Learn How to Use YouTube Video Thumbnail Efficiently

YouTube can be described as a site where almost half of all internet users spend time. The popularity of video is increasing, and YouTube has become the second-largest search engine globally, just behind Google. This has led to many companies using the platform to help boost growth in their business and gain many real YouTube subscribers. The competition on YouTube continues to grow fiercer each day, which means you must set yourself apart from others to get greater YouTube views to your content and to increase the number of YouTube subscribers that you’ve got. Video thumbnails are one method to achieve this.

What is a thumbnail for a video?

A thumbnail video is a small image intended to showcase your video. The thumbnail is the first image users on the platform will see, along with the video’s name. The primary purpose is to draw viewers to take the time to view the video; therefore, it’s no surprise that your thumbnail must be appealing.

When you upload a clip to YouTube, there’s an option to choose one of the three thumbnails suggested. Although it’s an option, you’d be better off not using it. You don’t want just a random image from your video. Making custom thumbnails is essential to achieve this.

Why are thumbnails so important to YouTube videos?

Video thumbnails are essential due to a variety of reasons. The most important reason is attracting viewers to click on your video, thereby increasing the number of YouTube views you can get.

Additionally, they aid in communicating the purpose of the video to viewers to determine whether the content corresponds to their needs. They also provide context for an issue and make it easier for viewers to stick with the video or on your channel longer. They could also inspire viewers to share your video on their social media sites and help you build the attention of more YouTube subscribers. Contrary to the old saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” individuals do precisely that, and thumbnails help you make an impression on your viewers.

They are also crucial due to their engagement in the search engine ranking. YouTube’s search ranking, along with video recommendations, as well as the homepage for logged-in users, is impacted by greater engagement rates. Thumbnails could help you notice an increase in your engagement rates and also help you get a better search engine ranking.

Engagement rates can also affect Google’s rankings for videos and make it easier for people to discover you on the web. Making custom thumbnails with specific styles, colours overlay, logo, or style will help you create a compelling brand identity and increase brand recognition. A consistent presentation of your brand will increase your sales and increase trust with your customers.

Change or add a thumbnail to your YouTube videos

Making changes to or adding a thumbnail for your video is simple. It’s as simple as signing into YouTube Studio and choosing the option to upload videos from the menu left. Choose a video to choose one of the three thumbnails automatically generated or, even better, choose the custom thumbnail option and upload the thumbnail you want and save it. To upload an individual thumbnail, you’ll need to have an authentic account. Select Go Live and then upload a respective thumbnail via the new screen when you’re streaming live. You can use online tools like Canva and various design software to create your custom thumbnail. You can also alter the thumbnail of your video by visiting the homepage of your account and then editing the particular video to include the thumbnail you prefer before saving the file.

This easy procedure offers many benefits that you should take advantage of.

Utilizing the correct thumbnails to optimize your videos

If you have a better understanding of what a thumbnail video is and its importance, you should know how to image to video more effective by choosing the correct thumbnails. Here are some guidelines to follow to ensure you have a thumbnail certain to bring in many more YouTube views.

Find the correct dimensions

If you wish for your thumbnails to affect your YouTube subscribers and the amount of YouTube views you receive, it is important to ensure that you are creating thumbnails with the correct dimensions. The dimensions needed in YouTube thumbnails include:

• Resolution of image Resolution: 1280×720 (minimum width is 640 pixels)
• The aspect ratio is 16:9.
• 2MB file size is the maximum size for a file.
• Formats for image files that are accepted include .JPG, .BMP, .GIF or .PNG

Use the right colours and contrast

Utilizing the right colours is essential to ensure that your videos catch the viewers’ attention. Incorporating a lot of white, red, and black could cause your videos to blend with YouTube’s colour scheme and making difficult for viewers to be able to distinguish the videos. Other colours like purple, orange, blue, green, and pink could help to make your video stand out. Applying them regularly can help create a brand image where people begin to think of the colours as a part of your brand and can spot your videos more readily when they search for them.

Contrast is another crucial element to keep in mind. It is important to ensure that your content is overlooked due to the background colour. Utilizing contrast colours is essential for you to ensure that viewers on YouTube subscribers can determine the content of your video through its thumbnail.

Make sure you use accurate and relevant thumbnails

The use of click-bait thumbnails could appear like an ideal option for you, but they’ll just do more harm than positive in the end. The higher bounce rate on such videos will alert the algorithm that they may be click-bait content and adversely impact the search engine results.

Overlays of text and Font

Even if you’ve got an image of high-quality, however, your YouTube subscribers will not be able to comprehend the meaning of it without reading the subtitle of the video. To help users quickly understand the content of your video, include overlays of text. It is important to ensure that these are coloured to contrast with the video’s background. The text should be big enough to stand out even on mobile phones, but do not go overboard with your text. The goal is to let your YouTube subscribers know what viewers will get of your content. You don’t want to crowd your thumbnail.

Using text that piques viewers’ attention can help increase your free subs and views. Focus on the font used for your text thumbnails. A consistent font can help your actual YouTube subscribers identify your brand’s content and establish its identity. Pick a font that aligns with your brand’s style can help in this.

Create images

Thumbnails that include graphics or a mixture of still images and graphics are also a great way to draw attention to your video and get them to view it.

Utilize still images

Customizing thumbnails is the best choice that you have; however, should you be determined to use a still image from the video, ensure you select still images. Motions from the video may cause blurred images that are less appealing and will not make a great thumbnail. Take a picture of the scene on its own when you are planning to use a small portion of the video for the thumbnail. Using this still image, you can assure that it’s high quality and has no blurs. It’s not possible to settle for low-quality images.

Your logo should be placed strategically

The placement of your logo in your thumbnail will help increase the visibility of your brand’s logo to your viewers subconsciously. It isn’t ideal for your logo to take centre stage in your thumbnail. It should be subtle enough to not distract from the other thumbnails; however, it should be noticeable enough to let your viewers identify with your content.

Make use of whitespace

The use of whitespace effectively can provide your thumbnails with a neat professional, well-organized appearance that will assist in getting many more YouTube views.

Make a connection personal with people.

The use of faces in thumbnails has been proven to create personal connections. This could result in higher percentages of people clicking through your YouTube videos. It can help your YouTube subscribers associate the human aspect of your brand, making it easy for them to connect to it.

Maintain the consistency

Consistency is essential to make sure you get more exposure through your thumbnails. If your YouTube subscribers notice consistency in the thumbnails that you post, they can recognize patterns, making it easier to recognize your content on YouTube.

Try it out

Testing different thumbnails in split testing and evaluating the click-through rates of each will provide you with an understanding of the type of audience you are getting more engaged with so that you can make the appropriate adjustments.

Conclusion

First impressions can make a big impression, and you don’t want to make a mistake with them. The best thumbnails will allow you to observe an increase in your video’s engagement rates; however, the wrong thumbnail may cause people to scroll right over your videos. Use the best techniques described above to make captivating thumbnails that will catch the attention of your viewers.