CTAs and Blogs Go Together Like Chocolate and Peanut Butter

There are some things that are already great on their own, but somehow manage to become even better when combined with another wonderful thing.

Lennon and McCartney. Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. Peanut butter and chocolate.

And then there’s blogging and calls to action. Your blog might be effective on its own, but it’s much more effective with a good call to action.

A call to action (or CTA) is what it sounds like: you are inviting your visitors to take a step beyond reading your blog. A CTA can take the form of a few lines of text, or a simple button at the bottom of the article.

In this post, we’ll list some of the ways including a CTA on your blog can help you engage with readers and turn them into customers.

1. Get Comments, And Start A Debate

You can use your blog to help build your community by asking readers to comment on your posts. Be direct, and invite them to share feedback.

Let’s say you run an HVAC company. You could say something like “Do you have any tips for keeping your home cool in the summer? Feel free to share them in the comments!”

Or maybe you want to use your blog to start a debate.

For our blog, we might write something like: “Do you agree that Facebook is more useful than Twitter for engaging with customers? Share why – or why not – in our comments section!

2. Pull In New Subscribers

While it’s gratifying to know you have readers dedicated – or angry enough – to comment and debate with you, it’s even better to turn those readers into subscribers.

When people subscribe to your blog, you’re able to send directly to their inbox whenever you publish, thus upping your chances to get page views, shares on social media and leads.

This is a call-to-action you can use again and again, so you may want to take the time to design a “Subscribe today” button to include at the end of each post.

3. Give Them A Way To Talk To You

Your readers might be interested in what you do, but not quite ready to become customers. That’s fine. Most first time visitors to your website aren’t prepared to make a purchase.

But you can create a call-to-action that allows you to stay in touch with these readers as they consider buying from you. This CTA should provide something of value.

Let’s say you run a landscaping company. You could write something like: “Are you curious about what it would take to prepare your backyard for springtime? Call us for a free a consultation.”

4. Promote Your Other Content

Maybe your readers still want time to decide before talking to your representatives. Providing links to other content you’ve written – whether that means sharing a few related blog posts or a long-form work such as a whitepaper – can help educate readers about your company

5. Get Social Media Shares and Followers

When your blog posts get shared on social media, it signals search engines that your content has value. Inviting readers to share your content on platforms such as Twitter and Facebook can boost your SEO.

And getting new readers to follow you on those sites can help you increase your online community. Your brand should make it a point to cultivate a fan base who can promote what you do.