20: Do This One Thing Today To Get New Clients

Did that episode title get your attention?! I hope so, because it should!

I bet you are working hard to market your business and bring in new clients, but are you doing ALL that can you can?

Well, we're going to find out today when we discuss Call To Actions or CTA's. CTA's might just be the superpower that you have been missing in your marketing efforts. They're easy, impactful, and even fun to do! Listen to this episode closely and you might even want to take some notes (or listen twice) because it's full of action items.

Here's what we will be chatting about today:
~ What the heck is a CTA anyway?
~ Where can you use a CTA in your business?
~ How to create a powerful and effective CTA
~ My top tips for making a CTA work for you (and bring in new customers)
~ 15 FREE CTA's for YOU to download!

I hope you enjoy this episode of get-it-done action items around your CTA!

🔥Also, notice my new segment: 🔥HOT TAKE! In this segment, I will give a HOT TAKE (or 2) after each episode for you to put into effect!

Also if you still want to join the BETA Launch of my new program, Design Success Academy,  you must do so before Nov 19, 2023 to get the 50% discount.
Enrollment is limited.
https://designsuccessacademy.thedesignerwithin.co/
USE CODE: BETA23 for 50% only through 11/19/23

HERE IS THE FREE DOWNLOAD FOR YOU: 15 Call To Action Topics For You To Write About: hhttps://john.myflodesk.com/15ctas

Check out Flodesk HERE and get 50% off with my LINK: https://flodesk.com/c/9M15WA

Transcript

So if you're putting all of this stuff out, If you have beautiful photos on your website and on your social media. And even in online ads, but you're not asking that potential customer to take an action on that you are missing out. 

Hey, y'all, you're listening to the designer within podcast. Episode number 20.

 I'm John McClain and welcome to the designer within the podcast. The business minded podcast created for creative entrepreneurs by a creative entrepreneur. That's me. I know firsthand the challenges, but also the victories that can come with our careers. And I'm here to sip and spill the tea with you. 

It's time to dive deep within yourself and redesign your own business and your life from the inside out together. We will uncover secrets and share valuable insights. So prepare for a transformative experience, my friend, because it's time to unleash the designer within. 

Hey, everybody. Welcome to another episode of the designer within podcast. I'm John McClain and I'm so happy to have you here loved hearing all of the feedback from all of you, which. Has actually inspired today's episode today's episode it's about a topic that you have asked me about, ask me to go further, ask me to go more in depth on, so that is what we're doing, and it is the call to action, the CTA. 

we will talk about the CTA, what that even is, how you can bring one into your business, what all the various types of that are. And just a moment. But before we get into that, I wanted to remind you if you are still considered. joining my beta program of my design success academy. You only have a few days left to do that. 

November 19th is the final day to join the beta program. And I'm going to be using your feedback to make the program better, but in exchange for that, you're getting a 50% discount on the program. And after this is over, the discount will no longer be offered again. 

after November 19th, that discount goes away and the regular program will launch next year, next, February 24th, 2024. But for now the beta program is still opening. If you're listening to this in real time, Through November 19th, 2023. in exchange for the beta program launch, as I said, you get 50% off of the regular price. And this is my six week program. 

I'm so excited about it. I've been working so hard on this program. I have really boiled everything down that I feel you need to know to run your business and a profitable and an organized way in six weeks. So once you quote unquote graduate in six weeks, you will have learned all of my systems and processes, how to set up all of your systems and processes how to price your services, , what software I use so much stuff. Stuff is in this course. And there is no fluff. 

There is no fluff inside of it. I've boiled it down to what I feel. Again, you need to know, but for the beta program, I again want your feedback and I want you to tell me what I could do better, what I could revise. And that is what the beta program is about. So head on over to design success, academy.com and find out more information. 

You can see the modules on there week by week. What I will be teaching. There's also group coaching calls that we will have every single. A week. And there will be what I'm calling promise pods, where you all will work together to help one another out in those times, when you need a little more help and maybe each one of you can help the other person out with a specific task or a specific question. 

In addition to the group coaching calls that we will have every week during the six weeks. So once again, the beta program is through November 19th, 2023. Head to design success academy.com. And if you use the code beta B E T a 23 in the coupon area, it will lower the price by 50% for you. If you're listening to this after November 19th, 2023. You can still enter the program. 

It will just be at the regular price, but I promise you the value is so, so worth it. No matter which part of the program you enter.

 Alrighty then. moving in to the topic of today's episode, which if you caught the subject in the subject line of the podcast, it probably caught your attention. And I do mean it. Do this one thing to bring clients into your business right now. I'm not lying. I'm not pulling your leg. This is the truth. 

It worked so well for me and for so many other business owners. And if you're not doing this one thing you are missing out on. On potential customers. So that one thing is, as I said, the CTA, the call to action, 

and this might be a term that you've never heard before, but I did mention it in a few previous podcast, but I know from speaking with some of you in person and on email and in the DMS that you have wanted to know more about this and you guys love the hands-on. Go straight to the point topics that we discuss on the podcast. 

So that is exactly what this is. if you're not familiar with what a CTA is, it is just that it's like a call to action. It is asking someone to move forward from where they are either on your website, on your social media page or on a general ad that you might place on. Let's say Google to move forward, to bring themselves further in to your system. 

a CTA can come in many formats and we're going to talk. About those, but the power of that CTA is so, so great. 

And essentially the two types of CTAs that we are going to discuss today are the CTA is on your website where you will move someone from a potential customer into scheduling a discovery call or a phone call, or a consultation with you, or just to take some sort of action. From your website or from your social media or from your online ad? Is one option and the other CTA that we're going to discuss. Is going to be a freebie, a download a way to get that potential customer in to your system. 

And that is something that you are going to offer. That customer for free in exchange for giving you their email.

That call to action. And I'm just going to call it by the way, a CTA from now on. So just know that CTA is call to action. But that CTA is so powerful, even if that customer is not ready. To spend money with you yet, they are going to enter into your system. 

They're going to enter into your email system, Your database of emails so that you can nurture and grow and work with that customer when they are ready to buy something from you or when they are ready to become a customer with you in whatever format that looks like, because this is something that honestly holds so much potential for your business. 

And I know a lot of interior designers probably don't consider this as part of their. 

Marketing. and if you are considering other parts of marketing and you're not performing a CTA on any part of your entire marketing plan, again, you're missing out on the potential to bring in new customers. Because as interior designers, we focus on of course creating beautiful and functional spaces for all of our clients. 

But we know that running a successful design business involves much more than just a, your good taste and your design skills. It requires a strategic approach to marketing. Especially when it comes to attracting those new clients that I was talking about. And many of us, of course struggle with that one common challenge, finding new clients. 

It seems more and more difficult these days to find new clients for them to find us. And we're not just going to be able to hang our shingle to open an Instagram page and to start an account somewhere. On social media and expect those clients to start flooding in. And that's just not how this works. you might have a beautiful website with lots of gorgeous photos on it. 

You might have an engaging social media presence, and you might even invest in online ads, but often those were overlooked by our clients without that one key element that can make all of the difference, which is the CTA. So if you're putting all of this stuff out, If you have beautiful photos on your website and on your social media. And again, even in online ads, but you're not asking that potential customer to take an action on that you are missing out. 

So what the heck even is a call to action, a CTA. It is a simple but powerful prompt that tells your potential clients what to do next. Isn't that easy? It's so simple. It's that little nudge that can turn a casual visitor to wherever they're finding you into a loyal client down the road. CTA is, can be found on your website and your social media posts and your online ads, anywhere that you want to put them, you can have a CTA. 

And today we're going to explore the ins and outs of CTHS, why they are crucial for your business. And I'm going to provide you with specific ways to craft your own compelling CTA, that drive results, including if you stay to the end. I'm going to give you a free CTA. A free download of my own. With 15 ideas that you can write about right this minute. And create your own CTA. 

And I'm going to tell you how to do that. So the first question we need to answer is why is a CTA so essential for interior designers looking to attract new clients? imagine this someone stumbles upon your beautiful website. They're looking at your portfolio. They're impressed by your work. 

They'd go to your about page. They love reading about your history, but then what they have no idea what to do next. You have no prompt, no message, no direction for them to move forward. And I hate those pages that just say, contact us. I. Hate them. They don't work very few people like to fill those out. 

Most people want to just click one button and move forward in the process. And yes, I do have that on my website because frankly it came as part of the template for my website. But rarely do I ever get anyone actually enter that information into the quote unquote contact page. 

They enter into my system through all of the CTS that I have on the website. So after these people visit your website, they're impressed by your work. They're looking for a way to reach out to you. What ways do you have for them to reach out to you without this clear CTA, they might leave your website or they might leave your blog, or they might. Leave your social media without taking any action at all. 

And then you've lost that customer potentially forever. Because who knows if they're going to find you again in the midst of all of the other designers out there. you've missed an opportunity simply by leaving out one simple CTA that you could have placed on those pages. A well-crafted CTA can guide your visitors to take the next step. Whether it's scheduling a consultation, signing up for your newsletter or following you on social media. Whatever method you have. 

 It is a way to make a meaningful connection with potential clients and to build a relationship with them. Now let's discuss the different types of CTAs and where you can use them. 

We talked about the website and we talked about what you could have on your website. And I like to have a CTA kind of scattered throughout the website. So don't just wait for that one page for that CTA. If someone comes to your website, perhaps they already know about you throw a CTA somewhere on that front page so that they can take action immediately. 

No one wants to search around too hard to find a way to contact you. find a place on. The front page of your website, in addition to the other pages of your website that says work with us, or reach out to us or whatever, the topic of that page is have one on the front page as well. But on your website, you can have a simple schedule, a consultation that is a game changer. Many of you don't have that. 

Many of you have a contact page. And once again, that client is not going to love sitting there and completing your little form just to make you happy. And just to send something over to you without that simple little schedule, a consultation button, or reach out to us or follow us or call us. That is going to possibly lose potential customers for you, but by having it, it is a true game changer. 

It will direct visitors to take that first step into working with you. And it's so, so simple. I'm going to talk about software in a moment that you can use to help you with that, but just make sure that you make it easy, as easy as possible for your potential customer to reach out to you on your website so that they're not having to scramble around, look around. And if you don't even have that contact page, shame on you. 

Like if you simply have email me for more information. Aye. I would be embarrassed about your website. That is, that is literally making your customer do all of the work. And no one wants to do all of the work because what kind of precedents are you setting? For that customer, when you say just email me and I know for a lot of you, technology is not your favorite thing to discuss or to have, but the technology has come so far these days that it is so, so simple to add a CTA or just a reach out to us or our contact us on your website with one button versus just putting your email on there. 

So I implore you right now. If you take anything away from this podcast episode today, make it easy for your customers as to schedule a consultation or a phone call or a discovery call with you directly from your website.

Let's get into specifics about what you can say make that potential customer want to click that button and move forward in the process of getting to know you a little bit better. . So, as I said on your website, you want to be very straightforward and letting that visitor to your website know what to do. For example, schedule a consultation. Is much more effective than click here for more information, right? 

You're giving a very direct direction for that person to follow. They know what's going to happen when they click that button rather than just click here for more info. They know that by clicking that button, they are going to schedule a consultation with you your social media. On your website, you can have a little button that just says, follow us for more design. And inspiration, and that encourages them to follow you on your social media, that will get you more engagement and it will keep you top of mind for them in online ads, if you happen to place online ads. A very compelling way to get people to pay attention is to come up with something that is. Reaching out to your ideal client. 

What is that topic that your ideal client is looking for? That that customer is looking for for your company? Something that you specialize in and something that you know about? that's a great way to get someone to reach out to you. you have maybe some knowledge about fung shui, or maybe you are specializing in kitchen or bathroom renovations, whatever that is, maybe you designed for children's bedrooms, give a free download that will entice that potential customer to learn more about your services. 

It does not cost you much at. All it will cost you probably 20 minutes of your time to put that together, because it's already knowledge that you have in your head. And we tend to take for granted the information that we carry inside of our brains. And we assume that everyone else also has that same amount of information when in reality, they do not. 

So share that information in an easy to understand download and that CTA will get those. People to reach out to you. They will either schedule a meeting with you or at the very, very least you can enter them into your email system so that you can send newsletters out. You can send updates out for services, or you can simply reach out to them if you want to try to bring more business in down the road, but regardless of how you reach out to them, they will be in your email system. 

And once again, we're going to talk about different systems that you can use for that in a moment. 

As you're writing and crafting your CTA, you want it to be compelling. You want it to be something, as I said, that speaks to your ideal client. And something that you know about, and this involves a bit of art and science. so I've come up with some specific ways to create an effective CTA for you. Uh, first of all, be clear and actionable, no matter where your CTA is, whether it's on your website, whether it's in your bio, on social media, or whether it's in your online ad, you want to use a straight forward language that tells visitors what to do. 

For example, as I said before, schedule a consultation is much more effective than click here for more info. And as we were talking about social media, I have on my website, a one page that is a part of my website. I don't use link tree or all the little link things anymore. Now that Instagram has a way to put multiple links on your bio. 

On Instagram. I actually have a link that links directly to my website that I can update at any point. And on that links page is a link to my courses. It's a link to my design page. It's a link to my CTA. Is it to linked to all of the speaking engagements, anything that's going on, I can update that page quickly. 

And that link sits there in my bio on Instagram and on social media and anytime, anyone wants to know what's going on with me, or what is the newest and latest information that is where it lives. As a matter of fact, that is where you can find the CTA that I'm going to give you today for the download during this podcast. and you don't have to put it on your website. You could use link tree or any of the other services out there that will add links to your bio for Instagram. But if you do not have a link in your bio that will send people somewhere, other than just a Facebook you're missing out on a lot of potential customers who do come across your Instagram page and maybe they love. That new living room that you just posted and they want to find more about you. 

They're going. I want to go to your Instagram bio versus having to do Google search you and find your page for your company that way. Also you want to highlight the benefit. So let clients know what's in it for them by, by doing this by clicking that button by, moving forward with that CTA. Things such as transform your space today, conveys a much better message than a generic submit. if it's on your website and you're asking someone to move forward with a discovery call, think about using a very fun, more actionable language, such as transform your space today, change your life today. 

Change your home today rather than just a simple submit. think about the words that you put in the actual box for that CTA to encourage that customer to move forward with that. And as far as. Making it stand out. I want to just briefly mention That you should think about using contrast in colors as well. Make your CTA button or the text on it, stand out from the rest of your content. 

It should be visually striking and something that is different than all of the other colors on the page so that it does have a sort of jump on the action, jump on the bandwagon, a feeling to it versus just blending in with the rest of the things on your page. In that line. I want you to keep it simple. avoid cluttering your page with lots and lots of CTA is focused on that one. Key action that you want your visitors to take. You don't need a lot. You don't need 14 downloads. You don't need one about kitchens. And one about living rooms. 

And one about front porches, or you don't need to reach out to us in different ways. No. my company, for instance, the only way that someone can enter into our design system and work with us as I design is to start a discovery call. So that is the very, very, very first step. On our work with us page, and that is the step that every single person has to take. 

It's very clear. It says, step one, every single person knows that they need to do that. And no matter if they click on a, an area that is about renovations or new constructions, it always reverts them back to the schedule, a discovery call area. So that that step one is the one that everyone has to begin with. 

you don't have to put a million different CTS on your website to get people to take action. . it just has to be clear and you don't have to have multiple downloads. As I said, if you're trying to add people to your database, you want to have a very clear download that will work for your ideal client. 

If you do specialize in kitchens, mate, a wonderful download that will give that potential customer the information that they need to say, oh my gosh, this designer really knows their stuff. And if they're giving. Me this much stuff for free. I imagine what they're going to give me if I actually paid them. 

So you are enticing that customer into understanding that this is just a little bit of the knowledge that I'm going to impart on you. This is just a little bit of the experience that I have. But when you start to work with me, oh my goodness. You just brace yourself because I know what I'm doing. And that is what a CTA does.

 I did want to jump back to the subject of the topics of your CTA and to invite you to think about these topics and think about topics that you have already written about in a blog post or in an online post on social media. those are things that can easily turn into a one or two or three page CTA document for yourself to write about. 

Just expand on that a bit more. Think about what again your potential customer would want to hear. And put that into the CTA. Then you simply use Canva or PowerPoint or any sort of format that is aesthetically appealing to your customer. 

And you create a one sheet or a multi sheet document. If you teach a certain method, for instance, include that as a portion of your CTA. If you specialize. As I said before, in a certain design style or a niche, maybe you do children's bedrooms, ask yourself what are most of your clients or potential clients ask when you're going out on consultations or when you are having discovery calls, what is that question that your potential clients are asking you about and put that into your CTA? 

Give them a little bit of a taste, as I said, of what you have to offer. Now, if you're trying to figure out which CTA works best for you, I do encourage you to, you know, sort of do an AB testing situation. So experiment with different CTAs to see which ones resonate best with your audience on. On your website, for instance, you could say. Request a quote, or get your custom design plan or book your complimentary discovery, call, try those out and for a while, give them a couple of months each and see which one generates the most response And that is a great way to see which one you should leave on your website. You should also do the same a format when you test these out with your CTAs on your website, when you're giving away a document or a download. Or something in your bio on Instagram, you can change those out too. So if your kitchen giveaway is not working, move over to a bathroom, giveaway? 

And if you're a five tips for styling, your bathroom is not working, then perhaps you want to try something about winterizing your patio for the, for the fall season, something like that. just keep trying these out. And you'll find the one that eventually resonates with your audience. 

And you can start placing those again on your website, on your social media, as well as in ads and by placing ads online with your CTA, with this. Giveaway with this freebie that you're offering people. It is something that most interior designers don't think about. Most of us just throw an ad out there and place that ad. 

And all we say is contact us. Well, that's great, but you also want to give some benefit to that potential customer for reaching out to you and by them simply clicking that button to download that freebie. They're going to get some value of what you have to offer. And again, if even if they don't move forward at that point, they're going to be in your email system. And then you can start to nurture and grow that relationship with them so that they do turn into a client down the road. 

Now there's lots of software out there that will help you with your CTA. To design it. As I said, I like to personally use Canva. That's my favorite way. And then you can save that in Canva. And if you ever need to go back and edit it, You can go back in and edit that document or revise it, or create a brand new CTA, but your logos and your colors and your fonts are already stored on there. 

So Canva is my go-to of course, PowerPoint will work as well. I just particularly personally lied to Canva. There is also other calendar software. As I mentioned earlier, that if someone's on your website and they're trying to schedule an appointment with you, you want to make that as easy as possible. 

So research the different calendar softwares that are out there. There are so many, even MyDoma Studio has a calendar booking system built in with it, which is so, so cool. But there's others. If you don't use my DOMA, you can also use Calendly or acuity on your own and bring those into your website so that the person. Person can schedule a discovery call or a consultation with you right there on your website. the calendar CTA, the booking CTA they're reaching out for more information. CTA is a bit different in format than your CTA, where you're giving something away to the customer where you're giving away their freebie. So the CTA where you're giving their freebie away is a download. As I said, that that person can enter their email, enter their information. And they get the free download from you. 

It's very, very simple. I like to personally use flo desk. I find that that is the easiest one to use. It is also the most aesthetically pleasing. Which I like. And when I was designing my website, my web designer preferred flo desk, and I actually do. I really, really like it. There's so many others out there. 

There is MailChimp. constant contact. There's so, so many, but I personally liked flo desk myself. I'm going to put a link to that in the show notes for the podcast. encourage you to check them out. Find the one that works best for you. Find the one that works easiest for you. Don't overcomplicate this. Again, whether you're just simply putting a reach out for more information button on your website, or whether you're giving something away in your CTA as a download, you want to make this easy for you so that you don't get overwhelmed with it. 

And that you don't give up on creating these CTS for your customers. As I said, I have a free CTA for you in the downloads as well. So in the notes section of the podcast, wherever you're listening to the podcast, there is a download for 15 topics that you can include in your own CTA. 

these are 15 topics that I've come up with that will get your juices flowing. Get yourself to thinking about what you can include to give out in your freebie for your clients, and write further about that. And don't overthink this one page of good information is totally, totally fine. It does not have to be a 20 page workbook. Book. It does not have to be a lot, a lot of info. Just make sure that what you're giving has value to it and that what you're giving to your customer is a representation of what you can offer them further. If they do move further with you into the process of give them a little taste of what you offer as a design firm, and they will love you for it. head to the note section of the podcast to download that you can also find that CTA from me, the free downloads of 15 topics for yourself. in my Instagram profile, you can head there and that will be listed there. 

You can click on the link and it will be listed there in the links for you to download for free. Whatever you decide to do for your CTA. I hope that you go back to your website, go back to your Instagram, go back to your social media, 

go back to any online ads that you place and really think about how you can cater that CTA to make it as easy and as simple and as straightforward as possible to entice that potential client to come into your system. To download your freebie to schedule a discovery call with you to schedule a consultation with you, whatever the outcome you're looking for. Make it easy for your customer and make it fun because the entire point of the CTA is to get that customer into your system. 

Again, you will nurture them. You will take care of them, and then you will have their email and their name to send out any new things that you're offering to your customer database. And then you will just grow and grow and grow your email list. 

And before you know it, you have this wonderful email list of potential clients who you will be top of mind of when they are ready. To move forward with your services. Wrapping up today's episode, we have learned that the CTA is a powerful tool for you. Interior designers, looking to attract new clients. 

Honestly, it can be that one missing piece of the puzzle in your marketing efforts. So go ahead and revamp your website, social media, and your online ads with compelling and customize a CTA. Try those out, find out which ones work best. You will be amazed at how simple, yet effective this strategy is and how it can transform your interior design business now and down the road 

I'm starting something new with this episode and it is called hot takes. That is a takeaway or an action item that I want you to take away from this episode and for today's episode, my hot take. Is for you to visit your Instagram page and add a new link in your bio? 

I know. That you might not get to revising your website as fast as you should, even though I want you to do that, but I know that you can do your Instagram page very easily. So find a software, find a link tree, find a link in bio something where you can add a link in your bio for your Instagram page and start putting those CTAs. In your bio on your Instagram page, it is fast. 

It is easy. You can do this in under an hour. I promise you, and it is something that you do not need a web designer to do. So that is your hot take for today's episode. 

I hope you found this episode valuable. Please hit the subscribe button on the podcast area that you're listening to and leave me a review. If you don't mind, I would love that. Also share the podcast with others. That is the way that other people can find out about. The podcast. 

If you could tell one person about this podcast this week, I would really appreciate it. And as I said, if you're wanting to join the beta program of my design success academy, you only have until November 19th to do that for the 50% off code is a beta 23. I looked forward to seeing you there. 

My friends, thank you very much for joining me today until next time, keep designing, keep learning. And most of all, keep growing. I'll see you next time on the designer within podcast.

Thanks for sticking with me to the end of the Designer Within podcast. It means the world to me. If you're ready to dive deeper into the topics that we've discussed here, be sure to check out my online courses and coaching program, Design Success Academy. The Design Success Academy is open right now in my beta launch program.

You can join the Academy for 50 percent off, but only until November 19th. After that date, it will increase to the regular price and the next enrollment will be in January. So, if you want to be a part of helping me shape this new course, helping me put things into the course that are important to you as a designer, things that you want to know, please consider joining the beta course for my Design Success Academy.

The Design Success Academy is a six week program where you will learn things such as my entire project journey, every single process that I use within my company. will be taught to you inside this program. I will also teach you how to choose and price your services in your own design firm. On top of that, you will learn self marketing success, my favorite ways to market and grow your company.

We are going to discuss teams, trades, and vendors. I will be showing you my favorite technology that I use every single day in my company, as well as the leadership mindset that you need to start, run, and grow your boutique design firm. Find out more at DesignSuccessAcademy. com You will join other like minded creatives in various phases of their own businesses, whether just starting out or career veterans, who are enjoying the freedoms and profits that can come from an organized and structured business.

Now's the time to make the change for you and your company, and I'll be right by your side the entire way. Learn more at johnmcclain. co, that's johnmcclain. co.