We have all heard of “call to action” marketing and know what it means. You create a call to action, usually with a compelling offer, and entice people to take action. When someone does take action, you record it, and continue sending out more offers, engaging with customers, and eventually turning that person into an advocate or even a brand champion.
Now that you have heard of the strategy, you might be wondering how to make it work for you. What if you aren’t exactly sure what a call to action is? What if you want to try a new approach to content marketing?
In this article, we will teach you exactly how to make the strategy work for you so you can take your business to the next level.
The Anatomy of a Call to Action
The anatomy of a call to action is fairly simple. You have an offer and a way for the person reading the content to take action. Depending on the type of content you are creating, you might also include a sign up form at the end. Let’s take a look at an example of a typical call to action from a blog post.
The most basic call to action is a discount offer. You are giving something away for free, or offering a special deal, and you want the person reading the content to act on it. For example, if you are using a coupon code, you could have the following call to action:
- Use this code to get 10% off your order.
- Click here to see the terms and conditions.
- Give it a try, you’ll have a pleasant experience.
In the example above, you are offering a discount code, and there is a link to the terms and conditions page. Typically, you will find terms and conditions pages near the bottom of an e-commerce website. The offer and link to the terms and conditions can also be repeated at the very end of the blog post.
Another simple call to action is asking the person reading the content to leave their email address. This allows you to stay in touch with them, and potentially provide them with more value. For example, if you are running a blog about fashion, you might ask the person reading the blog post to leave their email so you can send them exclusive discounts on future purchases. You can also use the email address to provide them with valuable information about upcoming trends, or upcoming sales.
You can find signs up near the top of an e-commerce website. The most basic form is simply an online store sign up that takes them to a landing page. However, you might also want to provide your buyers with additional value, and entice them to join your email list. You can do this by offering a discount, freebie, or another draw.
The anatomy of a call to action doesn’t have to be limited to discount offers and sign-ups. Depending on your platform and type of content, you can come up with countless ideas for call to actions. If you are feeling creative, you can even come up with your own unique offers and promotions. Remember, every business is different and what might work for another company, might not work for you.
Why Use Call to Actions On Your Blog?
Now that you know the basics of creating a call to action, you might be wondering why you would use it on a blog. In the previous section, we discussed using calls to action on an e-commerce website, but what if you are writing a blog for marketing purposes?
A blog can be a lot more subtle in its approach, but using calls to action is still a viable option. Let’s take a look at how we can use calls to action on a blog, and why you might want to try it out.
Blogs have taken the world by storm and continue to grow in popularity every day. If you are not using a blog to reach your audience, you are definitely missing out. We will discuss three specific reasons why you might want to try using calls to action on your blog.
- Attracting and engaging with your audience
- Increasing conversion
- Boosting brand loyalty
Attracting and Engaging with Your Audience
One of the primary purposes of a blog is to attract and engage with your audience. If you are using a tool like WordPress, you can set up a blog with a pretty simple theme, and even choose a domain name that is relevant to your niche. When someone finds your blog, they will stumble upon content that is both interesting and relevant to them, and hopefully, stick around for more.
If you are writing a travel blog, for example, you might want to use a call to action to encourage people to visit your blog, and hopefully, make a purchase. You can find blog posts on travel, and then specifically within those posts, you can create call to actions that encourage people to visit your blog, and ultimately, make a purchase.
Creating a call to action on your blog doesn’t have to be limited to travel-related topics. You can create a call to action for any type of content you are posting, as long as there is something in the post that will trigger a call to action.
Increasing Conversion
If you are looking to grow your business, one of the best things you can do is convert website visitors into customers. Blogging is a free way to do this, and you can use calls to action to increase your conversion rate. If you are doing this manually, it can be a time-consuming and intensive process, but with the right tools, it’s much easier to increase your conversion rate.
Online tools, like Google Optimizer, can help you test different versions of a page, and see which one performs the best. With a little bit of effort, you can increase your conversion rate, and grow your business profitably.
Boosting Brand Loyalty
If you are looking to build a brand, you might want to consider using calls to action to increase your brand loyalty. In today’s world, consumers have a wide range of choices when it comes to purchasing items, and some people might even say that they get overwhelmed with all the options. If you want your customers to become advocates of your brand, you can use calls to action to encourage them to share your content, and to engage with your brand.
If you have a clothing line for women, and you decide to create a blog for marketing purposes, you can use calls to action to encourage your readers to spread the word about your brand and to build a community. You can ask your readers to leave a review, or post a picture wearing your clothing line on social media, and then follow up with more blog posts that promote your brand.
There are dozens of possibilities when it comes to using calls to action on a blog. The main thing you need to do is find a way to fit it into your content marketing strategy. What works best for you, and what resonates with your audience?