YouTube Thumbnail Design Tips And Tricks – Top 10

Do you want to improve the clickability
of your YouTube Thumbnails?

YouTube says “more clicks lead to more views and watch time on your videos.”

In the video below I share the Top 10 design tips and tricks to make your thumbnails win the click.

Click Here To Subscribe To My YouTube Channel

The purpose of your YouTube thumbnail is get the first click otherwise your videos won’t get watched. If your videos receive little or no views your channel won’t grow.

Here are 10 tips and tricks for improving the
design of your YouTube thumbnails:

1. Create a snapshot of your video
Your thumbnail is like taking a peek inside a window to see what’s inside. The thumbnail must represent the content of your video and the words and images in your thumbnail should motivate people to click on it.

2. Use high resolution images
Shoot for a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels so when the large image gets reduced to a small thumbnail image, on Google, YouTube or mobile devices it can still be clearly seen.

Consider shooting high resolution images of your face using a high definition camera instead of just taking a screen capture image of your video. This will make them really pop when used in your thumbnail.

3. Display emotion or intrigue
People see new faces in their everyday lives and are often intrigued by them therefore Include your face in your thumbnail. Viewers will immediately recognize the thumbnail is associated with your channel because there’s only one face like yours in the world.

Grab viewers attention by showing emotion (excitement, sadness, shock) or intrigue on your face. This will help liven up your image and get more people to click on it.

4. Tell a story
Think of your thumbnail as the beginning of a journey you want to take your viewer on. It starts with your thumbnail then proceeds to your title, video content then call to action.

Thumbnails and titles should tell a cohesive story encouraging viewers to click and watch.

5. Use contrasting colors
Utilize colors that compliment each other such as white text on a solid color background.

6. Use filters to make your thumbnail pop
If you’re using the free online graphics tool Canva.com, adjust the brightness, contrast and saturation to make your images stand out.

To sharpen an image in your thumbnail (eg your face) move the blur tool to the left. This will make your image stand out in your thumbnail.

7. Consider adding a branding element
Including a logo and/or face across all your thumbnails helps viewers associate the thumbnail with your channel. This will motivate them to watch more of your videos.

8. Use few words
Too many words on a small image makes it difficult to read. Just use 2-3 words from your title using a bold font so it stands out on the image. Alternatively select a couple of different words that describe the main point you want to get across instead of using the same words as in your title.

If your background image is too busy consider placing a contrasting outline around the text or place your text on a solid color shape to increase visibility (see examples in the video)

9. Get audience feedback
Test different thumbnail designs by getting feedback from your audience. When you’ve settled on a design that you and your viewers are happy with use it as a template for future videos.

10. Check if your thumbnails deliver
Click on the audience retention report in YouTube Analytics to see if your viewer watches all the way through your video or immediately leaves. If you see a sudden drop in the first few seconds, this could mean that the video content wasn’t what viewers expected when they clicked into your video.

Let me ask you an important question
What software are you currently using to create your YouTube Thumbnails?
Post your answer in the comments below. I love to read them and you’ll help others too.

If you want to learn how to grow your audience on YouTube and
generate views and subscribers on autopilot check out my
YouTube Marketing Course at: TubeVideoBootCamp.com