How To Create A Clickable YouTube Thumbnail Every Time
YouTube is a platform with a massive reach, so the marketing potential is incredible. It’s no wonder that about a hundred hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every single minute. Unfortunately, many of these videos will never be seen because they are not optimized with thumbnails that grab attention and spark curiosity. A thumbnail is a small glimpse, sort of like the headline for an article. Visitors glance at it and make a quick decision as to whether or not they want to click on the video. You only have a split second to make an impression that sparks action. Here are a few tips that will help you create clickable thumbnails every time.
Go Custom
When you upload a video to YouTube, you are always given the option of using system generated thumbnails that were pulled from your video or creating your own custom thumbnails. Go custom every time. YouTube offers free tutorials if you are not sure how to do it. The system generated thumbnails may not properly represent the content of your video. Along with that, they are not always of good quality. Creating custom thumbnails allows you to set the tone for what the audience can expect to see, and you can brand your videos. Using a common theme across all thumbnails helps your audience to recognize you. The theme may be certain colors, a headshot, a logo or anything you deem representative of your content.
Show Action And Minimize Text
You want to make your thumbnails pop, so use the photo editing tools. After all, the thumbnail is a still image. These tools will let you create borders and frames, change colors and add many other enhancements. People are drawn to faces so use them whenever you can but try to incorporate facial expressions into your shot. If you must use text, use it sparingly and make it stand out. You want to grab attention and ensure that your image conveys the right message about your video.
Go Hi-Def
High definition is always a must, especially when you want people to watch your videos. People love seeing clear, crisp pictures so they aren’t likely to click on a low-quality image. The image sets the tone for the video, so let your audience know right away that your video will be high-quality. The YouTube requirement of high-resolution images is set at 1280 pixels x 720 pixels. This will display well on some screens, but you want your videos to display well across all screens. Your audience could be viewing from a mobile phone, a tablet, a laptop or a desktop. It is best to use high definition images of 1920 pixels x 1080 pixels because they will display better across any device.
Use Color To Draw Attention
The eye is automatically drawn to color so use it. Create clear, crisp images and clean lines to make your thumbnail stand out. Just be sure not to make it too busy. You’re just aiming for high-quality images that draw the eye and get the click. You want to spur curiosity while representing the content of your video truthfully. These are fine lines but if you can grasp these elements, you’ll get the click more often than not.
Crafting incredible thumbnails takes a little research and a little practice but it is the best way to optimize your video on YouTube. Take the time to create custom thumbnails in high definition with clean, crisp images that pop. Frame it in well and draw on curiosity. If you do, you’ll get the click every time.