POP SEO Tip #20: Creating a Great Call to Action
Since it’s usually the last piece of writing you’ll add to a bit of content, sometimes the call to action gets short shrift. Sometimes it even gets skipped altogether! Instead, try to come up with a call to action first. Think about your customers and what they want. The call to action may not be the most important thing you have to sell, but it may push someone on the fence to make a purchase.
Crafting an Amazing Call to Action
In order to maximize the effectiveness of your content, you’ve got to craft calls to action that get results. What are some that you can begin using today? Let’s take a look at two great ones.
- Give It Away, Now: While you may be trying to sell something most of the time, you should remember the power of giving your audience freebies. For example, you can offer a companion piece for download that expands or distills the content. Your call to action, then, would be to encourage your users to download, and when they do, you can request an email address, growing your mailing list.
- Encourage Feedback: Including a call to action that inspires your readers to share their own thoughts and opinions is highly effective. It becomes even more effective if you reciprocate the reader engagement, either by responding in the comments yourself or by including reader responses as part of another piece of content.
Of course, depending upon what you’re trying to accomplish, you may not want to use these calls to action. However, these are particularly great to use periodically, as they can contribute greatly to growing your readership.
Other Tips and Tricks
Now that you have the basics, let’s dig in a little deeper. You want to ensure that the message you send out is something your customers respond well to. There are many tips available to help you do that. Try some of these and see what works best for your brand.
- Start with a power verb – Being concise and clear is important since a call to action is short. Get right into the meat of things by using an action verb to let the audience know what you want them to do. Words like “buy,” “subscribe,” “find out,” and “order” are a good way to go.
- Create emotion – You want your audience to be excited to take part in your call to action. If you make your call to action enthusiastic, this can rub off on the people reading. Even adding an exclamation point can help with this.
- Give ‘em a reason – Let the audience know why they should do what you are asking. What does it provide them with that they don’t already have? Incorporating your unique selling point can work well. It’s also sure to give you extra clicks.
- Know people don’t want to miss out – FOMO is real. Nobody wants to miss out on a great deal. It’s up to you to take advantage of that. If people think this offer will never be available again, they’ll be quicker to take advantage of it.
- Add a touch of creativity – Get creative with your call to action and then use A/B testing to see what customers find the most interesting. Thinking outside of the box is a great way to prove your brand isn’t like all the others. You never know what might inspire sales, downloads, and other actions.
Simplicity Matters
Finally, in order for your call to action to be effective, you need to remember one thing: You’ve got to keep it simple! Often, those who are writing content will either bury their call to action, or they’ll write one that’s needlessly long and confusing. Simply ask yourself what exactly it is that you want your reader to do, and then ask them to do that in clear, concise language.
