You wouldn’t start a blog in a dull and aimless way, so why end it like that? You might think that readers never get to the end of your page with full attention anyway – but that’s just defeatist. And also wrong. If your blog is packed full of interesting and engaging content, your ending should follow suit.
A super effective call-to-action (CTA) can come to the rescue when you’re unsure of how to draw your blog to a close. All blogs, whatever the topic and however long, should always conclude with a killer CTA. But how do you make sure your CTA is the best it can be?
Well, let’s take a look at what makes an effective CTA and what rules you should be following. It’s all about taking advantage of their given attention and diverting them somewhere else useful.
What’s a call to action in a blog?
In a nutshell, a CTA is the part of your blog content when you ask (or preferably tell) your readers to do something. It’ll usually come at the end of the post when readers have finished reading the content and it’s time for their attention to move somewhere else.
A CTA is your opportunity to invite and persuade your readers to browse the rest of your site, purchase a product, or even visit your social media pages. The action you ask of them is up to you. Just make sure it’s clear, powerful, and persuasive.
1. use strong or emotive commands
A CTA shouldn’t be long or wordy but straight-to-the-point and clear with its intention. Tell your readers exactly what they should do next and make it count.
Best of all, use strong commanding verbs that demand action. For example, if you link to a related product, use words like ‘Buy today’.
2. tell them what they’ll miss out on
It helps if you provoke an enthusiastic response. An effective CTA is one that makes your reader feel like they have no other choice but to click. Make them feel like they’ll miss out if they don’t follow your orders.
If your readers have FOMO, they’re more likely to take the opportunity before it’s gone. For example, tell them about the 50% deal they’ll miss if they don’t act right now!
3. link to other existing content
Don’t forget to link to the other existing content on your blog too. If you feel another blog post is a relevant and related topic, tell your reader to check out the other post too. Link straight to it and inform them of why they need to read it.
The longer they stay on your website and learn more about you, the more they’ll trust you.
4. invite social interaction
The power of social shares is undeniable in this day and age. So make sure you invite all of your readers to follow your social media pages, from Facebook to Instagram to Twitter.
Use embedded social sharing buttons and then ask them to interact with the blog post itself. Get them to share it on their own social page and invite them to leave a comment. Sparking a conversation with potential customers is a way of building a vocal community that isn’t shy about responding to your content.