Where to place a CTA in a Short when retention drops near the end

When retention drops near the end of a Short, place the CTA after the viewer receives the promised payoff, not before the answer is clear.

A call to action can hurt a short video when it interrupts the reason the viewer stayed. If the title promised a result, comparison, mistake, route, recipe, setup, or before-and-after, the viewer expects that payoff first. Asking for a follow, comment, link click, or next-part request too early can feel like a delay. The drop may appear near the end because viewers sense the answer is over, or because the CTA starts before the answer is complete.

Review the last third of the clip. Mark the payoff second, the first CTA word, the final useful visual, and the loop point. If the CTA starts before the final useful visual, move it later or make it visual instead of spoken. If most viewers leave right after the payoff, that may be normal. The question is whether the CTA prevents them from reaching the payoff.

Good CTA placement depends on the job. A tutorial may ask for the next problem after the fix is visible. A comparison may ask which option viewers would choose after both sides are shown. A series may use a short end card only after the episode has delivered one complete answer.

The practical fix is to make the CTA earn its position. Let the viewer get the promised value first, then ask for a specific next action that fits the clip.

Where to place a CTA in a Short when retention drops near the end

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