Hard CTAs Dominated the Top Performers
The single most consistent finding across the entire dataset was this: hard CTAs outperformed soft CTAs by a wide margin, and it wasn’t particularly close.
74% of the top-performing ads used a hard CTA, and every single one of the five highest-CTR entries did. A hard CTA gives the viewer a direct instruction: go here, grab this, tap below, download now. A soft CTA suggests without asking: “this product makes sense for all my adventures,” or “it really helped me.” Both show up in creator content regularly, but only one type showed up consistently in the top performers.
The instinct to avoid sounding too salesy in UGC makes sense, since the whole format runs on authenticity. But directness and authenticity aren’t in conflict, and the highest-performing ads sounded like real people genuinely telling you to go buy something, casual and unpolished in delivery but direct in the ask.
Problem-Solution CTAs Appeared at the Top of Almost Every Tier
The strongest individual CTA type in the dataset was problem-solution framing, and the #1 ad in the entire analysis used it. These CTAs name a specific pain point and pivot immediately to the product as the fix, without dwelling on the problem.
Here are some of the top-performing problem-solution CTA examples we tracked:
- “Get drag-and-drop crates organized by vibe and event. It’s 50% off right now – clean up your prep and actually enjoy DJing again.”
- “No need to drive anywhere. Just order and get it delivered straight to your door.”
- “If you want a plan made for you, check out this [product].”
- “Go to [website] to prepare for the worst of fire season.”
These CTAs moved fast, none of them dwelled on the problem; they named it in a phrase and pivoted to action. The heavy problem-agitation structure that shows up in a lot of DTC copy was almost entirely absent from the top performers, and the pattern was lighter, a fast acknowledgment followed by the solution.
If you’re briefing creators, the most useful instruction for this CTA type is to name the exact problem your product solves in the same breath as the ask, in one sentence. By the time the CTA lands, the viewer already understands the problem – the closing line just needs to tell them what to do next.
Direct Commands Worked Best When They Named the Brand
Direct command CTAs were the second-strongest type in the dataset, and the performance difference between the ones that named the brand and the ones that didn’t was meaningful.
Here are the direct command examples we tracked:
- “Grab yours at [website]”
- “Get over to [website] and get started right now.”
- “Go to [website] and shop today.”
- “Check out [website] and order yours today.”
- “You’ve gotta try this.”
These two capture the pattern, with “Get over to [website]” naming the brand and telling you exactly where to go, while “You’ve gotta try this” leaving everything up to the viewer. Both are direct commands, and both appeared in strong-performing ads, but the ones that included a brand name or URL ranked considerably higher than the generic closers. Creators often default to vague language at the end of a video, “link below,” “go check it out,” “you should try it,” but specificity matters, even in a two-second closing line.
The practical takeaway is to include the brand name or URL as a non-negotiable in the brief. Generic closers leave clicks on the table.
Urgency Needed Real Substance to Earn a High CTR
Urgency and offer CTAs were the most frequently used type in our dataset, and they also had the widest performance spread of any type we tracked.
Here are the urgency and offer examples from the data:
- “It’s 50% off right now. Don’t wait – go try it.” (20.82% CTR)
- “Don’t wait for the smoke to arrive, make the smart move at [website].” (19.53% CTR)
- “Right now, get free shipping, save up to 70% on bulk orders, and an extra 5% off subscriptions.” (secondary CTA)
- “The dual bundle is 50% off today only. I’ll drop it here.” (7.41% CTR)
- “Husbands, don’t mess this up. Get her one before they sell out.” (8.47% CTR)
- “I’ll leave the link below. And good luck, because these. They sell out fast.” (7.30% CTR)
The top-performing urgency CTAs gave viewers a concrete reason to act, such as a specific discount, a stated time window, or a real-world consequence like missing fire season preparation. The lower-ranked ones used vague pressure (“they sell out fast,” “don’t mess this up”) that viewers could sense was manufactured.
If you’re using urgency in a creator brief, anchor it to something real. A specific discount percentage or a real-world consequence is what separates an urgency CTA that earns clicks from one that blends into the background.
Personal Testimonial Was the Only Soft CTA That Consistently Performed
Of the soft CTAs that actually showed up as top performers in our data, nearly all of them were personal testimonials, with other soft approaches (lifestyle appeals, gentle nudges, vague encouragements) appearing occasionally but without a consistent pattern of strong performance.
Here are the personal testimonial CTA examples we tracked:
- “I just wanted to share this with you, in case there’s somebody in the same position as I was. It really helped me.” (12.22% CTR)
- “These treats are amazing. Your dogs gonna love them and you gotta get some for yourself.” (11.67% CTR)
- “Only one advice – start small cause they get you efed up.” (19.67% CTR, paired with a hard CTA)
- “I went from pen shame to pen fame, and you can too.” (8.67% CTR)
The casual, unpolished language in several of these is not a production accident. “Your dogs gonna love them” and “they get you efed up” are not lines anyone wrote down in advance. They’re the kind of thing a real person says to a friend, and that texture is part of what makes them land. The testimonial CTA in this format functions as proof, and it doesn’t try to be a pitch.
If a hard CTA doesn’t fit the product or the creator’s natural style, a genuine personal outcome is the most reliable alternative, and the key word is genuine. The testimonial CTAs that performed didn’t add “and you can too” or wrap the story in a tidy bow, they kept the moment unpolished.
The Ads That Layered Two CTAs Outperformed the Ones That Didn’t
Six of the top 10 ads in our dataset included a second CTA earlier in the video, not just at the end, which was one of the more consistent structural signals in the data, and one that most creator briefs don’t address at all.
The #1 ad in the dataset is the clearest example. The closing CTA was: “Get drag-and-drop crates organized by vibe and event. It’s 50% off right now – clean up your prep and actually enjoy DJing again.” That’s a problem-solution CTA with a specific offer embedded. But earlier in the same video, the creator added: “If you hesitated on any of those… you need [product].” That line handles objections directly, in a conversational tone, before the viewer reaches the closing ask.
It’s layered persuasion, with a mid-video CTA removing friction and a closing CTA delivering the instruction with the incentive, and neither reads like ad copy.
The best CTA strategy in UGC video ads spreads the work across the video, with a mid-video CTA planting intent and a closing CTA converting it. Creators won’t default to this structure on their own, so it has to be built into the brief.
How to Apply These Findings to Your Next Creator Brief
Start with Problem-Solution and Direct Command CTAs. These two types accounted for the highest individual performers in the dataset, and they give you the best probability of a strong result out of the gate.
For Problem-Solution, the briefing instruction is simple: ask the creator to name the exact problem your product solves in the same sentence as the ask. Give them a specific pain point to work from rather than leaving it open.
For Direct Command, include the brand name or URL as a required element. Specify that generic language like “link below” or “you should try it” is not the close. Give the creator the brand name and ask them to use it.
Once that rotation is producing results, test urgency CTAs anchored to a real offer, or curiosity CTAs built around a specific and concrete payoff. Both can outperform the baseline when the substance is there to back them up.
One structural change crosses every CTA type, and that’s to build a second CTA into the brief as a requirement, specify where it should appear, and give it a job, whether that’s handling a likely objection, reinforcing the benefit, or teasing the closing offer.
