You know the story: the first 10 seconds are by far the most important in any YouTube ad.

We've been over it again and again and won't get into it in detail here.

(Summary: Google defines a viewer watching to 10 seconds as an "engagement" - and engagement rate (engagements vs. impressions) is a significant factor in how Google determines what to charge you per impression - more on that here and in a soon-to-come post...)

BUT!

Here's the thing...

Do NOT underestimate the power of a great Call to Action (CTA).

Case in point:

Let's take a look at this YouTube ad from the Mikkelsen Twins.

VidTao YouTube Ad Library is showing SOLID spend here overall (over $1.5M conservatively) and for the past 30 days on this ad:

There are MANY big takeaways from this ad's success. But let's take a closer look at the CTA as there a few lessons there.

(And btw - we are having a podcast with the YouTube ad evil genius behind this offer very soon... So if you have any questions on scaling these kinds of on-demand video/webinar offers? Hit *reply* and let us know!)

I'll explain why I think this CTA is so great, and what we can learn from it, in just a moment. 

But first, some important time-sensitive news from us at VidTao:

New VidTao Premium Content: YouTube Ads Media Buying Course just dropped

VidTao Premium is all about giving you the tools & training to succeed on YouTube and other video ad platforms.

And our first ad platform training just dropped:

YouTube Ad Media Buying: Setup + Steps to Scaling to $10k/day and beyond - with Mirna Peric, our all-star account manager & media buying leader.

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Like...

* Account and campaign setup: step by step guide to setting up, launching and scaling campaigns
* Targeting "traps" and how to leverage Google's AI for higher intent & scale on YouTube
* Inceptly Offer Deep Dive: our research framework behind $150M in adspend
* And much more...

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This week we'll also be releasing courses on:

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Now, let's back to our CTA discussion: 

We usually like to aim to show the CTA for a solid 10-15 seconds or more.

(This allows you as an advertiser enough time to give your viewer an irresistible, user-friendly & urgent reason to click through to the next page - AND enough time for the viewer to actually understand & actually take action on this proposition.)

But in this ad, we have a CTA lasts over a minute and a half...

...In an ad that lasts just under 3 minutes!

That's right: over 50% of this ad is simply the presenter re-stating the CTA (watch the free training on the next page)...

...All while supporting the CTA by doing things like:

* Handling objections "I don't have time!", "I'm too dumb/not tech savvy!" etc.
* Teasing the inherent value of the free training: "People made their first sale online just by doing what we share in the free training."
* "Future Pacing" the results that you'll get from just the free training "Imagine that first dollar hitting your bank account..."

Important: each of these refers back directly or indirectly from that great proof element the presenter drops in the first 10-12 seconds:

Those 1k/mo checks from Amazon:

A quote to remember from arguably the greatest living copywriter, Gary Bencivenga:

"Much of direct marketing, even today, is at the "claim only" level. And because so many prospects use "no belief" as their preferred exit of escape, this is where we can usually get our biggest increases in response, by strengthening our proof, by closing off the "no belief" exit of escape"

* Bonus Note on adding "real" Urgency for Evergreen Promos *

How do you add urgency to an "on-demand" webinar ad like this one?

(or any other situation where there is no obvious urgency at play)

Simple: Just add a countdown timer with no further context:

(Try it, it works.)

- Sponsored -

Inceptly: the performance video ad team behind $950M+ in direct response revenue


Inceptly High-Performance YouTube Advertising Agency


Inceptly builds YouTube ad creatives & manages over 5M USD/month in YouTube ad spend for companies like ClickFunnels, Descript, MindValley, Advanced Bionaturals, Organifi, and many more.


Are you spending over $1k/day on ads and looking to scale your business with YouTube ads?


Schedule your free YouTube ad brainstorming call here:


👉 inceptly.com/call

What are your YouTube ad questions?

In the meantime though, what questions do YOU have about YouTube ads?

Let us know in the Comments section below, and we’ll make sure to cover your question in an upcoming post.

Have a great week!

The VidTao Team

VidTao.com

Sign up for VidTao.com: The Free Tool to Discover & Track Your Market's Best YouTube Ads.

Are you spending over $1k/day on paid traffic and want to scale with YouTube ads? Schedule your free YouTube ad brainstorming call here: inceptly.com/call

VidTao.com is brought to you by Inceptly.com - High Performance YouTube Ad Creative & Media Buying Agency Managing $5M/month+ in YouTube Ad Traffic.