5 Video CTA Tactics To Engage Your Audience and Drive Conversions

If you’re investing time and resources in making video content but not seeing the results, you probably need a call to action (CTA). Asking your viewers to take immediate action in your videos is one of the best ways to convert viewers into customers.

CTA’s aren’t just confined to blog posts and other written content only. They’re an integral part of the overall success of ads and videos, too. And, with 50% of internet users in the US watching videos daily, you’re missing out if you’re not making good use of calls to action in your videos.

Knowing what video call to action to use can be confusing, but we’ve made your job easier. Take a look at our list to see which of these five video CTA tactics will help you connect with your audience. 

You’ll see faster results and higher engagement in no time!

What is a call to action (CTA) anyway?

Say you have a great promotional video. It creates interest in your brand and builds excitement and loyalty in your customer base. But, without a compelling CTA, your audience doesn’t know what to do with this newfound enthusiasm.

A call to action directs or invites a person to act immediately. When your content effectively highlights your audience’s pain points, they’re compelled to take your prescribed action immediately. In the digital marketing world, it’s jargon for a form of persuasion. CTAs bring viewers closer to your brand, allowing you to convert eyeballs into customers.

What action you want viewers to take can vary based on your key performance indicators. Your KPIs could include subscribing, purchasing, or going to a landing page. They often appear as links, phrases, or buttons that lead users to the intended actions.

The internet is awash with marketing messages, and people tend to ignore advertisements most of the time. Sometimes, your audience can develop decision fatigue, which makes it hard for them to take action at all! 

An effective video CTA gives viewers a clear next step in their customer journey, with no decision required.

Using a call to action in your videos isn’t just about sticking “click here” at the end of your content. Instead, we’ve got some tricks of the trade to increase customer engagement in CTAs. 

1. Text vs. Image CTAs

CTA mediums come in two main types:  text & image. Each is designed to convert, but the kind of action they prescribe varies.

Text CTAs fall into several categories:

• Informational

• • • Learn more.
    • Explore.
    • Show me how.

• Lead generation

• • • Register now.
    • Apply now.
    • Book today.
    • Try for free.

• Transactional

• • • Show now.
    • Add to cart.
    • Sign up.

• Questions

• • Ready to get started?
  • Ready to start saving?

Before putting one in your video, know exactly what action you want your viewer to take. Then, you’ll be more likely to see an increase in engagement.

Text CTAs are usually clickable links; images combine text and motion graphics to encourage engagement.

Of the two, text makes up almost 74% of all CTAs, with images making up the other 26%. Text is generally easier to implement, but image CTA’s carry a higher conversion rate. On average, images have a 13% conversion rate, and text only 10%. 

So, spending some extra time to add that image will be worth it. 

2. Power Words

Power words are a marketer’s secret weapon. These words are proven to provoke psychological and emotional responses.

For video – the main four are

• Free – Everyone wants a deal and free sells all day long. The word implies you’re getting a bargain, making it easier to take the desired action. After all, it won’t cost you a thing!It’s not right for every CTA, but it’s a slam dunk in the right circumstances. In fact, of all the words used in video CTAs, free converts at over 12%!
  
• You – Using you in your CTA makes it feel like you’re speaking to each individual person. When your audience feels like they’re being addressed personally, they have a sense of duty to your desired action.You is the second highest converting term on our list at over 9%.
• Now – People are driven by instant gratification, and this is the best word to use to trigger that response.Now carries the third-highest conversion rate at just over 8%.
• New – Humans are wired to explore and learn new things. Think about the pleasure you get from discovering something for the first time!New is third in conversion rates, coming in at just over 7%.

3. Action Words

Action words go hand in hand with power words. Alone, they’re strong motivators, but together, they’re unbeatable.  Action words are highly actionable verbs that compel you to take action. They don’t pose questions. They make strong statements!

Using action words in your CTAs can significantly impact your conversion rates.

• Click – 9% increase
• Try – 6% increase
• Buy – 2.5% increase
• Download – 11% increase
• Register – 12% increase
• Signup – 19% increase

According to Podium, using action words increases conversion significantly for video CTAs. 

Combining power and action words, along with using positive, clear, actionable language, is one of the most consistent ways to increase the performance of your videos.

4. Experiment with placement to increase conversions

You can use CTAs at the beginning or pre-roll, middle or mid-roll, and end or post-roll of your video. You’ll notice that most content creators, nearly 96%, place them at the end.

There’s a reason for this overwhelming number: viewers who make it to the end of your video are the most engaged. But they also represent the smallest group of viewers.

Targeting the most significant number of your audience is your goal, which means you’ll need to experiment with where your CTAs appear. Some creators use a pre-roll and post-roll call to action to capture viewers who might bounce before they get to the end.

Mid-roll CTA’s can technically be placed anywhere between the beginning and end of the video. Surprisingly, only 4% of marketers use this as their placement of choice.

Pre-roll CTA’s are used at the very beginning, and less than 1% of creators use this approach exclusively. Because a reasonable bounce rate for video is around 40%, the viewers who leave early spend the least amount of time with your content. 

You can see the impact CTA placements have on conversion rates below

• Pre-roll conversion rates = 3.15%
• Mid-roll conversation rates = 16.95%
• Post-roll conversion rates = 10.98%

As you can see, calls to action placed in the middle have a higher conversion rate than the other options. Combined, they catch viewers with various levels of engagement. But you can expect that the longer a viewer sticks around, the higher quality lead they’ll be. 

5. Matching CTA’s to the emotion of your audience

Videos have the power to engage with your audience’s emotions quickly and on a much deeper level than other mediums. Using a CTA that continues that engagement and motivates action with an emotional appeal builds connections with your viewers. Matching your call to action to the emotions your video evokes in your audience is crucial.

Click here for more information might be effective, but it doesn’t make an emotional appeal. Infusing emotion into the CTA might look like Contact us to secure your future today! 

Our top picks in regards to emotional responses are: 

• Explicit CTAs – short, sweet, and to the point: Click here for more information!
• Inspirational – using desire to move them forward: Making Dreams Come True – Learn how to help today!
• Subtle – taking care not to dilute the larger message: Learn more by visiting…

Emotional appeals alone aren’t enough for some viewers, so use active language in your video CTA. The classic Nike CTA Just Do It challenges viewers to overcome their personal barriers and fears to achieve now!

Drive Conversions With Thoughtful, Engaging CTAs

According to WorldStream, 33% of all online activity is video consumption. However, producing great video content isn’t enough. You’re missing out if you’re not leveraging those views by building quality leads with a strong CTA. You also need compelling video calls to action to make the most of your content.

Don’t just throw them everywhere, though. Seamless integration can preserve the integrity of your content while engaging with your audience. And if you have a piece of content that isn’t getting the response you want, keep experimenting with your CTA. Looking at the data will help you understand why it’s not getting the job done.

If you’re ready to stop investing in content that doesn’t drive conversions, Covalent can help.

Contact us today for a free consultation!

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