You Can Pretty Well Ask Them to Applaud

“You can pretty much ask the audience to applaud anything and they will,” observes professional speaker Judy Carter. “Let’s have some applause for the dessert chef who gave us cake and pie!”

Why does such a simple, even “corny”, ploy work? It’s because people like to be on the joke, Carter explains, and mentioning something obvious and inclusive accomplishes that goal.

In blogging about a business or practice, getting readers involved is always a good thing, and as is true in a speech, establishing common ground is always a good starting point. On the other hand, I’m not sure you can pretty much ask readers to do anything (in the form of a Call to Action) and be assured even some will follow along. For one thing, online readers don’t have the reinforcement of other audience members physically surrounding them.

That’s precisely why good content creates commonality. What problems do readers share, problems that can be solved using your products and services? You can pretty much get readers to “applaud” in relief that their issue is a common one, and that they’ve come to the right place to make the situation better.

As readers progress (typically not a systematic read, but a scan) through the post, they should encounter more than one CTA. Those ready to buy should be able to do that right away. Incremental buys need to be offered. Those readers who need more information before making a decision should be able to pick up the phone and easily reach a knowledgeable rep. For those not quite ready for even a phone conversation, perhaps the blog can include a brief video they can watch. The CTAs themselves can be scattered through the text, so if a reader feels ready to act or to find out more after reading only a particular snippet – that’s great – offer that opportunity!

In blogging for business, you can pretty much ask them to applaud, and – they just might!