Did you know that, apart from the titles of YouTube videos, your YouTube thumbnails are the next best thing to getting your users’ attention? This is why you must not ignore YouTube thumbnails.
Many YouTubers spend hours perfecting their thumbnails, as they do for their videos. YouTube thumbnails can affect your searchability, reach, and even your views.
What Are YouTube Video Thumbnails?
A YouTube thumbnail is a still image that acts as a preview image for your video. It is like a movie trailer, and it entices viewers to watch more.
They say, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” but that doesn’t apply to YouTube thumbnails. These videos are judged and viewed by their thumbnail presence. When your YouTube video shows up on the feed, the only way viewers can click through it is through its thumbnails.
YouTube thumbnails are still images that show up on the feed. They basically contain elements of your video theme and niche.
Why Are YouTube Thumbnails Important?
Do you know how they say the first impression matters? Well, your YouTube thumbnail is your first impression. Your YouTube thumbnails can draw a million attractions to your channel.
For example, if you go to a shopping mall to buy some clothes and you see a mannequin embedded in a branded dress, you are automatically drawn to that shop. The shop owners put up their best dresses on it to lure customers.
YouTube thumbnails work similarly. If your video thumbnail is alluring and attractive, viewers are bound to click through your video.
How YouTube Thumbnails Can Increase Your Click Through Rate?
A great video thumbnail won’t get you a million views, but doing it right will boost your channel. Here are essential elements to remember when you design your YouTube thumbnail.
Sticking to a custom thumbnail is a great way to get more views. Choose a YouTube thumbnail template for all your thumbnails and be consistent with that.
Consistency with the YouTube thumbnail template helps you build your brand; people know it’s you when you come online.
Find a consistent YouTube thumbnail template and stick to it. You don’t have to be a graphic designer to make the creatives. You can easily do it on canva. Pick a pre-designed template on canva for your YouTube thumbnail and then use that for every video with slight changes of titles and content.
A good YouTube thumbnail consists of the following:
- Convey the subject of your video
- Use your brand logo
- Maximize your YouTube SEO for video titles and descriptions
- Perfect YouTube thumbnail size is an essential element of a YouTube thumbnail.
- Custom YouTube thumbnail
- Use titles that users most search for, such as how-to or guide videos. An AI YouTube title generator can generate catchy titles and grab viewers’ attention with relevant keywords.
Make Your Custom YouTube Thumbnail With These Trends
According to YouTube, 90% of the best-performing videos have custom thumbnails. A custom thumbnail for every video is not a YouTube requirement, but if you want to interest your YouTube viewers and YouTube algorithm, having a custom YouTube thumbnail is the way to go.
An eye-catching YouTube thumbnail is as vital as compelling video titles and descriptions.
1) Choose your color palettes wisely to make your YouTube thumbnail stand out.
Using a pop color for your YouTube thumbnail is essential to attracting viewers to your channel and raising your click-through rate.
Add an unusual color to your YouTube thumbnail, which is not subtle enough but also not very daunting. The color should be soothing and create beauty for the eyes so that viewers can catch their attention.
2) Use Bold, clear text to enhance the visibility of your video thumbnail.
Use bold and clear text for your YouTube thumbnail so viewers can easily see what the video is about. Engaging in video titles is a surefire way to ace the game. Don’t make your viewers hunt for the title to understand your video. Give them an easy experience.
Along with titles and thumbnails, video descriptions are another vital element to focus on. A brief explanation of the video’s topic can help you rank it higher on searches. It will help the YouTube algorithm understand the video’s context with relevant keywords. An AI YouTube description generator will save time and help generate enticing video descriptions.
3) Boost views with high-quality YouTube thumbnail image
Poor-quality video thumbnail influences the credibility of your videos. Just imagine you have found two videos on the same topic, one with a high-quality thumbnail image and the other that is blurry and hard to get; which one would you go for?
4) Be consistent with the designs
Use consistent colors or texts in your YouTube thumbnail to create your brand. If you are compatible with your YouTube thumbnail designs and patterns, it’s easy for your fans and followers to recognize your videos quickly.
Conclusion
Think of your YouTube thumbnail as a teaser of your video; don’t reveal everything, but give out enough information to arouse interest in your audience. You do not have to implement all the tips in one go. Pick the ones that make sense for your YouTube videos.
Use these tips to boost your YouTube channel’s views and grow your audience. In addition to organic efforts, you can buy YouTube views to boost your channel and reach a wider audience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Do custom thumbnails perform better than automatic ones?
Yes, custom thumbnails perform better as you can incorporate elements from the content of your video. This will help you communicate your message better, and viewers can understand the context of the video. Putting in efforts to create custom thumbnails for each video is a unique way to promote video on YouTube.
Q2. How can thumbnails help me reach my target audience?
The first glimpse of your video is generally the video’s thumbnails. If the viewer finds the thumbnail attractive and is curious about it, then there is a high chance that the viewer will want to watch the video. That is why focusing on uploading custom thumbnails is essential.
Q3. How often should I change or update my thumbnails?
Follow the below-mentioned criteria to change the video’s thumbnails:
- If your video is very old and outdated and the views have dropped substantially, you can try to refresh the thumbnail.
- If the new video’s CTR is lower in the first 24 hours of uploading, you can consider tweaking the thumbnail a little. This can increase impressions on the video.
- You can also update the thumbnails of older videos to maintain consistency in the channel’s overall look and branding.
Q4. Do thumbnails influence YouTube’s algorithm?
The thumbnail should generate curiosity in viewers and be enticing enough that they click on it to watch the entire video. If the thumbnail is engaging, it will improve the click-through rates, positively impacting YouTube’s algorithm.