Are you writing a lot of blog posts but not getting any lead conversions? You're probably thinking, "why am I wasting all this time writing blog post after blog post when I'm not getting anything out of it?"
Blog posts do more than attract visitors to your site. They provide an opportunity to funnel those visitors towards landing pages that will convert them into leads. But how do they get there?
What visitors need are instructions. Even if they read the most well-written blog post that is packed with value, if there is nowhere for them to go or nothing for them to do afterwards, they will most likely leave your site.
This is where the call-to-action comes in. Calls to action direct visitors to where you want them to go and what you want them to do. But how do you go about creating one?
In this blog post, I'll cover five tips that will help you create compelling calls to action in your blog posts that will convert more visitors into leads. They are:
You can also apply these tips to any calls to action, so don't feel you have to limit them to your blog. With that in mind, let's get started!
What is a call-to-action?
A call-to-action (CTA) is a section of copy (or content) that encourages someone to act. Such actions can be:
Download a content offer
Subscribe to a mailing list
Buy a product or service
Join a group
Learn more about a topic or product/service
CTAs are commonplace across different marketing strategies. You'll find them in emails, social media, blog posts, landing pages, flyers, web pages, and so on. The purpose of the CTA is to get your visitors to perform the desired action and click the link.
Why are they necessary in a blog post?
CTAs funnel your visitors to where you want them to go. In the case of a blog post, you may want your visitors to head to a landing page to download a resource, or to head to a pillar content page from a cluster post.
Through CTA buttons, you can also track how your visitors arrive at the desired landing page or pillar post. Here's a bonus tip: Through your analytics, you can look at which posts have the most CTA interactions. From there, you can optimise and promote those pages that get the most clicks from your CTAs.
For many business owners, the thought of crafting CTAs can be quite daunting - after all, much of the advice on the internet suggests that CTAs need to be meticulously crafted to get the desired result. The reality is that CTAs aren't as scary as they first seem.
So, here are five tips for writing compelling calls to action that convert your visitors.
5 tips for writing compelling calls to action
1. Use commands
Command words are verbs that give directions to people. For example:
Buy
Subscribe
Download
Learn more
Click here
Join us
These words give clear instructions to your visitors about where they should go to get maximum value from you. They will appear on buttons to make the action easily accessible, and may also appear in the CTA text accompanying the button.
Don't underestimate the power of command words. People love instructions that are clear and easy to follow, especially on the internet.
2. Be clear in your message
When it comes to the message in your CTA text, clarity goes a long way. Don't "beat around the bush" with your message, and certainly don't waste time using fluffy language and jargon. Jargon has its uses when talking about industry terms (for example, this post is about the CTA), but if used incorrectly, it can damage your marketing efforts.
Jargon only works for people who are familiar with its meaning. Those unfamiliar will feel ostracised from the piece of content, and will not be able to resonate with it. This is especially true for the CTA, as you are writing copy that aims to engage and resonate with the reader.
So, be very clear in your message. Know exactly what you want readers to do and where you want them to go, and give them the directions.
Here's a bonus tip: write as if you are speaking to a 7th or 8th grader (12-13 years old). To do this, I would recommend plugging your writing into the Hemingway App. This app will examine your writing and give you tips on how to make it clearer and easier to read. Aim between grades six to eight for the best results.
3. Get creative
While you should avoid using jargon and fluffy language to create a clear message, there is no harm in getting creative. For example, instead of writing "buy now", you could write "get your mitts on this!"
Your creativity in this area does however depend on your brand voice. If the rest of your content (including your main website and blog) has a clear tone with little humour, then it wouldn't make sense for you to add a joke or quip to your CTA - the tonal shift would be jarring for your visitors.
4. Use exclamation marks to emphasise the urgency
Using the correct punctuation in the proper context is vital for copywriting. The same is true for the CTA. Compare these two CTAs:
Buy now.
Buy now!
Which one would you be more inclined to click? Adding an exclamation mark to your CTA (particularly the button element) adds urgency to your copy. It's amazing what such a tiny change can do!
However, avoid flooding your CTAs with exclamation marks. This makes the copy too "shouty" and might put readers off. Here's a bonus tip: try adding a question to your CTA to mix up the tone. For example:
Want to learn more?
Need help with x?
Curious?
It helps if you put yourself in your buyer persona's shoes - that way you will know what they are looking for and what questions they may have.
5. Make the most of FOMO
What is FOMO? FOMO is the fear of missing out. Humans are social creatures, meaning we all desire to be part of the social group and not miss anything that could benefit us. With FOMO comes a drive to act quickly - after all, you're more likely to act if time is short and resources are scarce!
This applies to the CTA in content marketing. Do you have a deal that's due to expire? A limited-edition product or a limited offer? Make this clear in the CTA copy. Let people know it's a special offer that will expire, then they will act.
If you also have a limited capacity for a product or service, let people know. If people know something has limited stock, they will be more likely to buy it. This is tapping into human nature.
6. (Bonus) Mind your design
Surprise! If you've made it this far, here's a bonus tip for you (spoiler: it has nothing to do with writing the CTA).
When creating your CTAs, think about how you will design them. For example, instead of hyperlinks, use buttons for visitors to click. Buttons are far more aesthetically pleasing than standard hyperlinks, and you can use your brand colours to make them stand out.
It's also recommended to include the same CTA more than once in a piece of content. Make sure you have a clickable CTA at the top and bottom of your post, and somewhere in the middle next to a relevant piece of content.
Varying the outline of the CTAs is also a good strategy. For example, you could place the button in different ways, use different colours, vary your CTA copy, etc. The key is experimentation. Try different layouts and track your results through analytics tools such as Hotjar to see what works.
Let's Recap
A call-to-action (CTA) is a section of copy that encourages someone to do something. In marketing and sales, this action can be:
Download a content offer
Subscribe to a mailing list
Buy a product or service
Join a group
Learn more about a topic or product/service
CTAs are important to have in blog posts because they give directions to visitors after they have finished reading the post. This keeps them on your website longer, which allows them to consume more content, and also increases the chance of them becoming a lead.
In this post, I covered five (actually six) tips for creating compelling CTAs in your blog posts. They were:
Use commands
Have a clear message
Get creative
Use exclamation marks
Make the most of FOMO
Mind your design
If you implement these tips into your CTAs, you will create compelling CTAs that convert your visitors into high-quality leads!