"
- "Read the case study"
- "Watch the 2-minute video"
- "Explore the product"

**When to use:** content marketing, ad clicks, blog → product pages, awareness campaigns.

### Medium-commitment CTAs (mid funnel)

Used when the prospect has read enough to want to test. The CTA is a "try before you buy" — gives them something concrete with low risk.

EN:
- "Start my free trial"
- "Try it for 14 days"
- "Get my free analysis"
- "Book a 15-minute demo"
- "Download the free template"

Additional canonical examples:
- "Start my free trial"
- "Try it for 14 days"
- "Get my free analysis"
- "Book a 15-minute demo"
- "Download the free template"

**When to use:** SaaS product pages, lead magnets, demo bookings, freemium funnels.

### High-commitment CTAs (bottom of funnel)

Used when the prospect has built belief and is ready to act. The CTA names the outcome they're paying for.

EN:
- "Get instant access"
- "Enroll now"
- "Buy the program"
- "Subscribe and save 30%"
- "Claim my spot"
- "Start my 90-day transformation"

Additional canonical examples:
- "Get instant access"
- "Claim my spot"
- "Buy the program"
- "Subscribe with 30% off"
- "Start my 90-day transformation"

**When to use:** sales pages, checkout pages, last-chance emails, exit-intent popups for warm traffic.

---

## CTA types by intent

### 1. Action-driven

Lead with the verb of doing. The user knows exactly what happens.

- "Start writing"
- "Build my landing page"
- "Schedule the call"

**Best for:** SaaS products, productivity tools, workflow apps.

### 2. Value-driven (benefit in the button)

The button names the outcome, not the action.

- "Cut my AWS bill 40%"
- "Get my personalized plan"
- "Unlock the templates"

**Best for:** clear, quantifiable promises; mid-to-bottom funnel.

### 3. Urgency-driven

Time or scarcity in the button itself.

- "Claim my spot — 47 left"
- "Get $500 off (today only)"
- "Lock in 30% before Friday"

**Best for:** real urgency only. Faking it kills the brand. Use sparingly.

### 4. Low-friction / risk-reversed

Names the absence of risk in the button.

- "Try free for 14 days"
- "See the demo (no signup needed)"
- "Get the playbook (no credit card)"

**Best for:** premium/high-ticket where buyer skepticism is the loudest objection.

### 5. Personalized (first-person)

The button speaks AS the user, in their voice.

- "Yes, send me the playbook"
- "I want my free analysis"
- "Show me my plan"

**Best for:** newsletter signups, lead magnets, email captures. Outperforms second-person on most A/B tests by 5-15%.

### 6. Negative-framed (loss aversion)

Names what they avoid by clicking. Powerful but easy to overuse.

- "Stop losing money to inefficient ads"
- "Avoid the 5 mistakes that tank conversions"

**Best for:** problem-aware audiences with felt pain. Top of pages, not as final CTA.

---

## Button vs link CTA

Buttons and links serve different roles. Don't use a link CTA where you need a button, or vice versa.

### Button CTA

- High visual weight (color, padding, shadow)
- One per primary section (hero, mid-page, close, sticky)
- Always action-oriented (verb + object)
- Sized for mobile thumb (44px min height)

### Link CTA (text link)

- Low visual weight — fits inline in body copy
- Used for secondary actions ("See pricing →", "View FAQ →")
- Often paired with the arrow → for affordance
- Used in nav, footer, body copy, emails

EN link CTAs:
- "See pricing →"
- "Read the case study →"
- "Compare plans →"
- "View the full archive →"

Additional canonical link CTAs:
- "View pricing →"
- "Read the case study →"
- "Compare plans →"
- "View the full archive →"

**Rule:** one button per fold. Multiple link CTAs OK if they support different secondary intents.

---

## Microcopy — the lines around the button

Microcopy reduces friction. It addresses objections in the moment of decision.

### Below the button (trust strip)

EN:
- "No credit card required"
- "Cancel anytime"
- "30-day money-back guarantee"
- "Used by 12,000+ teams"
- "Free forever — upgrade when ready"
- "Takes 2 minutes"

Additional canonical examples:
- "No credit card required"
- "Cancel anytime"
- "30-day money-back guarantee"
- "Used by 12,000+ teams"
- "Free forever — upgrade when ready"
- "Takes 2 minutes"

### Above the button (final qualifier)

Used when the button alone doesn't carry enough context.

EN:
- "Ready to start? It takes less than a minute:"
- "If your team has 3+ people, this is what we recommend:"
- "Last step before you get instant access:"

Additional canonical examples:
- "Ready to start? It takes less than a minute:"
- "If your team has 3+ people, this is what we recommend:"
- "Last step before instant access:"

### Beside the button (inline)

Common in forms.

- "We'll never spam you. Unsubscribe with one click."
- "Your card won't be charged until day 14."

---

## Contextual CTAs (per page section)

Different sections need different CTA logic. Here's the canonical map for a 5-Act landing page.

| Section | CTA type | Commitment | Primary example | Alternate example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hero | Primary action | Match funnel stage | "Start my free trial" | "Start my free trial" |
| Authority | (rarely needs CTA) | — | — | — |
| Mechanism / How it works | Soft secondary | Low | "See how it works in 2 minutes →" | "Watch the 2-minute walkthrough →" |
| Benefits | (no CTA — just benefits) | — | — | — |
| Offer / Pricing | Primary, high-commitment | High | "Get instant access" | "Claim instant access" |
| Guarantee | (reinforcing copy, not CTA) | — | — | — |
| FAQ | Final fallback | Match funnel | "Still have questions? Talk to us →" | "Need help deciding? Talk to us →" |
| Close (final CTA) | Primary repeat | High | "Get the program — 30-day guarantee" | "Get the program — 30-day guarantee" |
| Footer / sticky | Persistent reminder | Same as primary | (same as hero/close) | (same as hero/close) |

**Rule:** the page should have **one primary CTA repeated 3-5 times** (hero, mid-page, close, sticky). Secondary CTAs should be link-style, not button-style.

---

## Email CTAs

### Subject line CTA (rare — usually descriptive, not commanding)

- "Last day to claim your spot"
- "Your 30% discount expires tonight"

### Body CTA (single button)

- One button, always above the fold (or after the hook in long emails)
- Personalized when possible: "Get my plan" beats "Get the plan"
- Supporting line below: deadline, link to alternative format, etc.

### P.S. CTA

- A second smaller link CTA in the P.S. — captures the readers who scroll to the bottom first
- Often outperforms the main CTA for warm lists

---

## Exit-intent / popup CTAs

Different rules apply — the prospect is already leaving.

### What works

- Negative framing: "Wait — you're missing the [bonus]"
- Loss aversion: "Don't leave $X on the table"
- Surprise discount (only if you have margin and the brand allows)
- Clear opt-out: a tiny "No thanks" link below the button — respects the user

### What fails

- Generic newsletter offer ("Get our newsletter") — too low-value
- "Subscribe before you go!" without a reason — feels needy
- No close button — desperate, hostile UX

### Anti-pattern: confirmshaming

❌ "No thanks, I prefer losing money"
❌ "No, I don't want to grow my business"

This is hostile, anti-pattern, and erodes trust. Don't ship it.

---

## Anti-patterns (across all CTAs)

❌ **"Submit"** — sounds like surrendering. Always use a verb that names the action's value.
❌ **"Click here"** — non-descriptive. The button text should say WHAT happens.
❌ **"Buy now"** — focuses on cost, not benefit. Use "Get instant access" or similar.
❌ **All-caps SHOUTING CTAs** — feels desperate; reduces conversion in most A/B tests.
❌ **Vague time pressure** — "Limited time offer" without a real deadline.
❌ **Stacked CTAs** — three buttons in a row diluting attention. One primary, one secondary at most.
❌ **Mismatched commitment** — bottom-of-funnel "BUY NOW" on a cold-traffic landing page.
❌ **Hidden cost in microcopy** — "$1 trial — auto-bills $97/month" snuck below the button. Brand-killer.
❌ **Friction-language buttons** — "Sign up", "Register" → these emphasize the user's effort, not the value. Replace with the outcome they get.

---

## CTA × Master genome compatibility

| Master | CTA flavor |
|---|---|
| Schwartz | Match awareness level — varies wildly across stages |
| Halbert | High-commitment, value-driven, often urgent ("Order now and save $X") |
| Kennedy | High-commitment, premium-tone, no fake urgency, named risk reversal |
| Brunson | Personalized first-person ("Yes, I want this!"), high-commitment, story-rooted |
| Georgi | Mechanism-named CTAs ("Get the [mechanism] now"), value-driven, no hype |
| Ladeira (BR) | Casual personalized, light-tone, action-driven ("I want in", "Let's start") |
| Ícaro (BR) | Sober, authorial, low-hype ("Read now", "Buy the essay") |
| Diogo Gomes (BR) | Aggressive direct, high-commitment, value-loaded, often with named transformation ("I want to clear my 60h/week pipeline") |

---

## Generation rule for Mode 6 / multi-CTA output

When asked to generate a set of CTA variations for a single offer:

1. **Cover at least 4 commitment levels** (low / medium / high / urgency)
2. **Cover both first-person and second-person** ("Get my X" + "Get your X")
3. **Tag each CTA with type and commitment** so the user can pick by intent
4. **Provide microcopy** (below-button trust strip) for the 1-2 primary recommendations
5. **Pick a primary** — the one matching funnel stage + offer + master genome

Example output structure:

```
PRIMARY CTA (recommended): "Get my 30-day transformation plan"
  - Type: Personalized / Value-driven
  - Commitment: High
  - Microcopy below: "30-day money-back guarantee. Cancel anytime."

VARIATIONS:
1. [Action / Low] "See how it works →" — for hero or mid-page secondary
2. [Value / Medium] "Get my free analysis" — for lead magnet swap
3. [Urgency / High] "Claim my spot — 47 left" — only if scarcity is real
4. [Personalized / High] "Yes, I want my plan" — for popup / final close
5. [Risk-reversed / Medium] "Try free for 14 days (no credit card)" — for trial-based offer
```

---

## Source

Synthesis of:
- Direct response copy testing data (Halbert, Caples, modern A/B tests)
- Conversion rate optimization patterns (Unbounce, Wider Funnel, ConvertKit)
- Behavioral economics (loss aversion, decision fatigue, commitment ladders)
- Internal AIOSON copywriter genome (offer construction, anti-pattern collection)
