10 Calls to Action You Can Use in Your Writing

Written by Laurie Zinn@LineByLineLLC9 years ago

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Close the deal. Ask for the order. Make the sale. These are conclusions to a sales call that we all learned in basic sales training. It’s one of the most important parts of the sales process. What’s the point in meeting with a customer if you don’t ask for the business or proceed to the next step?

The same principle applies to your writing. Once you’ve taken time to explain, educate or make your point in something you’ve written, you should also end by closing the deal. In writing, that close is called a call to action.
A call to action is an invitation or statement, usually at the end of your writing, that encourages your readers to take an action. A call to action can be as forward as asking for the business, or as small as asking your reader to Like your Facebook page. Everything you write and every marketing piece your business produces should contain a call to action.

The purpose of the call to action is to continue the relationship with your potential customer. It gives your potential customer the opportunity to know you, like you and trust you. There are many types of calls to action, and whether they are big or small, they are all a powerful part of relationship building.

Here are 10 types of calls to action you can use in your writing.

1. Ask them to follow your blog. If you have a subscription form or RSS feed on your blog, ask your customers to follow you so they can receive an alert each time you publish a new blog article.

2. Ask them to join your email list. Tell your readers about the informative newsletter or amazing offers they will receive by signing up for your email list.

3. Invite them to download your ebook. An ebook is an excellent email capture tool. They get a valuable resource, and you have the opportunity to build a relationship using their email address.

4. Invite them to follow you on social media. Social media provides more opportunities for conversation and engagement with your audience. Invite them to connect with you.

5. Ask them to comment on your blog. If you’ve offered your insights or opinions on a topic, ask for feedback and invite discussion. Be sure to respond to keep the dialogue going.

6. Provide a link to a landing page. If you have a special offer or invitation on a landing page, you can add a link to it in your writing.

7. Offer a link to a page of your website. Maybe there is a certain product or page of your website you want to drive traffic to. Invite your visitors to visit this page by providing a link to it in your writing.

8. Fill out a contact form. Ask your readers to contact you by filling out a contact form. The form can be customized to make it easy for your readers to specify what they’d like to know more about.

9. Contact you by email or phone. Invite your customers to get in touch with you if they have questions or would like more information.

10. Ask for the business. The most powerful call to action is to ask for the order. This may be something you can ask for right away, or you might need several smaller calls to action with your customer before they decide to buy.

The ultimate goal of a call to action is to grow your business. It can happen quickly, or it can take some time. Either way, don’t lose the opportunity to connect with your audience. Always include some type of call to action in what you write.

If you have any questions or need more information about writing calls to action for your business, please email me at Laurie@Line-By-Line.us.

Laurie Zinn is a Columbus-based freelance writer and owner of Line-By-Line. She helps businesses communicate with their customers through website content, blog articles, email marketing campaigns and social media. For more information about Line-By-Line, visit http://line-by-line.us or contact Laurie at laurie@line-by-line.us.