If you thought that the fabled “call-to-action” was only important in terms of blog posts and other written content, you may want to think again.

According to a study that was conducted by KISSmetrics, adding a single CTA within a video generates as much as 380% more clicks than a CTA video on the sidebar of the same page. Let that sink in for a second.

But it’s also important to acknowledge that not all CTAs are created equally – you have to pick the one that best matches up with the content you’ve created, the consumer you’re trying to reach and the action you want them to take next. There are 10 video CTAs in particular that are all but guaranteed to work in the right conditions.

The “Explicit” CTA

One of the best video calls-to-action is also one of the most important: the explicit approach. Here, you come right out and tell your audience what you want them to do.

Whether it’s “click here for more information” or “type your email address below to subscribe”, this is short, sweet, and to-the-point.

The “Mood Setter” CTA

The “mood setter” CTA is one that considers the placement and direction in the call-to-action within the context of the larger video and its intended mood.

If your video was heavily sentimental, for example, you wouldn’t want a narrator to suddenly come on and go “Click here to make that purchase!” while directing the leader to a brightly colored link. That would absolutely kill the mood you were going for.

Instead, in this example, you might consider something small and minimal on an all black screen at the end of the video. This way you maintain that sense of sentimentality into the next step.

The “Casual” CTA

The casual call-to-action may seem simple, but that doesn’t make it any less important. Even if you don’t have a specific action you want your viewer to take, you would still want to include a CTA to keep them engaged with your larger brand.

A good example of this would be something like “click here to go to our website and view more of our great products”. Not the world’s most specific call-to-action, but still enough to get someone to stay invested in what you’re offering.

The “Inspirational” CTA

The inspirational CTA is a powerful tool when wielded properly, as you’re essentially using someone’s own desires to motivate them to take the next step.

If you run a travel agency you wouldn’t say “click here for more information”. Instead, you would say “Contact us and plan the trip of your dreams today”.

The “Bobbing Arrow” CTA

The “bobbing arrow” approach to CTA creation involves including a number of small but precise calls-to-action in strategic locations across your content.

If your video was about Hollywood films and you covered five upcoming movies in a single piece of content, for example, you could have a box pop up after each one reading “Click here to see other videos about Justice League” or “Click here to learn more about Avengers 4″ or whatever films you happened to be talking about.

The “You Can’t Resist” CTA

The “You Can’t Resist” call-to-action is powerful because it plays up a sense of urgency in a particular offer.

If your entire video was about a new piece of software your company just released, for example, a “you can’t resist” CTA might be something like “Click here to download your free trial! Be warned, it’s only available for a limited time!”.

The “Seductive” CTA

The seductive CTA is another emotional approach, as you appeal to someone’s deeply rooted wants and desires.

A great example of this would be appealing to someone’s dreams of a better, easier life. Something like “click here to find out how to make money while you sleep!” would certainly apply, though it would obviously be adjusted to fit the specifics of your own message.

The “Guilt Trip” CTA

The “guilt trip” call-to-action is also heavily emotional but from a slightly different perspective. You would want to include language like “If you care, share! Click here to post on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.”.

If someone acknowledges that they do in fact care about the video they just watched, they’re much more likely to take your requested step as a result.

The “Hypnotic” CTA

The hypnotic CTA doesn’t necessarily draw a huge amount of attention to itself and instead is more about subtlety giving your viewers direction.

You wouldn’t want until the end to say “Click here for the next step”. Instead, you would use it as a way to transition from one topic to the next in an easy, organic matter. It makes the call-to-action feel more like an organic part of the video itself and less of a statement akin to “the video is over now, so here is what you should do next.”

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The “Avant-Garde” CTA

The avant-garde call-to-action’s placement is obvious, but it’s also clever at the same time. Instead of just including a “Click here for more” link at the end of the video, for example, you might have an onscreen subject say “Click right here for more information!” and then insert a link at exactly where he or she is pointing.

It’s big and brash, yes – but that extra layer of cleverness is enough to capture someone’s attention in a unique and meaningful way.

What is your favorite CTA to add on video? Share in the comments below!