Are YouTube thumbnails REALLY this easy now?

Are YouTube Thumbnails REALLY This Easy Now?

As a new YouTuber, Jon would spend hours sketching out thumbnails and editing them tirelessly, but nobody was clicking on his videos. His views flatlined at tens of views, if he was lucky. His channel was going nowhere.

What Jon didn't realize was that his thumbnails were actually works of art but they weren't good enough to compel anybody to click on the videos themselves.

In a really good Twitter thread, Jay Alto wrote about how creators make the mistake of focusing too much on the design rather than the psychology behind their thumbnails. In Jay's words, "People don't click art; they click on a video they want to watch." Prioritize capturing why your video is worth your viewer's time.

The Role of Thumbnails and Psychology

Imagine your favorite director is about to release a new movie. The job of the teaser trailer is to hint to the potential viewer, the fan of the director, that all the things you want out of this type of movie are going to be in the movie. Similarly, your thumbnail plays a crucial role in getting people to understand what your video is about.

As Jay put it, "The potential viewer knows nothing about your video. Assume your viewer knows nothing and build your thumbnail accordingly." This is great advice, especially for small channels. If nobody's actively looking for your content but the algorithm gives one of your videos a chance, you have maybe a split second to try and stop their scrolling and capture their attention.

The Importance of Research and Pattern Recognition

Like Jon, you need to do your research. Collect thumbnails that stand out to you and try to spot patterns in those thumbnails. Even if you're not looking at videos from your niche, pick out the thumbnails that raise your curiosity and then break them down into their various elements. Analyze how each of these elements of a thumbnail makes you feel.

Case Study: Ryan Trahan

Speaking of curiosity, a master at raising curiosity in a thumbnail and a script would be, in my opinion, Ryan Trahan. He made a video that should have performed really well. The thumbnail looked good, he nailed the editing, and video retention was high, but the video just wasn't getting any clicks. He was baffled until he saw the thumbnail in dark mode on his phone. By simply changing the thumbnail's background from dark to bright green, Ryan saved his video.

Think Mobile First

A lot of YouTubers end up making their thumbnails on maybe a big 4K monitor and are really taken by all the big bright elements on the screen. But there's an important element that's easy to miss, even if you have experience: most people will be scrolling on their phone. They're going to see this thumbnail in a much smaller size. Your thumbnails need to be simple, high-contrast, and visually striking. Leave all those tiny little details out of the thumbnail. Mobile comes first. A thumbnail that works well on a TV or desktop could flop on mobile.

Human Connection and Emotional Elements

One design trick you've probably seen a million times across YouTube is the YouTuber face thumbnails. The face takes up half the screen, always in some kind of exaggerated expression. These close-up faces make a human emotional connection. Depending on your niche, even if it's not a face, you can still adopt this tactic. Close-ups of intriguing objects or gadgets also work, such as a cute animal or cheese melting off a slice of pizza. These elements help viewers understand what your video is about before they've clicked on it.

You can leverage arrows, symbols, or even fingers pointing at key details. These can quickly direct a viewer's eye across the thumbnail. Take this strategy used often by Beast: playing with perspective to add intrigue with tiny people next to giant objects. Flat versus detailed - it all makes people curious about what else is in the video.

Complementing Your Title

Your thumbnail and title should complement each other. Create a journey from the thumbnail to the title. People ready to follow this journey have already started watching the video, making them more likely to click. Avoid clutter and use text to amplify the title and add intrigue but not give everything away.

Track and Test

Thumbnails aren't done once they leave editing software. Track which thumbnails perform better. Keep testing different thumbnails to find one that stands out. Use tools like thumbnail-preview.com to visualize what your thumbnail looks like on an actual YouTube page. Keep testing until you get one that works. Once posted, use Vid IQ or YouTube Studio to track its performance.

Keywords

• YouTube Thumbnails
• Viewer Psychology
• Mobile Optimization
• Click-through Rate
• Ryan Trahan
• Human Connection
• Research and Patterns

FAQ

Q: Why aren't people clicking on my YouTube videos despite the high-quality thumbnails?
A: Your thumbnails might be well-designed but lack the psychological elements that compel viewers to click. Focus on why your video is worth viewers' time and create thumbnails that communicate this effectively.

Q: How do I ensure my thumbnails are optimized for mobile viewers?
A: Make your thumbnails simple, high-contrast, and visually striking. Avoid small details that won't be visible on smaller screens.

Q: What are some tips for creating effective YouTube thumbnails?
A: Use human faces or close-ups of intriguing objects to create an emotional connection, leverage arrows or symbols to direct viewers' eyes, and ensure your thumbnails and titles complement each other.

Q: How can I track the performance of my thumbnails?
A: Use tools like thumbnail-preview.com, Vid IQ, or YouTube Studio to visualize and track thumbnail performance over time.

Q: Should my thumbnails include text?
A: Yes, but sparingly. Use text to amplify your video title and add intrigue without giving everything away. Avoid clutter and keep the text big and bold.