Brands have already figured out effective ways to add a call-to-action to a standalone video piece when the option for the viewer to immediately “click” is available. This type of video can serve as a trailer to push to a larger content piece or as a way to navigate a user journey across a series of video pieces. It can also act as a tool to drive users to a dedicated destination or to a brand’s main website, or as a means to acquire subscribers or gather contact information. In any of these scenarios, the call-to-action is linear and discrete.
But what about brands that take a multiplatform distribution approach to a single video piece? Does the call-to-action need to be customized for each platform? Is there a way to unify the call-to-action across platforms, even in cases where there is nothing to “click,” such as a video ad on a gaming console or in a movie theater?
For a multiplatform video campaign, think of an action that can be taken on a mobile phone as the glue across platforms, replacing the “click” that anchors a more linear video campaign. These days, almost everyone has a mobile phone within reach at all times, even at home. This means a clever call-to-action in a video can drive the viewer to send a text, follow a company or product on Facebook or Twitter, use a branded hashtag, or input a unique URL via a mobile browser. Viewers can also use a real-time music matching app such as Shazam, Viggle or Soundhound to tag content.
Here are a few call-to-action ideas to get your creative juices flowing and to help give you measurable results from your video production:
-- Identify something to give away, then incent viewers to enter a sweepstakes to win it.
-- Craft a simple poll, then ask viewers to vote on something they care about.
-- Add catchy music, then encourage viewers to match the music via a mobile app.
-- Place an interesting or provocative question in the video, then invite viewers to “join the conversation” in your brand’s parallel social channels.
-- Direct host mentions: Overlays, buttons, and text can be great, but sometimes it’s most effective to have your video’s host verbally reference an action as part of the video, whether it’s to subscribe, comment, visit a Web site or physical location, join in an online conversation or more.
Regardless of the call-to-action you use, be sure to A/B test it as you would anything else. Word and graphic choice can drastically impact results.
A lot of us struggle with effective call-to-actions. I’d like to hear your success stories, or learning moments. How has making the call worked out for you?