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How to Add a CTA Button to an Image
How to Add a CTA Button to an Image

Prompt clicks with buttons in images

Amanda Payne avatar
Written by Amanda Payne
Updated over a week ago

Sometimes a CTA button isn't enough by itself. It needs an image to attract attention. Online retailers like REI do a great job combining buttons with stunning images that encourage people to click and learn more. You can create a similar effect in your email templates, too.

Here's how. There are two options: use a Banner block or a Button block.

  • FYI If I had to pick one, I'd go with the Banner block. It's more reliable. The Button block option does not always look good on mobile devices or some email clients like Outlook.

add CTA button

Use the Banner block

With this block, place a small image (a faux button) on a larger background image and then add a link to the block.

Open a template and place a Banner block on the canvas. Click the block one time to make it the active layer, go to the side panel, and upload an image.

add CTA button insert image
  • tinyEmail loads the background image into the block.

add CTA button load image

Add a second image

Now add a smaller image that looks like a button. Click the Banner block once, go to the side panel, and scroll down to the Additional picture heading. Switch on the toggle and upload an image.

add CTA button add second image

Placing an image

tinyEmail places the second image on the background image. Drag the second image to a preferred location. The block automatically displays suggested locations.

add CTA button locate image
  • Click and drag to resize the image. The block resizes the suggested location rectangles.

resize image

Add a link

Now add a link to the Banner block. Click the block once, go to the side panel, and scroll down to the Link heading. Make sure Site is selected. Paste the URL into the field.

add site link

Preview and test

Create a campaign with this template and send a test message. In the screenshot below, the mouse changes to a finger. Ta-da! The entire image is a link.

preview cta button

Use the Button block

Here's another option. Place a Button block inside a structure and then add a background image. Add a link to the button; the background image does not get a link.

Not so fast

  • Using a background image is not always a good option. Some email clients, like Outlook, may not display background images. In addition, the background image may not be responsive on all mobile devices. The result might be a cropped image.

If you want to give it a try ...

Open a template and place a Button block inside a structure. Click the structure to make it the active layer. Go to the side panel, and switch on the Background Image toggle.

add cta bu8tton layer

Upload an image from your device. tinyEmail fills the container with the image, but the container height does not change. To correct that layout problem, add Spacer blocks.

add cta button block

Use Spacers

Add Spacers to customize the background image display and position the Button. In this example, I place a Spacer block immediately before and after the Button.

  • Depending on the size of your background image, you might not need two Spacers.

add cta spacers

Next, customize the height of each Spacer block. Click a block to make it the active layer. Go to the side panel and switch on the Dynamic spacer toggle.

Go back to the Spacer block and adjust its height by pulling the handle up and down.

add dynamic spacer

After adjusting the button position, you might be left with a distorted background image (as shown in the screenshot below). That's an easy fix. Open the Image editor. There's a full suite of tools, including Resize and Crop.

fix distored image

The result is a full-width image and a properly placed button. You may need to tweak the height of each Spacer block before you find the right button position.

add button

Add a link

To add a link to the button, click the Button block, and on the side panel, paste a URL into the Site field.

Preview and test

Create a campaign with this template and send a test message.

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