What is a YouTube CTA?
A CTA is a voice or visual prompt that directs your audience to take specific actions, such as subscribing to your channel, watching other YouTube videos, or exploring your social channels.
In essence, YouTube CTAs tell your viewers exactly what you want them to do and give them more reasons to stick around.
Why do you need CTAs on YouTube?
Although YouTube already has buttons to help viewers subscribe, like, or share your video, adding verbal or visual CTAs in your video can create a significant impact.
Here’s how a description CTA can help your YouTube channel:
- Higher video engagement
- Longer watch time
- More viewers and subscribers
- Better search rankings
1. Higher video engagement
YouTube algorithm thrives on engagement. The more your viewers interact with your videos, the more views you’ll actually have. Whether they are commenting on their favorite takeaway, liking the video, or clicking a link to learn more, these interactions show your content is valuable.
For example, at the end of a cooking tutorial, you can add, “Leave a comment about your favorite dish in the comment section.”
Simple, right? Yet, this small nudge could double your engagement rate. It serves as a conversation starter, encourages immediate engagement, and builds a stronger connection with your audience.
2. Longer watch time
According to YouTube, you must have at least 1000 subscribers and 4000 watch hours in the past 12 months to qualify for monetization. Or 10 million YouTube Shorts views in the past 90 days.
Strategically placing your CTAs can extend how long viewers stay engaged with your content. You increase your watch time by directing viewers to related videos or playlists. Look at this example below.
Image Source
In this case, SocialBee used video recommendations to keep the viewers hooked. So, viewers are enticed to explore more of your content instead of exiting the page or YouTube.
I recommend creating themed playlists and using CTAs like “Dive into the full series here”. This translates to more watch time, a key factor for YouTube rankings.
3. More viewers and subscribers
Every successful channel has one thing in common: an engaged subscriber base.
More so, every creator, both established and newbies, wants more YouTube subscribers. But how do you convert casual viewers into loyal fans?
Effective YouTube CTAs ensure that casual viewers don’t slip away. You can go a step further to reiterate the extra value they will get by subscribing to your channel. For instance, Edureka uses CTAs like “Subscribe to Edureka channel for more tips on digital marketing.”
Image Source
Converting viewers into subscribers helps you create a consistent audience for future uploads. Remember, most people need a reminder to subscribe. Don’t assume they’ll do it on their own.
4. Better search rankings
Search engine optimization (SEO) isn’t just for Google; it’s vital for YouTube, too. Every interaction prompted by your CTAs strengthens your video’s performance in YouTube’s search results.
And the result? More discoverability, more clicks, and a competitive edge in search rankings. YouTube will readily recommend your video to a larger audience who are searching for that subject matter.
Tip: Pair effective CTAs with optimized titles, tags, and descriptions to rank higher on YouTube. Use relevant keywords to optimize your title and mention them naturally in the video.
Types of YouTube Video CTAs
Next, let’s break down the types of CTAs that work best and how to implement them effectively:
- Video suggestions
- Like and share
- Verbal cues
- Video description links
- Pinned comments
1. Video suggestions
Interactive elements like cards and end screens are an excellent way to direct viewers to suggested videos, playlists, or external resources, just like in the SocialBee video we looked at above.
Video CTAs can also be used as part of a wider marketing campaign. For example, this card directs viewers to subscribe to the creator’s newsletter.
Image Source
Or this CrashCourse endscreen asking viewers to subscribe to another YouTube channel.
Image Source
Whichever one you use, always combine a verbal cue with a visual CTA (On-screen graphics or text overlays) for maximum impact.
2. Like and share
Sometimes, the simplest CTAs are the most effective. A quick request asking followers to like your video if they find it helpful can work wonders.
Similarly, prompting viewers to share your new videos helps spread your content organically and attract a new audience. This could also come in handy if you’re aiming for a subscriber count milestone. You can even add a sense of urgency or timeline to prompt immediate action.
Here’s an example of such CTA: “Did you enjoy this video? Don’t forget to give it a thumbs up and share it with your friends to spread the word!”
3. Verbal cues
As a video creator, your voice is your most powerful tool. Most of the time, all it takes is to ask your viewers directly to take a specific desired action.
You can use mid-video reminders like: “If you love this video and want to get more tips like these, hit that subscribe button and turn on the notification so you don’t miss out on our next videos.” The secret of verbal CTAs is to direct users without sounding conversational and not salesy.
4. Video description links
Your video description provides the perfect avenue for helpful links. You can use this area to give a summary of your video, for example. The description is also perfect for adding affiliate links.
Image Source
Here are some tips to make your CTA stand out:
- Use bold text for key details.
- Add emojis (🎉 or 📢) to grab attention.
- Use ALL CAPS for short, important messages.
- Space things out so it’s easy to read.
Example:
👉 Grab Your Free Checklist Here: XX
📧 Questions? Email us at: [email protected]
YouTube has also become a great lead-generation channel. If your business is using YouTube for this purpose, make sure to include a link to your business card here. You can use the best digital business card solutions to create and share this card as a link.
Make sure the card contains key contact details like your phone number, website link, and email address. This makes it easier for leads to contact you.