How to Make a Call to Action People Respond To

Whether you're writing an email, blog post or the next bestseller, you want your readers to be listening and responding. Your goal may be to get them to keep reading, or maybe you're asking them to make a purchase, leave a comment or visit your website, but usually you want them to do something. Online content uses the call to action, or CTA. Don't let the fancy acronym fool you; calls to action are not some mysterious entity. Instead, they're clear, concise instructions for the reader to respond to.

So here is how to make your call to action more...actionable.

Create a Sense of Urgency 

You've probably heard this a million times for titles and subject lines, but this also applies to the CTA. Online retailers use urgency by displaying “Only 2 left in stock” or “You'll save $5 today” while educators post how much space is left in their classes.

If you have something that's being offered for a limited time or is very time-sensitive, then communicate this urgency with your readers.

Reduce Friction 

Don't create obstacles that prevent you from getting more responses. Obstacles include:

-Lengthy text the reader doesn't want to muddle through and asking them to click on multiple links to reach the end goal.

-Design of the page can also become an obstacle. According to KISSmetrics, a dark background with light text can be between 50% and 200% less readable than a light background with dark text.

Make sure your call to action is easy to read, respond to and comprehend.

Grab Their Attention 

Getting their attention may only be a matter of changing a word or adding an image to attract more attention. One site found that changing “read more” text to more active verbs like “find” or “discover,” yielded over 50% more click throughs. Another study by MediaPost reported a large technology vendor increased click throughs by 67% when they changed a link from text to a button, while Email-Worx found just including a small, relevant image near the CTA lifted clicks by 50%.

Use active verbs to encourage readers to respond, and make your design catchy with relevant images.


Assure Privacy 

Your CTA may require readers to provide anything from an email address to credit card information, or maybe you're just looking for data and need them to complete a survey. The more you're asking, the more reluctant readers will be about sharing.

Make readers as comfortable as possible about sharing their information. If you need their email address for a mailing list, link to your privacy policy and assure them you will not share it with anyone. If you're selling something, use a trusted shopping cart service or back yours up with safety protocols. For surveys, don't collect personal information that identifies them if you don't need it.

Test, Test, Test 

Testing is the key to learning what works and what doesn't. Split testing allows you to test two or more variables against each other to see which one brings in more results.
The studies above wouldn't be valuable if they weren't compared against something. Whenever you plan to change any aspect of your marketing campaign, set up a split test first.

Implementing these tips will help you learn even more about your audience. You'll see what they like and what triggers a response, and you'll be able to apply this information to other aspects of your campaign.

By Guest Author -Crystal Gouldey is an Education Marketing Associate at AWeber, the leading email service provider for small-to-medium businesses. Crystal's spent the past three years teaching email marketers how to optimize their campaigns. She currently writes for the AWeber blog, which you can visit for more tips on marketing with email. Sign up here to get weekly Aweber email marketing tips delivered to your inbox.

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New Wordpress Style Recommended Or Related Posts Slide Out Gadget For Blogger

In this post i have an awesome new gadget you may have seen on Wordpress blogs that's now available for Blogger.The gadget is called simply "The Slide" and is brought to you by Simple Reach.Those of you that follow some Wordpress blogs will surly have seen the recommended or related posts slide out that appears when you scroll towards the end of a post.Basically when you reach the bottom of a post a card slides out in the bottom right corner of the screen with a related post the reader can click on.The slide out card is not obtrusive and if the reader scrolls back up the card slides back in.This is a great way to keep readers on your blog browsing through your archive, we know this leads to more return visitors and subscribers.

OK enough talk lets see it in action, i have added The Slide to our Social Icon site so you can check it out there.Follow the link to the site below, click on any of the posts, scroll down the page and you will see the recommended post slide out.Then check out the video and steps below the add the slide to your blog.
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6 Top Tips To Avoid Blog Burnout

Being a blogger these days is not an easy task on hand.Many are required to handle multiple blogs concurrently. If you are a blogger, then you will agree that blogging is quite a time consuming process. Blogging might seem easy at first sight, but it really is a complex multi-stage process. It starts with getting together pieces of data followed by a thorough analysis and ends with a neat compilation of the required information. The bloggers are very zealous about their job and it may so happen in the process that they lose the trail of time. But one needs to be cautious with such an involvement because sooner or later, it will affect your physical and mental health.

If blogging is taking a toll on your body, and you already feel like a blog-burnout, then here are some interesting and effective ways to rejuvenate your mind and body

1. Bury the unwanted blogs

You may be emotionally attached to most of your blogs but one need to understand that if a blog is not getting a dose of traffic, then it simply means that the purpose the blog serves is no longer needed. So you might just want to end up working on such blogs.

2. Prioritize your work

Give the important tasks in your life a firsthand priority. Do not start new blogs if they are not really required. Channelize your energies towards the accomplishment of your objectives.

3. Focus on worth, not on figures

If you are frequent blogger, then you might consider reducing the amount of posts and rather focus on the quality of posts. A good read will almost always attract readers as compared to a post which is simply a streak of words.

4. Unleash your social life

Blogging can in no terms serves as an alternative to friends and family. If you have started taking your family for granted because you have been busy blogging all the time, then it is time to rethink. Scheduling your day to carve out time for your close ones can be an excellent move. After all, family comes first.

5. Give yourself a break

Do not feel guilty if you missed blogging about something significant because you had to cater to something else that was equally or more significant. The essence of blogging is that you should make your work matter. Simply blogging about any and everything that comes your way will not help the cause.

6. Escape from the web of wires

If you feel like going for a movie or a jog in the park, then go for it. Sitting in front of the PC all day will not help your brain’s creative juices to flow. But an exposure to fresh surroundings can really help to come up with those creative ideas.

On a conclusive note, blogging is not the only facet of your life. It is only an important part of your life just as many other things are. Whenever you find yourself in the blog-burnout condition, simply remember the fact that taking care of small things in other aspects of your life can make the big things take care of themselves.

By Guest Author -Bethany Winston is very passionate about blogging and writing. She is a gadget freak and loves to write on technology. Her article includes various aspects associated to tech help and currently she is working on two varied topics like Emergency Shelter and 3D Camcorder.

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Updated Snow Fall Effects, Merry Christmas Banner And Christmas Theme Templates For Blogger

In the build up the Christmas over the last few years i have published some seasonal posts with gadgets and widgets to add some Christmas cheer to your blog.These posts have proven very popular, the first snow fall effect for Blogger i published when Spice Up Your Blog was only a few months old in 2009 brought in a lot of new readers.So over the last week i have been working on updating the posts, the script for one of the posts "10 Falling Christmas Objects" had stopped working.I have changed that post completely and it's working fine now.Along with that post we have two other posts with snow fall effects, a stylish Merry Christmas banner that sits in the top corner of your blog and a a collection of Christmas templates on our templates site.

List Of Christmas Gadgets And Tutorials

1. Original Christmas Snow Fall Effect For Blogger.

2. Colored Christmas Snow Fall Effect For Blogger.

3. 10 Different Falling Christmas Objects For Blogger.

4. Stylish Fixed Corner Merry Christmas Banner For Blogger.

5. Christmas Theme Free Blogger Templates.

Hope you find them useful and an early Merry Christmas from Spice Up Your Blog.

Drop Your Comments And Questions Below.

Make Your Blog Sticky With Images, Aesthetics and Content

The stickiness of your blog is one of the most important measures of its success. You may be able to drive a large number of visitors to your blog, but unless the visitors stick around and engage with your blog closely, and return repeatedly, you may not find sustainable success in the highly volatile and mercurial world of blogging.

Creative Use of Images

Many bloggers commit the cardinal mistake of over-emphasizing on the quality of written content while ignoring the importance of images in the process. Images help to arouse the curiosity of a new visitor, and get him or her drawn into your blog’s great content. An average blog visitor’s attention span is very limited because the choices for readers are too many out there in the free world of blogging.

Therefore, unless you make a creative use of images you may end up with a blog that appears drab, unexciting, and visually unappealing. Many visitors to such a blog may make a quick exit without waiting to check the quality of its content, if the design and appearance of the blog does not appear inviting, refreshing, and somewhat rewarding.

Images are easily obtained through sites like iStockPhoto, Jupiter Images or Shutterpoint. Tools like Zemanta can also help bloggers find images that fall under GPL and Creative Commons licensing.

Encourage RSS Subscriptions

In a highly competitive world of blogging, it has become very important to include an RSS feed and invite the readers to subscribe to the blog. This will help to create a loyal blog readership because the blog posts will drop directly into the subscriber’s mailbox. RSS feed is one of the biggest reasons of the success of prominent blogs around the world.

Tools like RSS 2.0 and Atom 1.0 are built right in to WordPress and Blogger so you can get a feed set up rather easily for your readers.

Smart Blog Design

Bloggers who are keen to enhance the stickiness of their blog for the long haul cannot afford to ignore blog design. New visitors tend to judge a blog within the first few seconds of their visit. If they find the blog confusing, cluttered, or difficult to navigate, a majority of them will not wait to stick around to read too much of the content even of the content that was read was marvellously written. If the placement of ads takes precedence over the placement of content, it can put off many visitors and kill the stickiness of a potentially impressive blog (see Myspace).

Clear Blog Branding

Your maximum effort should be invested in creating a great homepage that draws visitors into the blog. A new visitor should be able to know exactly what the blog is all about almost at the first glance itself. Blog design, title, headlines, taglines, logo, and navigational elements should all work to communicate effectively about the blog’s content.

Compelling Content

The backbone of any sticky blog, ultimately, is the quality of its content. A blog that makes outstanding promises at the outset and delivers little in terms of content is likely to fizzle out soon. The content must be relevant and sharply focused to the tastes and preferences of the target audience.

Furthermore, it is critical that the content must be updated regularly. Each time the blog should have something new and exciting to offer to the readers. In a fast-paced world of blogging, the blogger cannot afford to take it easy or become complacent about dishing out and providing new content consistently.

While any one of these techniques can help keep your readers engaged longer on your site, a combination of them will help keep your readers focused on what your site has to say to them and will develop a much stronger community around your blog.

By Guest Author -Jon writes about Promotional codes and discounts for different coupon blogs that share Jupiter Images coupon and iStockPhoto promotional codes. Currently, he writes a coupon site that offers the latest Jupiter Images coupons and iStockPhoto promotional codes to help people save money on stock images.

Google Plus - Create A Facebook Style Fan Page On Google+

Google Plus has been live online since the end of June 2011, while it started growing at the speed of a runaway train questions are being asked as to it's future.Recently however Google have added a Google Plus Pages option for Business, Bands and products.Google Plus Pages are not just like Facebook Pages they have almost the exact same format.So for us Bloggers, we can as on Facebook create a page for our blog on Google Plus.Creating the page is quick and easy and in this post i will walk you through he steps.

Create A Google Plus Fan Page For Your Blog

Step 1. Go to the Google Plus Pages : Create Google Plus Page.

Step 2. Pick a category in on the left of the page, Click "Product Or Band".

Step 3. Add your page name (The Name Of Your Blog), and blog address in the website field.

Step 4. Agree to the terms and click create, that's it.

Check out the Spice Up Your Blog Google Plus Page.

Drop your comments and questions below.

A Stylish Css3 Fixed Position Vertical Side Menu For Blogger

So many sites we visit now have a navigation menu fixed to the side of the page for easy access to important pages.In this post i have a very stylish and colorful menu you can fix to the side of the page on your Blogger blog.The menu will stay in place even when the reader scrolls down yet doesn't interfere with the content.The menu has 5 icons that on hover scroll out to reveal their purpose, so for example the home icon on hover scrolls out the word 'Home'.The 5 icons are for Home, About, Services, Portfolio and Contact Us.While you cant change the icons, you can change the text for each icon for example the portfolio icon could be changed to archive.

The menu is made up almost completely of Css3 with just one image and is quick and easy to install.All the credit for the menu goes to the awesome Tutorialzine, we have covered many of their tutorials previously.Below you can see a live demo, hover over the icons to see the scroll out effect.


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