Are you asking for a response?
If you don’t tell (or ask) people what to do, how will they know? You know what they say about assuming. The same can be said for your marketing efforts. Never assume people know how you would like them to respond.
What have you used to the best success? Brag in the Genius Reactions below!
1. Indentify the ideal outcome of your effort
At a high level, it probably falls into one of the following categories:
Build your database
Start a conversation
Once you know your goal, make certain your call to action supports it.
2. Know the desired outcome
Every effort you make should result in an action, which hopefully will lead to business. Different efforts (email, direct mail, blogs, ads, etc.) inspire different actions. Based on the effort, design the call to action to deliver the best value-add for the audience. Repeat: for the audience!
For direct mail to build your database, direct recipients to your website to get a report specific to them/their home/neighborhood. To start a conversation, direct them to your blog where they can leave a comment on a compelling local issue – be it political
If you are using email, you want to make sure your email stands out from the pack! Keep it short and deliver immediate value – like a download of an ebook you’ve written (i.e. 7 Pitfalls Sellers Should Avoid, The 5 Questions Buyers Should Always Ask).
Tip: The subject line is vital. Here are some great tips.
3. One at a time!
Have 1 Call to Action! For example, for a post on your blog, if you ask people to leave comments AND subscribe AND vote in a poll AND sign up for your newsletter, they are likely to do none of the above. Same rule applies if you are sending an email campaign – ask them to reply OR visit your web site OR download a report OR register for an event.
4. Be clear
If you want them to click a link, tell them exactly that. Don’t be clever or too verbose. Make sure the call to action is easy to find and use.
5. Make it quantifiable
Everything needs to be measurable. How many ebook downloads? How many comments, site visitors, newsletter subscriptions, referrals, etc. You must have data to measure your efforts so you can repeat what works and scuttle efforts that bear no fruit.
