Creating a good YouTube thumbnail is crucial for getting more views and subscribers. An eye-catching and creative thumbnail can grab viewers' attention and make them click on your video.
In this blog post, we'll explore what makes an effective YouTube thumbnail and provide tips for designing your own creative YouTube thumbnails that convert.
YouTube thumbnails act like a video's cover image. Along with the video title, they are the first thing viewers see when browsing YouTube. This means your thumbnail needs to stand out from the crowd and quickly communicate what the video is about.
An engaging thumbnail results in more clicks and higher click-through rates (CTR). Videos with higher CTRs tend to get promoted more by YouTube's algorithm. This leads to more impressions, suggested videos, and traffic from YouTube searches.
Simply put - a good YouTube thumbnail can lead to more views, and subscribers and help your videos rank better in YouTube search results. That's why it pays to spend time designing creative thumbnails that capture viewers' interest.
What exactly makes a good YouTube thumbnail? Here are some key elements to include:
Keeping these principles in mind will help you create effective and clickable thumbnails tailored to YouTube.
The key to a good YouTube thumbnail is having an interesting concept or idea to build your design around. YouTube thumbnail templates can spark inspiration or serve as a starting point. Here are some popular thumbnail template ideas you can try:
This basic template uses a large, eye-catching image that takes up most of the thumbnail. You can add text like your video title on the bottom or top. The visual should quickly tell viewers what the video is about.
Include bold overlay text on a colorful background image to highlight your key message. This creates visual contrast and makes the text pop. You can use your video title or a compelling phrase that summarizes the content.
Numbered lists are an easy way to convey “tips” videos or topics covered in a tutorial. Combining a number with descriptive text tells viewers what to expect and entices them to click.
For many niches, including a close-up face shot helps personalize videos and creates an eye-catching focal point. Just ensure you have the right or license to use the image.
Using cutout graphics and shapes layered over your background image adds visual interest. This technique helps highlight certain elements of your thumbnail.
For a clean look, use a minimalist design with a single dominant image, color block, or icon with simple text. The sparse elements will stand out on a plain background.
There are also free YouTube thumbnail downloader tools you can use to browse and extract thumbnails from trending YouTube videos for inspiration.
Experiment with these thumbnail templates and tailor them for your brand. The goal is to create something simple yet compelling that will make viewers click.
Beyond choosing a template, there are some other tips for designing eye-catching thumbnails that convert viewers:
Following these best practices will help you create thumbnails that get noticed and clicked.
To spark more ideas, let's look at some examples of great YouTube thumbnails from popular creators:
MrBeast is YouTube's top creator for viral stunts and challenges. His wacky thumbnails feature excited facial expressions and clever text captions. The style is consistent but each thumbnail is unique.
Known for his gaming videos, Markiplier uses contrasting colors, strong text, and his own facial expressions to make his thumbnails stand out and relate to the video.
Photographer Peter McKinnon's thumbnails incorporate stunning landscape photos with simple white text and his logo. This makes them instantly recognizable.
Michelle Khare combines high-contrast text with a cutout of herself and related graphics to create eye-catching thumbnails. The style matches her fitness content.
Binging with Babish features mouth-watering food photos against vibrant colored backgrounds. The coloring and dishes pictured relate to each video to grab hungry viewers.
Study thumbnails from top YouTubers in your niche. See what elements grab your attention and get ideas for your own creative YouTube thumbnail design.
You don’t need advanced graphic design skills to make great DIY YouTube thumbnails. Many free and paid tools exist to help create beautiful thumbnails quickly. Here are some top options:
The best tool will depend on your budget, design experience, and video style. Try out a few different options to see which fits your needs.
Optimizing your thumbnails is an ongoing process. Use these tips to iterate and improve them over time:
The most clickable thumbnails take testing, analytics and constantly staying on top of trends. Study your data and what thumbnails hook viewers in your niche to inform your designs.
YouTube thumbnails have a big impact on your channel's success. Investing time into creating custom, high-converting thumbnails for all your videos can really pay off in more clicks, views, and subscribers.
Follow the tips in this guide to learn how to:
Remember, your thumbnail acts like a billboard for your video. A creative, professional-looking thumbnail builds trust in your brand and invites viewers to click. Use these best practices to make your YouTube channel stand out with thumbnails viewers can't resist clicking on.
A: The ideal size is 1280x720 pixels. Thumbnails can be uploaded as JPG, GIF, or PNG files up to 2MB in size.
A: Bold, sans-serif fonts like Arial or Helvetica in a large size like 50pt+ work well. Use contrasting colors to make the text stand out.
A: Faces can help thumbnails stand out in search results. But only include your face if it relates to the content and enhances the design. Test faces vs. other images.
A: Popular tools used by top creators include Photoshop, Canva, PicMonkey, InDesign, and video editing software like Final Cut Pro.
A: Create thumbnail templates with consistent branding, colors, and fonts. Then customize each one with different graphics, photos, and text relevant to the video topic.
A: Review your past video thumbnails every few months. Update any underperforming ones with new titles or images to help improve CTR.
Success on YouTube starts with compelling video titles and thumbnails that get clicked. Dedicate time to crafting attention-grabbing custom thumbnails tailored to your brand and niche. Analyze which types of thumbnails and templates perform best. Experiment with different graphic styles, typography, colors, and visuals to make your thumbnails irresistible.
Use the strategies in this guide to create beautiful YouTube thumbnails that turn viewers into loyal subscribers. With clickable titles and thumbnails, you can take your YouTube channel to new heights.
