New to advertising on YouTube? Here are a couple easy-to-follow best practices for when you’re just getting started.

Video Guidelines:
– In-Stream Video ads are uploaded like normal YouTube videos, so technical aspects are the same for a typical YouTube video
– Discovery Ads are slightly different so make sure you research the correct specs for them
– The minimum length for skippable ads is 12 seconds
– The maximum length for skippable ads is 3 minutes
– The maximum length for non-skippable ads is 15 seconds
– The maximum length for bumper ads is 6 seconds

Advertising Best Practices

Capture Attention Immediately
Don’t spend precious time building your ad up. Capture your audience as soon as possible; you want people to watch your ad, not skip it!

Brand Within the First 5 Seconds
When your audience is at the top of your brand awareness funnel, the best performing ads are those which brand themselves quickly and consistently throughout the ad. If your audience is a little further down the funnel, it’s safe to brand a bit later. And don’t just slap your logo everywhere. A great YouTube ad bleeds your business, beliefs, true branding, etc.

Appeal to Emotions
It’s no surprise that ads the invoke emotional reactions perform better and give a better impression of your brand. Furthermore, in this political climate, it is important for your audience to trust you and your company before they invest.

Don’t Forget Your Call To Action
You’d be surprised the guidance people need sometimes. It’s not any different with advertising. Make sure you’ve selected the optimal objective for your ad and then play off of that. If your goal is lower funnel, TrueView ads might be the way to go. They’ll include overlays and banners – plenty of things for your viewer to click on!

That’s it for the basics! Good luck out there – and as always, give us a shout if you need help!