CTR is the oldest ad metric still in daily use. Google defines it as a ratio showing how often people who see an ad end up clicking it, and gives the formula as clicks divided by impressions; five clicks on 100 impressions is a 5 % CTR (Google).
In creator video, CTR sits between the hook and the sale. Hook rate says the video was watched. CTR says it made someone act. Cost per purchase says the action turned into money. A video can have a strong hook and a weak CTR when the content entertains but never gives a reason to tap.
Example. Two creator videos run as partnership ads with 50,000 impressions each. Video A gets 600 clicks, a 1.2 % CTR. Video B gets 1,100 clicks, 2.2 %. B sends almost twice the traffic for the same spend. If both convert at 3 % on site, A produces 18 orders and B produces 33. A creator on a share of sales would earn nearly twice as much from B. Example numbers, not a benchmark.
When brands use it. The pain this answers: “We paid $300 a video and nine out of ten never beat our control.” CTR is an early read on whether a video drives action, and it is comparable across videos, creators and weeks. It is also a fatigue signal: a falling CTR at rising frequency means the audience has seen enough.
The creator’s view. CTR depends on the call to action as much as the content. A video that names the code, shows the price and says where to tap gets more clicks than one that trails off. Creators on share-of-sales deals have a direct reason to end the video with a clear next step.