Eddie Shleyner recently shared that his captions are outperforming his CTA buttons on the website.

Here is the LinkedIn post where he shared this information.

This is one of the articles on his site where you can see how he uses the caption.

On each VeryGoodCopy article, Eddie includes:

• The Obvious CTA: Large, green, bold call-to-action buttons positioned prominently

• The Hidden Winner: Small, subtle text in the image captions that simply said something like "Subscribe to the VeryGoodCopy newsletter to never miss an article."

The caption CTA was so understated it was barely noticeable, yet it consistently outperformed the more prominent elements designed specifically to capture attention.

Why This Might Work

A few thoughts on why this smaller CTA might work well.

Context and Timing

Image captions are read when people are already engaged with the content. They've stopped to look at the visual, making them more receptive to a relevant, non-intrusive suggestion.

Reduced Pressure

The subtle nature of caption CTAs feels less "salesy" than bold buttons. People don't feel pressured or interrupted, making them more likely to take action voluntarily.

Natural Reading Flow

Captions are part of the natural content consumption process. Unlike pop-ups or prominent buttons that interrupt the reading experience, caption CTAs feel integrated and organic.

This one is a great reminder to…

1. Test Everything

This discovery reinforces the importance of testing all conversion points, not just the obvious ones. Sometimes the smallest, most overlooked elements can be your biggest performers.

2. Less Can Be More

Not every effective CTA needs to be large, colorful, or attention-grabbing. Subtle, contextual placements can sometimes outperform aggressive marketing tactics.

3. User Experience Matters

CTAs that feel natural and unobtrusive within the content experience may convert better than those that interrupt or demand attention.

Implementation Takeaways

• Audit Your Current CTAs: Check data on all conversion points, including seemingly minor ones

• Test Subtle Placements: Try adding simple, understated CTAs in image captions, footnotes, or other natural content areas

• Don't Assume Bigger is Better: Sometimes the most effective CTAs are the ones that don't feel like CTAs at all

• Track Everything: Make sure you're measuring conversions from all possible sources, not just the obvious ones

Bottom Line

Eddie's discovery challenges conventional wisdom about call-to-action design. While bold, prominent CTAs certainly have their place, this example shows that sometimes the most effective conversions happen in the quietest corners of your content.

The key lesson: always test your assumptions and track all possible conversion sources. Your best-performing CTA might be hiding in plain sight in the most unexpected places.