Your author blog needs a 'Call To Action'

What's the purpose of your author blog? Isn't it to get people to buy your books? If so then at the very end you need a clear 'call to action' - something to leave your readers with an immediate 'Yes, I must do that' thought.

Want an example? I'm happy to oblige - just scroll down to the end of this post.

So what should be in a CTA?

• Keep it short
• Provide a link to what you want your readers to do
• Add a graphic to draw attention
• Clearly separate it from the rest of your blog. 
• Add it at the very end

I use a table for mine. It's easy to construct using some simple HTML. Uh huh I can hear some of you thinking, I don't know HTML. How do I do that? Easy. I'll show you how to do this in Blogger but if you use Wordpress, the process is similar.

Adding a CTA as an HTML table

Step 1 - At the position in your blog where you want your CTA add a placeholder - something easy to spot like:

====CTA===

Step 2 - Copy from here the following HTML:

<table border="2" style="width: 90%">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>
<table border="0" cellpadding="5" style="width:100%px;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td align="left" valign="middle">
If this post has helped or entertained, will you help us? Download a FREE copy of our book 'Immortality Gene' from <a href="http://smarturl.it/avi" target="_blank">http://smarturl.it/avi</a>

<br />
Even if you never read it (but we hope you will) - it will help our rankings.
</td>
<td valign="middle" width="160">
<div style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://smarturl.it/avi" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Look - a FREE e-book" border="0" src="http://bit.ly/bluearrowleft" title="Call to action" />
</a>
</div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

Step 3 - Click the HTML button of Blogger and scroll through the page code until you find the CTA placeholder you added '===CTA===' Highlight just that placeholder. Here's what Blogger shows

Step 4 - Paste in the HTML you copied so that it replaces the ===CTA=== placeholder
Step 5 - Return to the normal 'Compose' screen. You'll see a CTA box which you can now edit to show your own text and links.
Step 6 (Optional) - If you wish change the blue arrow picture with an image of your own choice which may be more in keeping with your blog style. Here's a few more which you can copy and use if you wish.

More images

 

If you use this one you'll probably have to swap it into the left side of the CTA like this:

Put your call to action and link here

You can even use animated images and put them either side of the call to action:

Put your call to action and link here

Have fun with your calls to actions. Adding one will have an effect on your 'clickthrough' rate and get you more sales hopefully. Please feel free to add your comments and if you find this helps with your promotion please come back and tell us about it. (You can even add a link to the page you've put a CTA on.

There are two things left for me to add. The first is a 'thanks' due to Molly Green, whose blog post 'How to build a perfect blog post' reminded me that I've been meaning to write about 'Calls To Action' for some time and the second is, of course, my Call to Action.

If this post has helped or entertained, will you help us? Download a FREE copy of our book 'Immortality Gene' from http://smarturl.it/avi Even if you never read it (but we hope you will) - it will help our rankings.