A thumbnail for a YouTube video is a small image that represents a video on YouTube. It is the first thing that a viewer sees when they encounter a video on YouTube, and it can play a significant role in whether or not they decide to watch the video. A good thumbnail should be visually appealing and attention-grabbing so that it stands out from the other thumbnails on the page. The thumbnail should give the viewer an idea of what the video is about so that they can decide whether or not it is something that they are interested in watching. A thumbnail that is interesting and relevant to the video’s content is more likely to attract viewers, which can increase the number of views on the video.
Overall, the thumbnail is an important part of a YouTube video, as it helps to attract and engage viewers, and can impact the overall success of the video. Here are the top ten tips for optimizing your YouTube video thumbnail:
- Use high-quality images: Use clear, crisp images that are visually appealing and relevant to your video’s content. You can use Adobe Photoshop or Figma to create your video thumbnail. You can also use the screenshot of the best moment in the video as a thumbnail.
- Use bold, contrasting colors: Use colors that stand out and grab the attention of viewers. View popular channels on YouTube and look at their thumbnails. Get ideas on how top creators use colors to enhance their thumbnails.
- Use a clear, easy-to-read font: Use a font that is easy to read and clearly displays the title of your video. Use ‘Google Fonts’ to add text on thumbnails. Darken the background of the text to make the text prominent. Use dark background on light-colored text. Use light background on dark-colored text.
- Include a compelling visual element: Use an image or graphic that is interesting and relevant to your video’s content. It can be a text or smiley face or anything else.
- Test different thumbnails: Experiment with different thumbnails to see which ones perform the best and attract more views. There are tools that allow AB testing for thumbnails like TubeBuddy. Use those tools.
- Use a consistent design: Use a consistent design for your thumbnails to help build brand recognition. Use the same font family for all thumbnails. It does not mean you should not experiment. Keep experimenting until you get the best results.
- Keep the thumbnail size in mind: Make sure your thumbnail is the correct size for YouTube (1280 x 720 pixels).
- Use a consistent aspect ratio: Use a consistent aspect ratio for your thumbnails to ensure that they look good on all devices.
- Use a thumbnail that accurately represents your video: Make sure your thumbnail accurately represents the content of your video to avoid misleading viewers.
- Follow YouTube’s guidelines: Make sure your thumbnail follows YouTube’s guidelines, including not using any offensive or inappropriate content.
If you follow these rules to create thumbnails, you will see an increase in CTR and views. More CTR will result in more views. More views will result in more subscribers.