Editing

Call to action

Also called CTA

A clear ask at the end of a video (or in it): follow, comment, save, watch the next part, visit a link.

Why it matters

People are more likely to act when you ask for one specific thing.

Example

“Save this for your next grocery run.”

Common mistake

Asking for five things at once, or asking before you’ve given any value.

How to use it

Pick the action that fits the video’s goal: a save for a useful list, a comment for a question you actually want answered, a follow for a series. Make the reason obvious (“Part two is tomorrow”), say it once and keep it short. Some of the best calls to action are built into the payoff instead of tacked on after it.

Common questions

What does “Call to action” mean?

A clear ask at the end of a video (or in it): follow, comment, save, watch the next part, visit a link.

Why does it matter?

People are more likely to act when you ask for one specific thing.

What’s the most common mistake?

Asking for five things at once, or asking before you’ve given any value.

Worth Watching book cover by Ray S
Go deeper

Chapter 50, “Endings, Loops, and Calls to Action” and Chapter 65, “From Attention to Results” of Worth Watching cover this in depth, with what to do on your next video.

Read the free sample →