How many times have you been to a site where you didn’t know what to do next? I mean, you’re looking for a job but there’s no Apply Here button. Or you really like a company’s service offerings but there’s no Contact Us link. Or… well, you get the point.
One of the most basic marketing tactics is providing people with a call to action. Professional marketers use this on you all the time. Just listen a block of ads on the radio, watch a few commercials on TV, flip through a few newspapers or magazines and you’ll certainly see them asking you to do something.
The purpose of many of our messages is to drive a point home. After that, then what? Never assume that your audience knows what to do next! You have to ask them to do something specific because 9 times out of 10, they’d do something else… or worse, like do nothing at all!
If you’re a blogger, you have to know what you’re trying to achieve at the end of your article. After spending countless hours building an incredible site, promoting your work, and writing unique content, you do want to get your audience to do what you’re trying to achieve, right?
When I write an article to promote a product, I ask readers to click on the affiliate link. When I’m looking for comments and feedback, I ask readers a question for them to respond to. When I want folks to try a free service, I provide them with a link click on and tell them what to do when they get there. Seems so simple, doesn’t it?
Do you give your audience calls to action on your site?
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Yes, most of the time readers have no clue what to do next. The blogger, who might be an expert in a specific niche, can guide his readers for a specific action. Also, it promotes interaction & activity. At the same time its also useful to gather readers reactions via different mode viz. comments.
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It’s amazing how many articles I read that have no call to action. Many peeps don’t know that they actually have to ask for things that they want.
It’s a good point you raise about Radio ads, or magazines. You would never see one of those with no call to action.
A blog is a business, and you need to structure it in a way that creates maximum conversions.
I’m doing an SEO experiment at the moment. I may try actually inviting my readers to link to my subject page… A little brazen perhaps, but it’s all the name of science right?
Great post!
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One great example is the comments section of a blog. You can change the text to say “Express your opinion”, then have the button that will actually leave the comment say “Say it!”.
You need to direct your visitors so that they aren’t confused and know exactly what to do. Great post, Gabe!
I agree with you.I usually ask my visitors to leave comments
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Really great post Gabe!
I have been noticing a large decrease in comments on my blog recently, I think this might be the reason
Thanks so much for the great post,
-Onibalusi
Onibalusi Bamidele´s last blog ..How to Manage Your Reputation Online
I’ll be curious to see how much of a difference this change will be. Keep us posted!
Here, here! Ask them. Don’t hesitate, don’t be shy. The worst thing that will happen is that you will get little or no response to your request. But it is a certainty, that if you don’t ask you will never get the actions or responses you are seeking.
Asking provokes thought and thoughts are what lead to action. I use questions in my blogging quite extensively. In my copy, to get my readers thinking about the topic at hand and at the end to request those comments. To encourage them to share their point of view or a tip for my readers.
I think questions rock! I mean really, doesn’t everyone feel more important when they are asked to give their opinion? I know I do.
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Whether by accident or intention, I love how you ended your comment with a question. You’re baiting me to respond!
ya…this is a great way but more off them will never answer the question without some gift, they are always want get some thing free
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Getting comments is as easy as making the last line/paragraph a question. Everyone has it in them to give their opinion on something; it’s just human nature.
Asking for a sale however, this is where so many, including myself lots of times, fall flat.
Dennis Edell | Direct Sales Marketing´s last blog ..I Figured it Out- Plus – I Need HELP Locating a Plugin
Notice your tweetmeme button is a ?. Some sort of time-out error.
Dennis Edell | Direct Sales Marketing´s last blog ..I Figured it Out- Plus – I Need HELP Locating a Plugin
Thanks for the heads up. Looks OK on my PC though. Still like that for you?
Great tip, simple yet perfectly clear. I haven’t done in call-to-action posts yet. I’m a newbie to blogging so right now, i’m just trying to build an audience and get a feel for writing.
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You can add a call to action at the end of every post.
I actually ask my readers to send me an email or leave a comment in an indirect way if they have questions. Though I don’t really receive any LOL, perhaps it’s because my blog is still new (reader’s sandbox). But I also think that it’s a good way to offer your readers other related entries that they can read at the bottom (related posts), to reduce bounce rates. or have a poll at the end of the content to enhance user activity with your site
Regards,
Jason Acidre
yes i fully agree with you
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I’m not scared to ask my visitors to view hub pages, or twitter, or facebook, vote in a poll, etc etc.
All I’m “afraid” of is that people won’t respond
.
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I asked my readers to support me by like my Facebook fan page. And failed. Less people supported.
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great post Gabe .
i alway ask my reader what they thinka
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Yes,It’s all right.
Dream what you want to dream；go where you want to go；be what you want to be，because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you want to do.
Jimmy choo
You give thes option is very to apply.Yes, most of the time readers have no clue what to do next.
Jimmy choo
I blog regularly and get comments now and then, but not all the time.
I away comment to another blog and some time i see blogger ask your reader some question . that good right?
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I have also seen this kind of blog where blogger asks questions to readers. I really like this option. Sometimes it is really interesting.
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I generally try to add in a question toward the end of the post or involve a story which will create buzz.
One of the best way is to follow up questions whenever others comments because they’re already passionate into the discussion and not only can you help bring out more information but you also let people talk a bit about their own experience which I’ve found people love to do
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I have tried once and it worked. I will keep doing this with my new blog. Thanks for your head up
Point taken. When creating a website it would be best to show visitors some user friendly tabs. It would be a lot easier if we have simple but a user friendly site. I also agree that we need to invite visitors to our site especially if it is informational. Thanks for the post. This is great for tweeter and facebook
Really great post Gabe
i never ask my visitors before, i will try this with my blog
Thanks so much for the great post,
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The purpose of many of our messages is to drive a point home. After that, then what? Never assume that your audience knows what to do next! You have to ask them to do something specific because 9 times out of 10, they’d do something else… or worse, like do nothing at all!discount louis vuitton
Is great this information,
I recomended this link to all my friends to Romania (Bucharest), thank you again
One important feature of an effective website is users friendly and there should be an interaction between the user and the website itself. Most of the online users are clueless of what going to do next every time they enter an unfamiliar site. Thus, its very significant to guide them through out their visit in your site. Anyway, this post is a good read especially to the beginners in blogging. Keep it up!
I do agree that we can suggest visitors to do something but it should get benefits for them. If not, they do nothing. For example, you cannot tell them: Hey, please click this ads and I get the money or please buy this product and let’s me get some money from affiliates.
Cheers
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Support bloggers!
I never ask my online visitors before of what they feel and think about my blogs and I just let them explore the contents of the site. But, I realized that it could be more beneficial for my blogs to allow users response and their overall assessment of the blog. Right now, I’m trying to apply this concept in all my sites. Anyway, thank lot for this insightful post.
its going to be a very new concept to connect with your visitors ,if you know what they are in need you can do it for them so it gonna be very helpful to get the best..
I to make a link where my visitors can come and have there suggestion for the blogs.