The most common calls to action in long-running DTC ads (2026)
Shop now dominates long-running DTC ads, while alternative CTAs remain niche.
- 1300
- Ads with a CTA
- Shop now
- Most common CTA
- 79% of ads
- 7
- Distinct CTAs seen
Shop Now Owns the Long-Running Ad Space
The vast majority of durable DTC Facebook ads use a single call to action: Shop Now. This button text appears across most tracked ads that have maintained active status over extended periods. The dominance is striking and suggests that longevity correlates with this straightforward purchase-focused messaging.
Learn More Captures a Distant Second
When brands deviate from Shop Now, Learn More is the clear alternative. A much smaller share of long-running ads employ this softer CTA, typically used when the immediate ask is education rather than conversion. This two-tier pattern indicates that DTC advertisers running sustained campaigns have validated one of two approaches.
All Other CTAs Are Negligible
See Details, Get Offer, Order Now, Sign Up, and Like Page each represent only a tiny fraction of the tracked ads. These alternatives appear so rarely in long-running campaigns that they may indicate either experimental approaches or niche use cases. The data suggests that testing unconventional CTAs is not a hallmark of ads that survive long-term.
What This Means for Your Strategy
If your goal is to build a sustainable, long-running campaign, the evidence points toward Shop Now as the proven choice. The secondary option, Learn More, works for specific contexts where awareness precedes purchase intent. Brands experimenting with other button text should monitor whether those ads achieve comparable longevity.
| Call to action | Ads | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Shop now | 1031 | 79% |
| Learn more | 209 | 16% |
| See details | 34 | 3% |
| Get offer | 23 | 2% |
| Order now | 1 | 0% |
| Sign up | 1 | 0% |
| Like Page | 1 | 0% |
Key takeaways
- Shop Now is the default CTA for ads that run long-term in DTC, used by the overwhelming majority of tracked campaigns
- Learn More is the only meaningful alternative, but appears in a much smaller share of durable ads
- All other CTA variants (Order Now, Sign Up, Get Offer, etc.) are rare in long-running ads and may signal shorter lifespans
- Simplicity in CTA messaging correlates with campaign longevity; test new buttons cautiously if sustainability is your goal
Frequently asked
Why does Shop Now dominate so heavily?
Shop Now is direct, removes friction, and aligns with DTC's core mission of driving immediate sales. Ads using this CTA have likely proven their effectiveness over time, making them more likely to remain active in long-running campaigns.
When should I use Learn More instead of Shop Now?
Learn More works when your audience needs education before purchase, such as for complex products, new categories, or cold audiences unfamiliar with your brand. However, the data shows this approach is used far less often in sustained campaigns.
Should I test other CTA buttons?
The rarity of alternatives in long-running ads suggests they may not drive comparable results or longevity. If you test unconventional CTAs, monitor their performance closely against Shop Now and Learn More benchmarks before scaling.
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Every figure in this study is computed from the real Meta ads and landing pages Funnelens tracks; no data is estimated or invented. Ad data from the public Meta Ad Library. See data sources.