YouTube creative is longer-form than TikTok or Meta. You have 30-60 seconds typically. The patterns that work optimize for the 5-second skip moment: hook hard, then deliver.
Users skip at 5 seconds if not hooked. The first 5 seconds must:
"Have you ever wondered why..."
"In the next 30 seconds I'll show you..."
"If you're still doing X, you're losing [money/time/customers]."
"The one thing nobody tells you about [topic]..."
Start with visual demo of the product in action.
Develop the promise made in the hook. Common structures:
Specific next action. Show the URL or CTA button. State it verbally.
Design so users who skip have still absorbed the core message. First 5 seconds state: who it's for + what the product is + what it does.
YouTube tolerates (and sometimes prefers) higher production quality than TikTok. Talking-head with good lighting beats shaky phone video on YouTube (unlike TikTok). But don't overdo it, authentic beats over-produced.
Like Meta: multiple creatives testing different hooks. 5-10 variants per campaign.
Last 5 seconds: clear CTA with clickable end card. Include the URL verbally and visually.