5 Ways to Create Compelling Calls to Action for Your Blog
When it comes to effective online marketing, content is key. Once you've intrigued, informed and entertained your audience, however, you need to seal the deal. A compelling call to action invites customers down the next stage of your marketing funnel. Here are the best ways to command attention with your CTAs.
Use a strong command verb. Your CTA should clearly and concisely lay out a desired action. Instead of passive language, it should begin with a direct verb, such as "buy," "order," "download," or "subscribe." For instance, consider the difference between "Our latest blog post is available" and "Read the secrets to effective CTAs in our latest blog post." Whatever verb you choose, make sure it clearly signals the next step you want your audience to take.
Provoke emotion or enthusiasm. These two elements are critical for promoting engagement. Good examples include, "Start planning the wedding of your dreams!" and "Buy now and get half off!" An exclamation point can be useful in certain instances. Just make sure it is consistent with the tone of your blog post. For example, you may not want to use an exclamation point if you feel it cheapens the effect of a more sophisticated, professional service or product.
Include your selling point. Although you don't have a ton of space to work with, you should still try to work in the main selling point into your CTA if possible. CTAs such as "Get your free consultation while it lasts" or "Take advantage of this limited-time offer" lets the audience know why they should take the desired action. In this instance, it's to seize a fleeting opportunity before they miss their chance. If possible, it's a good idea to make your CTA relate to your blog post, so the content will smoothly transition the audience into a conversion.
Promote excellent visibility. Your CTA should be the most noticeable thing on the page. If you use a button, its color should contrast with the color of the page to easily capture the visitor's attention. If it's text, it should be large and colorful enough to immediately command attention. In the end, you don't want your audience to have any confusion about how to take the next step. Make sure to create impactful CTAs that are impossible to overlook.
Leverage A/B testing. Even the brightest marketing minds can't predict how a CTA will perform with any real certainty. In turn, they test their CTAs to see which perform best with specific audiences. That said, to effectively judge a CTA, you need to know more than how many times it was clicked. You also want to determine how your CTA influences conversions at the next sales level. Different audiences respond differently to specific types of calls to action. At the same time, some CTAs are better at driving sales, while others are better at driving subscriptions. A/B testing is a great way to get clear insight into which CTAs meet your needs and which are nothing more than click-bait.
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