How to make good thumbnails, a little guide !

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Hey guys, I'm a long time lurker and I thought I might contribute something useful for you with this little "guide" on how to create a good thumbnail.


  • What is a Thumbnail?
The purpose of a thumbnail is to stop the viewer from scrolling and get his attention.

If it works, the viewer will probably read your title and click on your video.

So this little picture, is of crucial value and should be treated like that. Give it your best shot, take your time and improve with each one. If your thumbnail isn't good, don't use it and keep creating until you have a good one.



  • What does a Thumbnail needs to be, to do that?
It needs to gain the attraction of the viewer through its visual representation. Simple.



  • How do I create a thumbnail like this?
I use https://www.pixlr.com/ to create all my thumbnails, so there's a nice little software for free available. Feel free to use whatever you like, though.

Describe your Video in one or two sentences​

Imagine someone asking you about your latest video, and you would have a very short time to describe it. Keep it short and focus on the main selling point. Bonus points if you can make the viewer curious about it.

They key elements of your description, can also be the key elements of your Thumbnail.

Don't promise or teaser something in your thumbnail, that your video won't deliver or show.

Variety​

Once you have your key elements, you will create 3 Thumbnails at least, which should be totally different in style and representation from each other and continue with the next steps on each of these.

Look at well performing videos with similar topics or in a similar niche to get some inspiration, but be better than those, or at least different.

Emotions​

The best thumbnails evoke emotions in us, so think about what emotions your visual representation/thumbnail will evoke in a potential viewer and build your thumbnail around that.

Try to focus on a single one, negative emotions tend to work better to get attention.

Adding Pictures​

Choose the pictures for your thumbnail carefully, they need to be of a very high quality each.

If you can use high quality logos (for a video game), do that instead of text.

Learn how to cut out pictures, this is a very important skill you will need in every thumbnail.

Start to place your pictures on your thumbnail and play with position and style, don't be afraid to mirror those to get the perfect position and remember the time stamp (right bottom corner) later on.

(I tend to increase the contrast of every single picture I use, maybe this is helpful for you too)

Composition​

Keep it simple! The Viewer has to understand the thumbnail in less than a second, use 3 elements at max. For example, Face, Thing, Arrow. 3 Elements, you stop right there.

If you can present your idea without even using text, do that! If text is necessary, use 3 words at max. Choose your words wisely and don't repeat words you want to use in your title. Remember, thumbnails on a smartphone will be pretty tiny, so make sure your pictures are big enough.

Use a simple-to-read font. The understanding of the viewer has priority over your artistic desire to look cool.

Thumbnail will be seen first, title second, so create something that complements each other in this order. Let the title expand on the idea or topic your thumbnail presents.

Humans are attracted to emotions, bright colors and other human faces. Use that knowledge, but with style.

Decide on a single eye-catcher and build your thumbnail around that point, so the viewer's attention is automatically located to that point. Everything in your thumbnail composition, should lead his view to that. This can be done with bright colors like red, yellow and orange. Often times, people forget that, for an eye-catcher to actually work, everything else can't be... that exciting! So make sure you don't add too many elements that will distract from your eye-catcher.

Bad examples are a red or yellow background, which distracts from the actual things you want to represent.

Branding​

So I have seen many small YouTubers making a "branding" by putting their logo or face into each and every thumbnail or using the same background over and over again.

I don't think it's a good idea for the following reasons:

To present a brand, you need to have one in the first place. Nobody is interested in a logo or face of you, if you're not already established in your niche. But even then, look at the most popular YouTubers, they don't do all of that. Their face is enough.

By adding the same elements to your thumbnail, you limit yourself and your own creativity. Your thumbnails will look the same because they contain the same elements.

I like to compare a video thumbnail to a book cover, every book has its own unique book cover art, even if it's a series.

The best way to brand your thumbnails, would be to create a specific "Style" or form of art. Like, there are several crafting channels who are easily recognizable, just because of their style and craft.

Some examples : Studson Studio, Boylei Hobby Time and North of the Border

So the challenge would be to make your thumbnails unique to each other, but still keep a level of style that is recognizable.

After all, the brand is "you", not a logo, not a picture, your channel and the videos you create are your brand.

Rating your thumbnail​

You don't need friends or A/B testing to compare your thumbnails, because your thumbnail will not perform against them, it will perform against the big quality thumbnails which are already performing good. So compare it to those and make it better than that.

Once you have your favorite one, upload it and don't change it for at least a week/month to see how it performs. (Except a negative impact is directly seen after uploading)

All The best guys !!
 
Amazing tips especially on branding.

When you put that branding element, it weaves a consistent theme throughout all your other thumbnails.

It also is a mark of uniqueness or personality for your specific channel.

Good call.

But if I may add something to your tutorial on YouTube thumbnails, don't ignore your competition.

Look for the biggest channels in your niche.

Study their thumbnails.

Their thumbnails look like that for a reason.

There are certain really big players that have a unique thumbnail, and it's not the thumbnail that accounts for their success.

Instead, they are already an established brand.

For example, the Lex Fridman Podcast has a distinct thumbnail style.

Don't copy that.

What drives people to Lex Fridman is the quality of his guests as well as his track record as a podcast host.

But when you're looking at a typical niche, let's say "make money online," or certain types of games, look at your competitors.

You will notice that they have certain themes.

There are certain compositional elements.

This is not an accident.

Your niche audience tends to click on those thumbnails more than other types of designs.

Reverse-engineer your competitors.

Of course, just because you copied the top channel in your niche doesn't mean that you automatically will boost your thumbnail clicks.

It doesn't work that way.

In many cases, you have to keep making variations of that composition until you find something that actually sticks and leads to more video views over the long term.
 
Hey guys, I'm a long time lurker and I thought I might contribute something useful for you with this little "guide" on how to create a good thumbnail.


  • What is a Thumbnail?
The purpose of a thumbnail is to stop the viewer from scrolling and get his attention.

If it works, the viewer will probably read your title and click on your video.

So this little picture, is of crucial value and should be treated like that. Give it your best shot, take your time and improve with each one. If your thumbnail isn't good, don't use it and keep creating until you have a good one.



  • What does a Thumbnail needs to be, to do that?
It needs to gain the attraction of the viewer through its visual representation. Simple.



  • How do I create a thumbnail like this?
I use www.pixlr.com to create all my thumbnails, so there's a nice little software for free available. Feel free to use whatever you like, though.

Describe your Video in one or two sentences​

Imagine someone asking you about your latest video, and you would have a very short time to describe it. Keep it short and focus on the main selling point. Bonus points if you can make the viewer curious about it.

They key elements of your description, can also be the key elements of your Thumbnail.

Don't promise or teaser something in your thumbnail, that your video won't deliver or show.

Variety​

Once you have your key elements, you will create 3 Thumbnails at least, which should be totally different in style and representation from each other and continue with the next steps on each of these.

Look at well performing videos with similar topics or in a similar niche to get some inspiration, but be better than those, or at least different.

Emotions​

The best thumbnails evoke emotions in us, so think about what emotions your visual representation/thumbnail will evoke in a potential viewer and build your thumbnail around that.

Try to focus on a single one, negative emotions tend to work better to get attention.

Adding Pictures​

Choose the pictures for your thumbnail carefully, they need to be of a very high quality each.

If you can use high quality logos (for a video game), do that instead of text.

Learn how to cut out pictures, this is a very important skill you will need in every thumbnail.

Start to place your pictures on your thumbnail and play with position and style, don't be afraid to mirror those to get the perfect position and remember the time stamp (right bottom corner) later on.

(I tend to increase the contrast of every single picture I use, maybe this is helpful for you too)

Composition​

Keep it simple! The Viewer has to understand the thumbnail in less than a second, use 3 elements at max. For example, Face, Thing, Arrow. 3 Elements, you stop right there.

If you can present your idea without even using text, do that! If text is necessary, use 3 words at max. Choose your words wisely and don't repeat words you want to use in your title. Remember, thumbnails on a smartphone will be pretty tiny, so make sure your pictures are big enough.

Use a simple-to-read font. The understanding of the viewer has priority over your artistic desire to look cool.

Thumbnail will be seen first, title second, so create something that complements each other in this order. Let the title expand on the idea or topic your thumbnail presents.

Humans are attracted to emotions, bright colors and other human faces. Use that knowledge, but with style.

Decide on a single eye-catcher and build your thumbnail around that point, so the viewer's attention is automatically located to that point. Everything in your thumbnail composition, should lead his view to that. This can be done with bright colors like red, yellow and orange. Often times, people forget that, for an eye-catcher to actually work, everything else can't be... that exciting! So make sure you don't add too many elements that will distract from your eye-catcher.

Bad examples are a red or yellow background, which distracts from the actual things you want to represent.

Branding​

So I have seen many small YouTubers making a "branding" by putting their logo or face into each and every thumbnail or using the same background over and over again.

I don't think it's a good idea for the following reasons:

To present a brand, you need to have one in the first place. Nobody is interested in a logo or face of you, if you're not already established in your niche. But even then, look at the most popular YouTubers, they don't do all of that. Their face is enough.

By adding the same elements to your thumbnail, you limit yourself and your own creativity. Your thumbnails will look the same because they contain the same elements.

I like to compare a video thumbnail to a book cover, every book has its own unique book cover art, even if it's a series.

The best way to brand your thumbnails, would be to create a specific "Style" or form of art. Like, there are several crafting channels who are easily recognizable, just because of their style and craft.

Some examples : Studson Studio, Boylei Hobby Time and North of the Border

So the challenge would be to make your thumbnails unique to each other, but still keep a level of style that is recognizable.

After all, the brand is "you", not a logo, not a picture, your channel and the videos you create are your brand.

Rating your thumbnail​

You don't need friends or A/B testing to compare your thumbnails, because your thumbnail will not perform against them, it will perform against the big quality thumbnails which are already performing good. So compare it to those and make it better than that.

Once you have your favorite one, upload it and don't change it for at least a week/month to see how it performs. (Except a negative impact is directly seen after uploading)

All The best guys !!
Feedback from friends is also important. Especially those in design area if you have friends from those.
 
Hey guys, I'm a long time lurker and I thought I might contribute something useful for you with this little "guide" on how to create a good thumbnail.


  • What is a Thumbnail?
The purpose of a thumbnail is to stop the viewer from scrolling and get his attention.

If it works, the viewer will probably read your title and click on your video.

So this little picture, is of crucial value and should be treated like that. Give it your best shot, take your time and improve with each one. If your thumbnail isn't good, don't use it and keep creating until you have a good one.



  • What does a Thumbnail needs to be, to do that?
It needs to gain the attraction of the viewer through its visual representation. Simple.



  • How do I create a thumbnail like this?
I use www.pixlr.com to create all my thumbnails, so there's a nice little software for free available. Feel free to use whatever you like, though.

Describe your Video in one or two sentences​

Imagine someone asking you about your latest video, and you would have a very short time to describe it. Keep it short and focus on the main selling point. Bonus points if you can make the viewer curious about it.

They key elements of your description, can also be the key elements of your Thumbnail.

Don't promise or teaser something in your thumbnail, that your video won't deliver or show.

Variety​

Once you have your key elements, you will create 3 Thumbnails at least, which should be totally different in style and representation from each other and continue with the next steps on each of these.

Look at well performing videos with similar topics or in a similar niche to get some inspiration, but be better than those, or at least different.

Emotions​

The best thumbnails evoke emotions in us, so think about what emotions your visual representation/thumbnail will evoke in a potential viewer and build your thumbnail around that.

Try to focus on a single one, negative emotions tend to work better to get attention.

Adding Pictures​

Choose the pictures for your thumbnail carefully, they need to be of a very high quality each.

If you can use high quality logos (for a video game), do that instead of text.

Learn how to cut out pictures, this is a very important skill you will need in every thumbnail.

Start to place your pictures on your thumbnail and play with position and style, don't be afraid to mirror those to get the perfect position and remember the time stamp (right bottom corner) later on.

(I tend to increase the contrast of every single picture I use, maybe this is helpful for you too)

Composition​

Keep it simple! The Viewer has to understand the thumbnail in less than a second, use 3 elements at max. For example, Face, Thing, Arrow. 3 Elements, you stop right there.

If you can present your idea without even using text, do that! If text is necessary, use 3 words at max. Choose your words wisely and don't repeat words you want to use in your title. Remember, thumbnails on a smartphone will be pretty tiny, so make sure your pictures are big enough.

Use a simple-to-read font. The understanding of the viewer has priority over your artistic desire to look cool.

Thumbnail will be seen first, title second, so create something that complements each other in this order. Let the title expand on the idea or topic your thumbnail presents.

Humans are attracted to emotions, bright colors and other human faces. Use that knowledge, but with style.

Decide on a single eye-catcher and build your thumbnail around that point, so the viewer's attention is automatically located to that point. Everything in your thumbnail composition, should lead his view to that. This can be done with bright colors like red, yellow and orange. Often times, people forget that, for an eye-catcher to actually work, everything else can't be... that exciting! So make sure you don't add too many elements that will distract from your eye-catcher.

Bad examples are a red or yellow background, which distracts from the actual things you want to represent.

Branding​

So I have seen many small YouTubers making a "branding" by putting their logo or face into each and every thumbnail or using the same background over and over again.

I don't think it's a good idea for the following reasons:

To present a brand, you need to have one in the first place. Nobody is interested in a logo or face of you, if you're not already established in your niche. But even then, look at the most popular YouTubers, they don't do all of that. Their face is enough.

By adding the same elements to your thumbnail, you limit yourself and your own creativity. Your thumbnails will look the same because they contain the same elements.

I like to compare a video thumbnail to a book cover, every book has its own unique book cover art, even if it's a series.

The best way to brand your thumbnails, would be to create a specific "Style" or form of art. Like, there are several crafting channels who are easily recognizable, just because of their style and craft.

Some examples : Studson Studio, Boylei Hobby Time and North of the Border

So the challenge would be to make your thumbnails unique to each other, but still keep a level of style that is recognizable.

After all, the brand is "you", not a logo, not a picture, your channel and the videos you create are your brand.

Rating your thumbnail​

You don't need friends or A/B testing to compare your thumbnails, because your thumbnail will not perform against them, it will perform against the big quality thumbnails which are already performing good. So compare it to those and make it better than that.

Once you have your favorite one, upload it and don't change it for at least a week/month to see how it performs. (Except a negative impact is directly seen after uploading)

All The best guys !!
thanks for sharing, hope you well!
 
thanks for the tips! I also noticed that using close-up photos of your face (if you're like a vlogger or a streamer) works best. you can see that in a lot of popular youtubers, mostly with funny faces. not sure what's the psychology behind it but it does work lol
 
Very helpful post. I'm struggling with making thumbnails for some of my Youtube channels. Thumbnail click rate is too low and looking for someone to share about it reliably.
 
Very helpful post. I'm struggling with making thumbnails for some of my Youtube channels. Thumbnail click rate is too low and looking for someone to share about it reliably.
Hi! We're a team of designers with 6 years of experience, specializing in YouTube thumbnails to boost click rates. If you need professional and effective thumbnails, I can help! Thanks for your comment.
 
  1. choosing a clean, readable font for your title text.
  2. using colors and graphics that match your brand.
  3. taking advantage of color contrast to make the image as clear as possible.
  4. accurately reflecting the content of your channel
 
Is pixlr.com completely free ? How much time it took you to master it ?
My team and I have over 6 years of experience, but with new trends constantly emerging, we’re always learning. I see myself as a lifelong learner, always embracing the mindset of a beginner, so I always have this idea of learning. ;)
 
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