YouTube’s monthly active user base accounts for an incredible 25% of the world’s population, while some 90% of internet users in the US have accessed YouTube to watch online video. The platform provides a huge potential audience for advertisers to tap into, while consumption trends for mobile video also point to significant opportunity.

If you've not considered YouTube within your digital marketing approach, it needs to be on your radar - and recently, YouTube's creative team provided some additional tips and notes on how to make more effective YouTube ads, and avoid people skipping your message.

Here's a summary of their key tips:

• Impact from the start - Given the capacity to skip your ad, your first five seconds are crucial. YouTube advises brands to begin with a ‘wow’ moment, as opposed to a slow build.
• Video Quality - Utilizing intriguing content, which makes consumers think or feel something, will help your ad resonate, again, with a focus on those initial seconds.
• Introduce your brand - YouTube says you should look to feature branding early on, as it helps to orient the viewer and increases engagement. 
• Attention-grabbing sound/editing - According to YouTube, 95% of video watched on the platform is played with sound on, so there's significant potential for marketers to use music or voice-over to tap into the audiences’ senses. Another trick is to use fast-paced editing, which may include two or more shots in the first five seconds. 
• Build for mobile - With the majority of watch time happening on mobile devices, this needs to be a consideration at every stage. Also, beware of the constraints. People will often be watching on battery saving mode, with darker screens and less visibility, so use bright colors and large, easy-to-read text. 

The team at Vamp has summarized these key elements into a new infographic overview to help keep your efforts on track.