One common mistake that bloggers do whenever writing a post is not giving their readers a CTA. A CTA or call to action means telling your readers to do something after reading the blog post as a response.
I've made that mistake, too. If you look at many of my blog posts, they don't have CTAs. I just talk and talk about a topic and then end it with just a closing greeting. But I'm trying to work on it. That's exactly one reason why I'm writing this post, right?
Not having a CTA is definitely not a good way to end a post. Think about it. You did your best to write a good blog post, followed proper post formatting, took time to add images and crafted a good title to attract readers. But your effort will just go to waste if you fail to get a proper response from your reader at the end of the post.
If you had invited them to join your email list and they joined, you could invite them again to read your other posts, comment on them, like your blog on social media platforms or recommend a product to them.
Without a CTA, your reader would probably click back to where he/she came from; close your blog page; or maybe go back to the search engine and read something else. It would have been better if the reader clicked to another page of your blog to continue reading or signed up to your email list.
So before you actually publish a post, take some time to think about what you want your readers to do next when they are finished reading your post. If you don't do this, you're losing the opportunity to maximize the traffic to your blog.
So, how do you write a good CTA?
The Essentials of a Good CTA
1. The CTA should be clear.
You should state clearly what response you want from your reader. The CTA should be action-oriented. For example, use verbs like Sign up, Download, Try for Free, or Click Here. It should not be complicated, so try to limit the CTA to about 5 words as recommended by HubSpot.
2. The CTA should be convincing.
Of course, you want your reader to take action, so think about how you can convince him/her. One way to do that is to say what is in it for them if they click your CTA. Perhaps, you can say that your reader will get something free if they follow your CTA.
Another way is to use the first person in your CTA. For example, instead of putting "You want this ebook", you can put "I want this ebook" in the CTA.
3. The CTA should be specific.
It is recommended to offer your reader just one CTA, not several ones to avoid confusion. It's more likely for people not to take action if they see different options. But if you must have a few CTAs, then be sure to guide your reader in making the proper choice of action.
4. The CTA must be visible.
The CTA must be easy to find whether you put it at the end of the post, or at the beginning as some are doing with their blog posts. If it would make your CTA more visible, use a font or image size that your reader will surely not miss. Use a contrasting color for your CTA text or button, to make sure that the reader will not miss it.
5. The CTA must accomplish your goal.
When you write your blog post, surely you have a goal in mind as far as the action you want from your readers is concerned.
- Maybe you want them to leave you a comment. Say "Leave me a comment below and letís talk."
- Maybe you want them to read another blog post. Then recommend another blog post with a link.
- Maybe you want them to share your post on social media. Then, invite them to like your post on Facebook or Twitter and share.
- Maybe you want them to sign up for your email list. You can use this CTA "Want to learn more"? Just enter your name and email below."
- Maybe you want them to buy your a product you recommend. Say "Take a look at this guide to learn more."
The only way you can realize these goals is to present to your readers a compelling CTA. Don't overcomplicate this part. But don't neglect it either.
Recap of Points Discussed
This is the fourth post in our Better Blogging Challenge. If you missed the other blog posts in this series, just click the link above to find the other posts at the bottom of the page.
Thank you for reading.
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