B2B content marketing has evolved dramatically in the past decade. We’ve gone from static white papers to beautiful, animated, interactive experiences. Marketers have proven that B2B content can be just as entertaining and moving as its B2C counterpart. 

The one thing that’s stayed the same: The CTA that leads to the next step. You start with a button that says “download now” or “get your copy.” The person ponies up their information and gets access to the asset. At the end of the content, there’s another link or button: “Contact sales” or “schedule a demo.”  

We’re offering these standard, limited choices to people who are used to personalized, infinite options. They’re used to Netflix. We’re still offering a Blockbuster Video with most of the titles rented out. 

It’s well past time to create a new kind of CTA experience. Smarter CTAs can deliver higher-quality leads for marketers while also providing a more satisfying buyer journey. 

Here’s how SCORCH is working to create the next generation of CTA. 

Why CTAs Need an Upgrade 

The classic lead gen plays miss opportunities to add value for your marketing and sales teams (and buyers, too): 

• They’re rarely personalized. “Learn more” or “Download now” could be directed at anyone. Nothing about these CTAs speaks to an individual’s needs or context.  
• They lack specificity. A vague promise of content behind the click leaves users unsure if it’s worth their time. Will that demo be a live conversation with sales or a video? 
• They don’t start a conversation. A form fill is a placeholder for more nurturing later, that will hopefully lead to a meaningful interaction. Eventually. 
• They provide low-quality data. Let’s be honest: how many “John Smith” submissions with fake Gmail addresses do you really want in your CRM? 

It’s a one-way street — and most prospects bounce before you ever get the chance to build a relationship. 

Building a More Modern CTA  

What would a CTA journey look like if we built it from scratch with 2025 technology? Instead of just asking prospects to click, scan, or download, it should use those actions as a springboard for conversation. 

A modern CTA should be: 

• Interactive: The click isn’t the endpoint; it’s the beginning of engagement.  
• Personalized: It offers a tailored experience based on who’s interacting and where. 
• Data-rich: Every interaction becomes a source of high-quality, first-party data. 

For marketers, this means more than just traffic or downloads. It means knowing who’s engaging, when, where, and why. But most importantly, it’s about the ability to respond in real time. 

The Modern CTA in Action  

SCORCH is busily rebuilding the buyer’s journey with interactive, conversation-starting CTAs. Here’s what we’ve created: 

activQMS powers the interaction 

activQMS combines the simplicity of a QR code with SMS-based interaction. It turns every scan into an opportunity to collect first-party data and kick off instant two-way communications securely. 

activQR starts the conversation 

QR codes are everywhere, but most lead to a static landing page. They’re a scannable version of that “download your copy” button. activeQR turns that scan into an instant, two-way exchange. It captures data at the moment of scan, engaging users directly without sending them to a landing page. You can see who scanned, when, and where, all in real time. 

Imagine the QR on your trade show booth went directly to a live chat or chatbot, while also letting the scanner opt in to future content and experiences delivered by text. Instead of a PDF download and a follow-up email they’ll ignore, your sales team now has a lead they can engage with directly, bolstered by contextual data for a smarter conversation. 

activePDF unlocks the hidden power in content 

activQR gives marketers new ways to engage with buyers. activePDF adds more analytical and experiential capabilities to marketing workhorses like white papers, eBooks, and case studies.  

activePDF turns static documents into dynamic, measurable experiences: 

• Track who opens your PDF and how far they read
• Offer multiple context-sensitive CTAs inside the document itself 
• Collect first-party data directly from readers 

For example, instead of just knowing that 1,000 people downloaded your eBook, you can see that 500 responded to the best-practices section, 200 also clicked to download an additional checklist, and 100 went straight to scheduling a demo. Furthermore, half of the demo requests came from the how-to section, while the other half scanned the QR code in the survey analysis section.  

All this additional data makes it easier for salespeople to focus on your most valuable leads, and they can do it with a detailed, personalized follow-up based on the buyer’s intent and action. 

Calls to Action Everywhere 

These new types of CTA aren’t confined to a single PDF or any kind of gated asset. With activQR, you can start a conversation anywhere you can put a QR code: Product packaging, in-store signage, TV and digital display ads, direct mail, and beyond. 

With innovations like activQR and activePDF, every link, scan, or tap is a chance to connect with insight you can use to guide buyers to the next step in their journey. 

Visit activqms.com to learn more.