Writing Calls to Action that Get Clicks (+ Examples)

Your marketing is nothing without a strong call to action (CTA). Visitors to your website or viewers of your videos need to know what action to take next.

In this quick guide, we’ll share everything you need to start creating compelling CTAs that work.

We’ll share some tips and best practices for call to action buttons, talk about different types of CTAs, and more. Plus, we’ll share a list of effective call to action copy you can feel free to use in your own marketing!

Call to action definition

Before we get started, what exactly is a call to action? Basically, it’s defined as any piece of content or device used to get viewers or visitors to take an immediate next action. For instance, a product page with a BUY NOW button offers a call to purchase.

Calls to action don’t only have to lead to a purchase. They could lead to a subscription, a sign up, a video view, or even simply a redirection to check out more of your content.

And they don’t have to include a button or text either! For instance, a YouTuber may share a verbal call to action at the end of their video, telling viewers to "Subscribe to my channel!"

3 types of calls to action

There are a few different ways that calls to action can come to life. In this section, we’ll take a look at three different CTA types—vocal CTAs, text CTAs, and CTA buttons.

Verbal calls to action

If there’s a person speaking in your video, you can add a vocal call to action. While they’re talking to the camera, or recording a voice-over, have the person in the video tell the viewers what to do next. It could be “visit our website to learn more,” “leave a comment below letting us know what you think,” or any other action you’d like viewers to take!

In this example, Sally from the Animoto team gives a verbal call to action at the five-minute mark. This is a popular technique on YouTube especially.

Text calls to action

You can also add a call to action using titles or captions in your video. This is a good option if there’s a website you want your viewer to visit, a promotional code, or some other text-based piece of information that might get lost if it’s only spoken.

If you’re using Animoto, you can easily create a text call to action by adding text to any block of your video. The video template below features a strong CTA to "Book today and get 25% off."

Text calls to action don’t have to be in video form. You can also write out a call to action on a landing page or blog post. This is usually most effective when there’s also a call-to-action button involved.

Call-to-action buttons

Call-to-action buttons can take a variety of forms. They can exist on a page, just like this button:

You can also include a CTA button in a video! Both YouTube and Facebook provide you with the ability to add calls to action right on top of your Animoto video.

On YouTube, you can add a call to action by using YouTube Cards or by running a YouTube ad.

Call to action tips & best practices

Want to write a call to action that’ll get clicks? Here are a few tips and best practices to get you started out on the right foot.

Make sure the CTA makes sense in context

If you’re adding a call to action to a video, keep in mind what the goal of the video is. If you’re including it on a webpage, what content will it be seen with? If you’re writing a CTA to go along with a social post, what type of content are you sharing? It’s important to make sure that your call to action makes sense in context.

For instance, if you’ve made a video about your company culture, it would make sense to have a CTA to "Join our team" linking to a page where people could apply to work with you. It would make less sense to have a CTA to "Buy now" on this video.

Use action verbs

Start your calls to action with action verbs that make it crystal clear what you want viewers or visitors to do next—shop, visit, buy, order, download, subscribe, learn more, find out how, etc. For instance, "Shop now" is much clearer than "Ready to shop?"

Create a sense of urgency

Once you’ve told people what you’d like them to do next, create a sense of urgency. You can do this by including mention of a special offer or limited time frame. For instance, which of the following would you be more likely to click on?

1. Sign up
2. Sign up today and get 20% off!

How about here?

1. Buy now
2. Buy now while supplies last!

It’s clear that, in both of these situations, the second CTA is more enticing because it creates a sense of urgency (whether or not your offer is really for a limited time or your supplies are really running low).

Keep it short and sweet

Viewers should be able to read your CTA at a glance. "Visit our website right now to browse all of our great fishing, camping, and outdoor gear!" This CTA is way, way too long. When writing your CTA, put some thought into how you can get the message across in as few words as possible.

Focus on the customer

It can also be fun to try out CTAs that are written from the customer perspective. Instead of "Get the free guide," try something like "Get my free guide." This can help create a sense of ownership before they even get the guide. It’s already their guide, they just have to click the button to access it!

Test ‘til you get it right

Last but not least, remember that there's no one CTA that will work every time. Try a couple different variations and track how many people click on each. Is one performing better than the others? That’s your winner! Are none of them performing well? Regroup and try again until you find one that works for you.

Call to action examples you can use

If you need a little help getting started, we’ve got you. Here’s a list of CTA examples you can pull from to use as-is, or edit to fit your business.

Simple call to action examples

Here are some simple call to action examples, ideal for CTA buttons.

• Learn more
• Sign up
• Buy now
• Shop now
• See plans
• Join us
• Get started
• Create account
• View demo
• Book a session
• Contact us
• Book an appointment
• Schedule an appointment
• Discover
• Subscribe
• Explore
• Save my spot

CTAs for free stuff

Offering something free? Call it out with one of these call to action statements. People love free stuff, so let them know what they’re getting comes without the commitment!

• Try it free
• Sign up for free
• Sign up free
• Claim your free X
• Get started free

FOMO CTAs

To create urgency, or to give your viewers a bit of FOMO (fear of missing out), try pairing the above CTA examples with some of the statements below:

• Last chance!
• Limited supply
• Limited-time offer
• Only a few left
• Today only!
• Sale ends tomorrow
• Expires soon
• _____ now! (E.g. Save now, Sign up now)

Getting creative

Depending on where you’re putting your CTA, you may decide to get a little creative. Creative call-to-action button copy includes things like “Count me in!” or “Let’s do this!”

However, it’s important to make sure that, above all else, your call to action is clear. Everyone knows what "Get started" means, but they may be confused if your CTA says something like "Beam me up, Scotty!"

What calls to action have you had the most success with? Join the Animoto Social Video Marketing Community and let us know!