Just a few short years ago, online video was simply a form of brand awareness and expression – a promotional video or
TV commercial repurposed for the Web. Today, it has evolved into a medium specifically intended for the interactive
Web user experience.
Online videos today have a common goal: to drive the user to take an action for a specific initiative. Ecommerce
product videos aim to increase online revenue, and educational customer support videos seek to reduce care cost and
avoid churn. But no matter the video’s goal, they both use calls
to action (CTAs) to engage the customer.
The primary rule for CTAs is to begin with a verb, as these are most effective to prompt customers to take action –
no matter if the delivery channel is an email, text message, social post or video. However, there are a few more
best-practice tips when applying calls to action within online videos.
Here are some best practices for incorporating CTAs into online videos, and a few CTAs common to today’s SmartVideo
programs.
Best Practices
#1: Less is more
Limit the number of calls to action presented at one time – the recommended number is three. When there are
multiple CTAs present, be sure to prioritize them so the primary action is clear to the viewer, either by color or
button size. Drive best results when the CTA is focused.
#2: Be where the action is
Placement of the video call to action buttons should be prominent and where you want the viewer to take the
action. Utilize your video analytics in order to optimize the action, if necessary.
For instance, a primary
goal of a customer engagement video is for viewers to register for an individual account, and viewers are driven
there by a video call to action “Create My Account” that appears at the closing scene of a two minute video. But if
video completion rate is 30 percent and the majority of viewers are dropping off at the average 60-second mark, then
it’s time to review that video and perhaps move the CTA to appear early in the video.
However, always include a summary of key CTAs in the last, closing scene, too.
Common SmartVideo Calls to Action
#1: “Make a payment”
A standard CTA for videos focused on delivering bills and statements. Customer care oriented videos can
reduce cost and churn while simultaneously increasing customer satisfaction, or in the case of the below Tweeter,
customer infatuation!
this #att sending bill video to explain their billing process is
pretty on point… I’m smitten with you now 😀— Britney Siren (@Siren_Voice) October 16, 2012
#2: “Create an account”
When customer engagement videos are aimed at onboarding new customers, this is a recommended CTA to drive
those new customers to an online portal. “My Account” typically offers lifestyle-specific content for that customer,
and thereby greatly increases the chance of building loyalty.
#3: “Join us on Facebook”
A relatively new CTA, but quite appealing to the connected generation. Reports show that social media engagement drives customer loyalty and higher
spending. Customer engagement and loyalty is occurring more on brand social pages than ever before, so why
not direct them there? Be sure to direct viewers to the social platform that is most relevant to your customers,
whether it’s Facebook, Pinterest or Google+.
