Why you need calls to action in your blog posts

Warning: this content is older than 365 days. It may be out of date and no longer relevant.

If you’ve been reading this blog for any period of time, you’ve likely noticed these lovely buttons on the right:

How to tell if you are a doomed marketer : Christopher S. Penn's Awaken Your Superhero

You may also have noticed that there’s a deeply redundant piece at the bottom of every blog post:

How to tell if you are a doomed marketer : Christopher S. Penn's Awaken Your Superhero

I know what you’re thinking. You’re saying to yourself, Chris, that’s redundant. And it’s redundant, too. Why do that? Do you think people are so blind or stupid that they don’t notice the obvious, user-experience focused, carefully placed call to action widget at the top of the page?

Not at all. Only very smart people read my blog. The stupid people are all at YouTube right now, watching endless selections of crotch kick videos and videos of kittens. No, the real reason I put that block of code at the end of every blog post despite its redundancy is simply this: my decor does not travel with my blog posts.

Exhibit one: Google Reader.

Google Reader (1000+)

No part of my theme makes it into Google Reader. None of it. But that lovely block of redundant code makes it into Reader just fine. Now I know what you’re thinking. You’re saying to yourself, yes, but what’s the point? People are already subscribed to your blog if they’re reading it in Reader. That’s even more redundant!

That would indeed be the case except for one thing: the Share button built into reader that automatically shares the post – with subscription buttons – to the friends and followers of others. When the calls to action go with the post, they go into the Shared Items, too, for others to see and act on.

Exhibit two: Google Buzz.

Gmail - Buzz - cspenn@gmail.com

Now we’re really getting into the thick of it. When you Buzz a blog post (or share it in Reader, which likely auto-buzzes it), you’re stripping the post of ANY context. Someone in Reader might think, hey, I’m reading someone else’s Shared Items, and since this is mostly blogs, this is probably a blog I can subscribe to. When you’re using Google Buzz, you’re sharing all kinds of stuff in there from many different sources. There’s no intuitive leap whatsoever to subscribe to items people are Buzzing

… unless you embed the subscription calls to action right in your blog post, so they go with the Buzz, too.

So how do I do this? It’s stupid simple but manual. Make some nice buttons for yourself. If you’re too lazy to make buttons, use some of the Crystal Clear icons from Wikimedia. They’re free. Then just code up some really simple HTML and store it in a text file on your computer. If you’re more sophisticated, use macro software like TextExpander for the Mac or Texter for the PC and wire in that block of code so that when you’re done with a blog post, you just hit your macro and it auto-pastes the code right in for you:

TextExpander

I just type çß?† into the blog post and bam! Instant block of code that’s ready to deliver calls to action wherever this post ends up.

Do you have to do this? Not at all. But if your work is getting any distribution in things like Buzz, Google Reader, Feedburner, etc., then people are consuming your content without having any way to get back to you and sign up for more. That’s your loss and their loss, too. Putting together a simple block of HTML for every blog post with a few buttons takes just a few minutes, and it can help you build your audience every time someone shares your material. Try it!


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Comments

22 responses to “Why you need calls to action in your blog posts”

  1. Chris. How about calls to more important actions? I normally finish my posts with a question that I want people to answer in the comments section, or the actions they should go away and do in order to implement what I've talked about.

    I know this isn't what you're writing about in this post – but when the title said “Calls To Action”, thats the actions I thought off – the ones that help those people

  2. Absolutely, Scott. If my blog were a commercial blog, you can bet there'd be an ad for, say, Blue Sky Factory's email marketing services. Put whatever you want there – but put something there.

  3. You are so good at the how-to's, you are even better at the why for's. Thanks Chris for your clarity and brevity.

  4. Chris B Avatar
    Chris B

    One of the most frustrating things I encounter almost daily is when I WANT to subscribe and I can't find where they put the friggin' buttons without scrolling up, down or all over everywhere. Guys like you who put them at the top AND bottom are heroes to me.
    AND I want a full range of buttons clearly marked AT THE BOTTOM so I don't have to go looking for how to bookmark a blog post on Delicious when I finish reading it. If you want me to share your stuff, you have to include MY choice, not just Twitter and Stumble because those are the ones you use.
    OK, mini-rant over, thanks.

  5. Chris. How about calls to more important actions? I normally finish my posts with a question that I want people to answer in the comments section, or the actions they should go away and do in order to implement what I've talked about.

    I know this isn't what you're writing about in this post – but when the title said “Calls To Action”, thats the actions I thought off – the ones that help those people

  6. Absolutely, Scott. If my blog were a commercial blog, you can bet there'd be an ad for, say, Blue Sky Factory's email marketing services. Put whatever you want there – but put something there.

  7. You are so good at the how-to's, you are even better at the why for's. Thanks Chris for your clarity and brevity.

  8. Chris B Avatar
    Chris B

    One of the most frustrating things I encounter almost daily is when I WANT to subscribe and I can't find where they put the friggin' buttons without scrolling up, down or all over everywhere. Guys like you who put them at the top AND bottom are heroes to me.
    AND I want a full range of buttons clearly marked AT THE BOTTOM so I don't have to go looking for how to bookmark a blog post on Delicious when I finish reading it. If you want me to share your stuff, you have to include MY choice, not just Twitter and Stumble because those are the ones you use.
    OK, mini-rant over, thanks.

  9. I so agree with you. I spend more time searching for the buttons to share or subscribe than reading the entire article. Your rant is valid and supported!

    @SuzanneVara

  10. Great post. Question wouldn't this CTA within a blog post also solve the following big pet
    peeve ? Your reading someones Hootsuite re-post and you want to subscribe to the originating blog but typically no way to do that

  11. Absolutely! The more you have stuff (within reason) in your content, the harder it is for content repurposers – like Hootsuite – to tie users to them instead of the content creators.

  12. Chris, I love practical advice in your posts and this was a good one. The more I read of your material, the more I realize that traditional marketing practices apply but new tools are needed to make the results happen. The call to action is a classic tactic and well founded. Thanks for mapping out the “how to” here.

  13. For WordPress users, a plugin such as RSS Footer allows you to include this call for action in the RSS feed without it appearing in each blog post on the site. This might be a way to remove a bit of the redundancy so users on the blog don't have to see it twice.

  14. I so agree with you. I spend more time searching for the buttons to share or subscribe than reading the entire article. Your rant is valid and supported!

    @SuzanneVara

  15. Great post. Question wouldn't this CTA within a blog post also solve the following big pet
    peeve ? Your reading someones Hootsuite re-post and you want to subscribe to the originating blog but typically no way to do that

  16. Absolutely! The more you have stuff (within reason) in your content, the harder it is for content repurposers – like Hootsuite – to tie users to them instead of the content creators.

  17. Chris, I love practical advice in your posts and this was a good one. The more I read of your material, the more I realize that traditional marketing practices apply but new tools are needed to make the results happen. The call to action is a classic tactic and well founded. Thanks for mapping out the “how to” here.

  18. You are a friggin' genius, Chris. Great post, and excellent email guide!

  19. You are a friggin' genius, Chris. Great post, and excellent email guide!

  20. Very neat. Best of all for me, I can see how I can do it without having to be a tech wiz. Thank you for the tip and the detailed explanation.

  21. Very neat. Best of all for me, I can see how I can do it without having to be a tech wiz. Thank you for the tip and the detailed explanation.

  22. Very neat. Best of all for me, I can see how I can do it without having to be a tech wiz. Thank you for the tip and the detailed explanation.

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