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Follow-up CTAs

Follow-up CTAs allow you to automatically send a second message to leads with a direct call-to-action button (like a promo code, booking link, or discount). This turns initial engagement into trackable revenue.

What Are Follow-up CTAs?

A Follow-up CTA is an automated second message sent to someone who has already triggered an automation. It includes a clickable button that drives them to take action.

Example Flow

  1. User replies to your Story with "GUIDE"
  2. First message (automation): "Here's your free guide: [link]"
  3. Follow-up CTA (automatic): "As a token of appreciation, here's 20% off your next purchase: [CLAIM 20% DISCOUNT]"
  4. User clicks the button → Taken to your discount page or booking link

How Follow-up CTAs Work

The Timing

Follow-up CTAs are sent automatically after the initial automation:

  • Immediately: Some Follow-up CTAs send right after the first message
  • Delayed: You can set a delay (e.g., send after 2 hours, 1 day, etc.)

The Button

The Follow-up CTA includes a clickable button with:

  • Button Text: What the button says (e.g., "CLAIM 20% DISCOUNT")
  • Button Link: Where the button takes them (e.g., your discount page)

When they click the button, they're taken directly to your link.

Setting Up Follow-up CTAs

Step 1: Create Your Base Automation

First, create the automation that will trigger the Follow-up CTA:

  1. Go to Automations
  2. Create an automation (e.g., GUIDE → "Here's your free guide")
  3. Save it

Step 2: Add a Follow-up CTA

  1. Go to Automations
  2. Click on the automation you want to add a Follow-up CTA to
  3. Click "Add Follow-up CTA"
  4. Configure:
    • Button Text: What the button says (max 30 characters)
    • Button Link: Where the button takes them
    • Delay: When to send it (immediately, 1 hour, 1 day, etc.)
    • Message: Optional text before the button

Step 3: Test It

  1. Use a test account to trigger the automation
  2. Verify you receive the initial message
  3. Wait for the Follow-up CTA to arrive
  4. Click the button to verify it works

Follow-up CTA Examples

For Coaches/Creators

Automation: GUIDE First Message: "Here's your free guide: [link]" Follow-up CTA:

  • Button Text: "BOOK A CALL"
  • Button Link: https://calendly.com/yourname
  • Delay: 2 hours
  • Message: "Ready to take it to the next level? Book a free consultation with me."

For E-commerce

Automation: PRODUCTS First Message: "Check out our latest collection: [link]" Follow-up CTA:

For Service Providers

Automation: PRICING First Message: "Our services start at $500. Here's our full pricing: [link]" Follow-up CTA:

  • Button Text: "SCHEDULE CONSULTATION"
  • Button Link: https://calendly.com/yourname
  • Delay: 4 hours
  • Message: "Ready to get started? Book a free 30-minute consultation."

For SaaS/Software

Automation: TRIAL First Message: "Sign up for a free 14-day trial: [link]" Follow-up CTA:

Best Practices

1. Choose the Right Delay

The delay between the initial message and Follow-up CTA matters:

DelayBest For
ImmediatelyHigh-intent offers (discounts, limited-time deals)
1-2 hoursWarm leads who need a gentle push
4-6 hoursLeads who need time to think
1 dayCold leads, informational content

Recommendation: Start with 2-4 hours and adjust based on performance.

2. Make Your Button Text Action-Oriented

✅ Good button text:

  • "CLAIM 20% DISCOUNT"
  • "BOOK A CALL"
  • "START FREE TRIAL"
  • "GET INSTANT ACCESS"

❌ Bad button text:

  • "Click here"
  • "Learn more"
  • "Next"
  • "Continue"

3. Align the Follow-up CTA with the Initial Message

The Follow-up CTA should feel like a natural next step:

Initial MessageFollow-up CTA
"Here's your free guide""Ready to implement? Book a consultation"
"Check out our products""Get 15% off your first order"
"Our pricing plans""Start a free trial"
"Here's a demo video""Schedule a live demo"

4. Keep the Message Short

The message before the button should be brief:

  • 1-2 sentences max
  • Clear value proposition
  • Direct CTA

5. Use Urgency Carefully

Urgency can increase clicks, but use it sparingly:

✅ Good urgency:

  • "Limited time: 20% off this week only"
  • "Only 5 spots left for this month"

❌ Overused urgency:

  • Every message with "URGENT"
  • Fake scarcity
  • Constant "limited time" offers

6. Test Different Delays

Try different delays and track which gets the best conversion rate:

  • Week 1: Immediate Follow-up CTA
  • Week 2: 2-hour delay
  • Week 3: 1-day delay

Check your analytics to see which performs best.

Follow-up CTA Limits by Plan

Different plans have different limits:

PlanFollow-up CTAsMax per Automation
Free❌ Not available—
Starter✅ Available1
Pro✅ Available1
Premium✅ Available1
info

All paid plans (Starter+) include Follow-up CTAs. Free plan users need to upgrade to use this feature.

Tracking Follow-up CTA Performance

Click-Through Rate

See how many people click your Follow-up CTA buttons:

  1. Go to Analytics
  2. Look at "Follow-up CTA Clicks"
  3. See which CTAs get the most engagement

Conversion Tracking

To track conversions (purchases, signups, etc.):

  1. Add UTM parameters to your button links
  2. Track in Google Analytics or your CRM
  3. See which Follow-up CTAs drive the most conversions

Example:

https://yourstore.com/discount?code=SAVE15&utm_source=lazyspond&utm_campaign=guide_followup

A/B Testing

Test different Follow-up CTAs to see what works best:

  • Test 1: Immediate vs. 2-hour delay
  • Test 2: Different button text
  • Test 3: Different offers (discount vs. booking vs. free trial)

Track which version gets the highest click-through rate and conversion rate.

Troubleshooting

Follow-up CTA Not Sending?

  1. Verify it's configured — Go to the automation and check the Follow-up CTA settings
  2. Check the delay — Make sure the delay has passed
  3. Verify the button link — Make sure the link is valid
  4. Check your plan — Follow-up CTAs require Starter plan or higher

Button Not Working?

  1. Verify the link — Click the link manually to ensure it works
  2. Check for typos — Make sure the URL is correct
  3. Test on mobile — Follow-up CTAs are primarily viewed on mobile
  4. Check UTM parameters — If using UTM params, verify they're formatted correctly

Low Click-Through Rate?

  1. Change the button text — Try more action-oriented language
  2. Adjust the delay — Try a different timing
  3. Improve the message — Make the value proposition clearer
  4. Test different offers — Try discounts, free trials, bookings, etc.

Best Practices for Conversions

1. Remove Friction

Make it as easy as possible to click the button:

  • Use clear, compelling button text
  • Ensure the link works
  • Test on mobile devices

2. Create Urgency (Responsibly)

Use urgency to increase conversions:

  • "Limited time: 20% off this week"
  • "Only 5 spots left"
  • "Expires in 24 hours"

3. Personalize When Possible

Use dynamic placeholders in your message:

  • "Hey {Name}, here's your exclusive offer"
  • "Thanks for your interest, {Name}!"

4. Match the Offer to the Audience

Different keywords attract different people:

  • GUIDE → Informational, educational offer
  • PROMO → Discount-seekers
  • DEMO → High-intent buyers
  • PRICING → Serious prospects

5. Track Everything

Use UTM parameters and analytics to understand:

  • Which Follow-up CTAs drive the most clicks
  • Which ones convert to customers
  • Which delays work best
  • Which offers resonate most

Next Steps