Using a CTA (Call To Action) to promote yourself
The Basics
What’s a CTA?
A call to action is a marketing device to turn whoever is listening/reading/watching your message into your dream audience by getting them to take that magical action(s) that will transform them accordingly.
What do you know about CTAs, Khayra?
I have 5 role models who deeply inspired me in creating my personal branding program and curriculum. The purest form of their example, through their own promotion efforts (observed for the past 4 years), revealed to me the practical steps.
TMI: My Personal Brand Heroes
Heather Dominick of Business Miracles: Supporting leaders and entrepreneurs to hone their highly sensitive strengths to create careers and lives that serve them
Erin May Henry of The Game Changer Company: Originally a personal branding coach, she’s now a business coach to online business owners
Blair Badenhop of Blair Badenhop, Inc.: Originally a copywritng and brand strategist, she now trains entrepreneurs in the wellness industry
Julie Solomon of EmpowerYou, Inc.: Originally a publicist, she now trains and creates brand/marketing strategies for social media influencers.
Chalene Johnson of A LOT of companies: Originally a fitness trainer, she now has a bunch of business development programs for entrepreneurs and fitness trainers.
Aside from my heroes, I have an MBA, have had 50 clients, and enjoyed 430 Personal Branding 101 workshop attendees as of this article.
Practical Steps to Own Your CTA
How do I recognize a CTA?
Any time you have been told to take an action (press a button, watch a video, listen to something, buy something, take a decision, followup, consider a concept, or subscribe) you have been presented with a call to action. This may have happened in a phone call from your friend, while looking at a website, while reading a post, while watching a show, or even while reading a cereal box.
🌟 IMPORTANT STEP: Download the CTA worksheet and note down ones you experience. This is the BEST way to move forward in the following.
Where/When can I use one?
Any time and in any way you’re communicating with your dream audience! Video, voice note, message. Don’t get tied up into what “looks like marketing”. You don’t need a fancy website. You don’t need to be an influencer with 20k followers. Get back to focusing on who your dream audience is.
Make sure your call to action
Has context: Be sure to introduce the action with why it’s so important, how it will alleviate frustration, and/or how it will help your dream audience reach their goals.
Is clear: Remove all “just”s, “if you don’t mind”s, and “sorry if this is annoying”s. Improve how it looks/sounds to make it noticeable.
Is easy to do: Remove any technical barriers or complex ways to take the action. If the action IS complex and needs guidance, invite your dream audience to get in touch with you so you can tackle it together. In this case, the action is to get in touch with you.
How do I not annoy people with my CTA?
I am so blessed to have my own dream audience be people who have worked hard for their certificates and are very aware of their mistakes. If you’ve read this far, you probably fit one of the 5 khayrab.com personas 💕 And if that’s the case, one of the following thoughts may have crossed your mind:
I feel like I have no right to tell people what to do
… And yet you’re called to ask them to do something. Perhaps it’s to improve their lives with your service/product, to improve the organization you’re in, or to improve the harmony in your family. Whatever it is, you’re called to it. It feels right. If I was accurate so far, read a bit about Imposter Syndrome.
I feel like I’m not as good as others in telling people what to do
That’s great! Really, it is, because it means you are aware of a better way to do things. However, you can’t get better if you stop yourself from learning how. My major philosophy is we can only become better at something by putting it out in the world and facing what reality thinks of it. Find out how to deal with this barrier by reading about Influencer Comparison.
Why is a CTA a favor to the people to whom I’m speaking?
Or: I don’t know what I need my dream audience to do
Again, it’s so important to download the CTA worksheet, because if you don’t know how you’re affected by CTAs, you’ll never really know what others might feel like when they hear yours. When you go through the worksheet, you’ll experience the little seeds of empathy grow. Empathy Marketing is your biggest bet to connect deeply with your dream audiences today.
What to do if you’re STILL not ready for a call to action
Book an Intro Call with me where I’ll help you clarify where you are and where you want to go. I think of them as a mini-coaching sessions and I’m never invested in the results.
You’ve read this far! In this social media age, I know you did because you enjoyed it. Yet, there were 13 CTAs in this article alone. So it is possible… What is possible for you, bubu?