Thanks to guest blogger, Katrina Cobb
I have a hypothetical question for you . . .
Do you pick up a book based on its cool cover art and bold title, or even better, choose a wine by the label that indicates some desirable quality, be it character or humor?
I’ll admit, I’m guilty!
I also confess to looking for signs declaring ‘ENTRANCE’ when trying to find a new place, be it a grocery store, salon or cafe. Because sometimes I can’t see an unmarked door right in front of me! And frankly, I get a bit nervous walking through an unmarked door, especially while traveling solo.
Have you had that experience too?
We’re so aware to look for obvious, bold signs and invitations to make a purchase or explore a new service in the real world . . .
And yet when it comes to running and marketing our services online, we often fall into the trap of running our business incognito!
“Incognito how?” you ask.
The biggest blind spot I see is that you are leaving your ‘front door’ unmarked and not clearly, consistently, and dare I say, BOLDLY inviting people in to do business with you!
I’m talking about a lack of a clear call-to-action (CTA) in your online presence and activity. And even offline in some cases.
The Bad News: This is leaving prospects who come across your profiles, LinkedIn®, social accounts, articles, or other content CONFUSED and unsure what to do next, even if they like what they see and are interested in doing business with you. Because they can’t find the ‘door’ to take the next step.
The Good News: There is an EASY FIX.
Now, I can hear that inner voice of fear piping up saying, “But Katrina, I don’t want to be salesy and pushy and splash that ‘buy from me’ nonsense everywhere.”
And I hear you, but that’s not what I’m talking about.
However, often that little fear makes us swing the pendulum so far the other way that we NEVER actually make that invitation. Or we assume that someone who comes across our content or profile will intuitively know that what we want them to do is send us an email or DM.
Guess what? Your prospects are not mind readers.
And if someone is unsure what to do next, their OWN fear of looking silly will keep them from contacting you.
So do yourself and them a favor and make is EASY for them to take action by writing copy that includes clear and simple invitations. Keep in mind that the call-to-action doesn’t always have to be a ‘buy from me’ message. There are dozens of potential CTAs that may work for you, depending on your business, what you’re trying to grow or sell, and how your sales and nurture systems work (Debra shares 9 call-to-action tips here).
About guest blogger, Katrina Cobb: Katrina is a nomad, business consultant, coach and growth strategist. She blends her knowledge of behavioral psychology with business strategy to develop effective marketing tactics suited for your specific business.
She wants to make sure your ‘front door’ is inviting people in so you can welcome more new clients to your business, easily. Join Katrina on March 11th for a free training on how to identify where this blind spot may be showing up for you and simple feel-good ways to fix it.
