Call To Action: CTA In Blogging Explained (For Beginners)
Hello and welcome to Internet Marketing Tools And Programs (IMTAP)! Today we are going to explain what a call to action is, why it is important, and how to craft your own. Don’t worry this is beginner friendly. We give and show plenty of examples both real and made up on the spot. We also answer all the frequently asked questions being asked by real people on the web. If you have any questions please feel free to leave a comment below.
What Does Call To Action Mean?
A Call To Action is a word, phrase, sentence, or prompt to persuade someone to do a specific task. (Often used in persuasive writing.) CTAs are used in online marketing to convince a reader to take a specific action, like getting people to sign up to a newsletter (email list) or to buy something.
Do Blogs Have A Call To Action?
Yes, successful blogs most certainly do have at least one call to action on each and every page. In business, you are trying to convince a potential customer to do something like make a purchase or sign up for something. So as you can see, even if you are not selling something, and you are just providing information, CTAS are still relevant.
Need an example? Then look no further because this is a blog site!
What Is A CTA In Content Marketing?
A call to action (cta) in content marketing means using a word, phrase, or sentence(s) to inspire and convince the reader to take a specific action on your website.
What do you want the reader to do? Sign up for something? Buy something? Want them to leave a comment? While the choices are endless of what you COULD do these are some of the most basic examples on the internet today.
Here is an infographic we created for Pinterest that summarizes all that you have read so far with a few quick examples. Please feel free to repin for later reference!
We liked Grammarly’s definition because they took the definition even further.
In Grammarly’s words:
– Grammarly –
Why Call To Action is Important In A Blog? What Is The Importance Of A Call To Action In Blogging?
Don’t assume that people will automatically do something you want them to do. You need to tell them and if possible show them. A good call to action can motivate the reader to do something specific.
Done right, a call to action can,
- Build your brand
- Grow your audience
- Generate more sales
- Generate more leads
All these things are what you want for growing and scaling your business because the end result is more profit. We don’t know about you, but that is why we are in business in the first place. So yes. Absolutely, yes. A good call to action is VERY important. They are so very, very, important.
Some other examples include
- Getting people to sign up for a product or a program you recommend (This includes using affiliate programs)
- Convincing someone to buy product(s) from a specific store.
- comment on your blog which is great for SEO
- Inspiring people to sign-up to your email list. This is how you grow an audience or fanbase. (You hear marketers say “The money is in the list.” all the time.)
How Many CTA Can A Blog Have?
A website can potentially have many but a good rule of thumb (to not confuse your visitors) is one or two. As your website attracts organic rankings and visitors to your site you can add more. We do not suggest adding more than 2 until your articles are ranking. You don’t want your site to come across as spammy.
A call to action can come in many forms like text, link, photo, or button, just to name a few. This adds the potential to add CTAs to any website potentially adding more. As it is in life don’t overdo anything.
How Do You Write A Good CTA?
There seems to be consensus on the web that the ingredients of a good call to action are
- Create a sense of urgency: Use countdowns, incentives, and scarcity. Show consequences.
- Use action words.
- Be clear and to the point.
- Pay attention to its visual appeal. As in the way it looks. Would you want to click on it? Is it supposed to stand out or blend in? Is your site a professional site or a kid’s site? You need to appeal to your specific target audience.
What Are The Goals Of Call To Action? What Is The Purpose Of A Call To Action?
The goal and purpose of using a call to action is to get someone to perform a specific task. If you can do that then you have learned the marketing business!
Which CTA Works Best?
That will depend on your niche and what you are trying to achieve. Look at websites in your niche and take note of what they do. Hey, check out websites not in your niche. Take inspiration from outside sources. What ctas do they use? Is it working for them?
As mentioned above, it depends on your goals. ‘
For example, if you own an online store, just adding banners/images/graphics/buttons (etc) that say “sale” can do the trick. In this case, “sale” is enough because people recognize what that means immediately. Of course, you can be more creative by tailoring it to the specific product(s), seasons, and holidays, BUT “”sale” can be enough.
Maybe its a blog and you want people to sign up for an email list. What can you do to get them to take the time to actually give some rando that information? Pop-up ads, while annoying to everyone on the planet, are actually very effective. For one they tell everyone you have whatever it is you have, by literally shoving it in your face. A popup says look at me first! I am important! In this case you should add several calls to action. A very popular phrase is “sign up now to get “free stuff”. Add more information like “Get free stuff like the latest promotions, newsletters, sales alerts, and access to my free downloadable ebook. So that example is pretty basic, but it works.
**You also get people to sign up for lists by writing great quality content. If people respond to what you write they learn to trust you and therefore are more responsive to taking action.
Should Every Post Have A CTA?
Yes, absolutely. You want to direct your audience to take action. That could be as simple as leaving a comment below a blog post, signing up to an email list/newsletter, making a purchase, calling for an estimate, or taking advantage of an offer. The choices are endless.
What Is A Strong Call To Action?
One that gets results. Seriously. If you are not getting the clicks it may be time to add or switch up your call to action. A strong call to action is one where the end result is the user taking action. If action is being taken then you have a strong call to action. If nothing is happening reevaluate and try again.
Here are a few examples
- Learn More
- Book Now
- Get Started – It’s FREE
- Start Streaming
- Click
- Click Here
How Many Words Is A Call To Action?
In marketing, most CTAs are short but they can be longer based on what you are trying to achieve. We have come across some that are one word and some that are two sentences long. Our recommendation is a sentence or shorter depending on the situation. Remember the average reader will not read an entire post. People today have shorter attention spans as well. We are dang lucky to still have your attention!
Call To Action Tips
- Use ALL CAPS on important words. This makes the word chosen more important in the context of a word, phrase, or sentence.
Examples
- Are you ready for SUCCESS?
- JOIN NOW
- GROW your email list
2. Create a sense of urgency
Examples
- Act Now.
- Time Sensitive Offer(s)
- In the next 10 mins…
- Only available for the next 10 mins
3. Use words that provoke emotion or enthusiasm. Be positive. It helps to use action words for this purpose.
Examples
- Now
- Instantly
- Click
- Try This
The following is a list of action words specifically used in marketing. Again please feel free to repin for later reference.
4. Give your audience a reason to click. Motivate them.
Examples
- Sale ENDS at Midnight!
- Register now for your FREE gift.
What Are Some Examples Of A Call To Action?
One of Brie’s favorite stores is having a promotion as of the time of writing this article.
This is the makeup brand Too Faced.
They have several calls to action on their hompage at the moment.
4 SET, 5 DAYS, 4 WAYS TO SAVE
2 Free Gifts…
Here is another page
This second one is a fabulous example because they even use a bunch of calls-to-action words in the menu links. Also “Gift With Purchase” is shown at the top left. While not completely a direct action, as such, people will take action because of the offers.
Here are a couple of banners using CTAs on the Bass Pro Website
This video by MONTELLE BEE gives some more examples for social media.
How To Use Call To Actions On Instagram | Instagram Strategies
Summary
A call to action is very important to the overall success of your website. It tells the reader what they should do next. How they should react/respond to reading your post. Not all people take action but there should be a clear message just in case they are inspired to do more. Aim for engaging ways to interact with your audience by using images, widgets, buttons, etc.
For this post our CTA is
Questions? Comments? Leave us a reply below and we will get back to you as soon as possible (usually within 24 hours).
Credit/Sources
Images used on this website are made with Canva Pro.
Hello BrieKraus,
I’d be happy to provide comments on your importance of content
This is an informative and helpful piece of content for anyone who is new to blogging or wants to improve their blog’s performance. The post explains what a call to action (CTA) is, why it is important for bloggers to use CTAs, and how to create effective CTAs that can help increase engagement and conversions on a blog.
It explains how a CTA can help increase engagement on a blog by encouraging readers to take a specific action, such as leaving a comment, sharing a post on social media, or subscribing to a newsletter. This is important because higher engagement can lead to more traffic, better SEO, and increased brand awareness.
And the post provides tips on how to create effective CTAs that can help improve conversion rates on a blog. By optimizing CTAs, bloggers can encourage more readers to take the desired action, whether that is to make a purchase, sign up for a service, or download a resource.
And also it offers practical advice on how to create effective CTAs, including using action-oriented language, creating a sense of urgency, and placing CTAs strategically on a blog. This advice is useful for bloggers who may be unsure of how to create effective CTAs that can help improve their blog’s performance.
Finally, the post addresses common concerns that beginners may have about using CTAs, such as whether they will come across as too pushy or salesy. By addressing these concerns, the post helps readers feel more confident about using CTAs in their blog posts.
According to my understanding, this provides valuable information and practical advice for anyone who wants to improve their blog’s performance by using effective CTAs. It helps readers understand the importance of CTAs, offers tips on how to create effective CTAs, and addresses common concerns, making it a useful resource for bloggers.
Thanks
SAM