How To Create An Effective Call-To-Action – Episode 194

How To Create An Effective Call-To-Action – Episode 194

How many actions do you have in your call-to-action?

Dave Jackson and I do a show together called "The Podcast Review Show". On each episode, a podcaster joins us to have his or her podcast reviewed. Pretty self-explanatory.

In nearly every episode we review, we need to get the host to focus their call-to-action. Podcasters tend to give their listeners a laundry list of things to do at the end of the show. Little do they realize, this list is actually hurting more than it is helping.

THE TO DO LIST

Let me give you an example.

In a recent interview, we reached the end of this particular podcast. The host closed with these requests:

• E-mail us your events

• Take our survey

• Call the comment line

• Join us on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram

• Check out our Forum

• Get our free app

• Use our Amazon affiliate link

• Give us interview guest suggestions

• Visit our blog

• Get voiceovers using our affiliate link

• Check out the YouTube show

• Follow us on Twitter (again)

• Check out the website of our favorite non-profit

Did you count? Twelve … if you only count the double Twitter once.

Of those twelve, how many can you remember? How many will you actually do?

You can probably name a few of the easy ones. You will probably do zero. The list is just overwhelming. There are too many. Where do you start?

Here is the most important thing to realize. Their goal was to get people to come back and listen again. That is the one thing they told us they wanted their listener to do. Listen again.

Of the twelve, how many said "listen again"? Zero. They didn't even tell us to subscribe or come back next week for some great piece of content.

Instead, they are asking us to use their affiliate link for voiceovers and visit the non-profit website. This isn't even a podcast about podcasting. It is a podcast about outdoor activities. Why do I need a voiceover talent?

THE DECISION PROBLEM

Studies show when people are offered too many choices they will tend to make no choice rather than risk being wrong.

You are already asking your listener to make a decision to take action. By loading up the list with options, you are now asking your listener to make another choice of which action. More options mean more opportunities to choose to do nothing.

Have you ever been driving and you notice a pothole coming up. It is right there in your lane even with your driver's side front tire. A slight shift to the left or right will cause you to completely miss hitting it.

All you need to do to miss the pothole is move the steering wheel one direction or the other. Pick one. Either one will work. Just move the wheel.

Suddenly, bam. You hit the pothole straight on. You froze and didn't make a decision either way.

Why is that?

Either direction would have worked. But, your brain froze. You were too concerned about picking the best solution. Rather, you were more concerned about not picking the wrong solution. Your fear of being wrong delayed your action to being no action at all.

Why risk this with your listener? Don't give them a choice. Pick the one thing you want them to do and make that your call-to-action. Don't make them risk being wrong.

To create an effective call-to-action within your show, you need to stay focused on the task at hand. What is the one thing you want your listener to do at the end of your show?

MEASURE SUCCESS

How do we measure success? Measure what counts.

If we are trying to get our audience to do something by using a call-to-action (listen again, buy our product, visit our website, support our cause), measuring our call-to-action determines our success. Measure what counts.

When you create your podcast, you should measure your success not by the number of listeners or downloads, but by conversions to whatever you want them to do.

Let's say your goal is to get people to visit the store on your website. If you have 1,000 people listening to your show, but you only get 2 of them to act and actually visit the site, you really haven't been successful.

However, if you only have 200 listeners, but 100 love everything you do and visit your site regularly, I would consider that a success. Having 1,000 listeners may sound better than 200. By closer evaluation, I would much rather have 100 fans than 2.

STUDY THE JAM

WASHINGTON STUDY

In this study, shoppers of an upscale grocery store were given a choice to sample high quality jams. One group was offered 24 kinds. The second group was offered 6.

Of the customers who passed the table with an extensive selection of 24 jams, 60% stopped. Of the customers who passed the limited selection of 6 jams, only 40% stopped. On the surface, it would seem more options equals more success.

As you dig into the numbers you see that of those who stopped, those at the extensive selection sampled on average 1.5 jams and those at the limited selection sampled 1.38 jams. Not much variation there.

The big difference comes in buying. Of those who stopped at the extensive selection, only 3% made a purchase. In contrast, 30% of those at the limited selection made a purchase. That is a difference of 4 buyers compared to 31.

Consumers exposed to a limited number of choices proved considerably more likely to make a purchase than those initially exposed to a larger set of options.

Now, which should you be measuring? The number of people who stop at your store, or the number of people who actually make a purchase?

Do you want to count the number of downloads your podcast is receiving or the conversion into action? Here is a hint … just because people download your episode doesn't mean they are listening.

Don't get fooled by measuring the incorrect statistic. Measure what counts. Measure your call to action.

Do you want to know how to create an effective call-to-action and then measure it?

LET THEM BUY

You need to remember that people love to buy. They hate to be sold to. How many times have you said, "Let's go get a used car salesman to sell me a car"? Probably not many.

"Let's go see if the shoe salesman can sell me a pair of shoes.". That probably doesn't happen either.

You want to buy stuff you enjoy. Therefore, you need to create some desire with your call-to-action.

Your first step is to provide value. Give your listener something they can use. Make your content valuable. Then, make your call-to-action connect with the valuable content you just delivered.

Next, before you make your call-to-action, start with the "why". Why is this content important? What will your call-to-action do for your listener? What is in it for them?

Then, intrigue your listener. Create some anticipation and curiosity. Make it exciting for them.

Finally, make sure you only have one measurable call-to-action.

Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let's see what we can do.

You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment.