Thumbnails must accurately represent what’s in the video and stand out among all the others on the YouTube platform. The following tips will help YouTubers to make attractive thumbnails:
Use close ups on faces, preferably making eye contact: Humans have evolved to detect eye contact, making thumbnails with eye contact more eye-catching, especially if the whites of the eyes are visible. In addition to this, humans communicate in large part by reading emotional cues on the face.
Show strong emotions: To take this one step further, showing strong emotions is also beneficial. Strong emotions are easily identifiable and makes the viewer feel that same heightened emotion through empathy. When a viewer becomes emotionally connected with something or they want to feel that emotion themselves, they are more likely to click on your video.
Use bright backgrounds: Bright backgrounds stand out against the white background of YouTube, and also stand out in relation to other thumbnails without a bright background. In addition, we’ve had a lot of success using the sunburst or pinwheel effect which draws the viewers eyes back to the vanishing point, which we place directly behind the face. This in turn draws the viewers eye to the subject again, and makes the subject of the thumbnail pop out even more.
Use contrast and outlines: Contrast and outlines allow for the subject of the video to stand out against the background. They also give the subject of the thumbnail a depth of field, making the subject stand out even more.
Usage of text: Generally, try to avoid text on thumbnails. The titles of your videos should be enough copy but in some instances, such as in gaming videos, using text is vital. When using text, use three to four words maximum and make sure the text stands out from the background with a heavy outline or contrasting colors.
Bugs and branding: Bugs (a small logo or watermark) and branding are essential for great thumbnails. A good bug or brand helps your thumbnails stand out against other thumbnails on YouTube because it’s a clear signal to the audience that this is one of your videos. Since your audience is easily able to identify the video as one of yours, they are more likely to click that video.
Consistency: Consistency, much like using a brand or bug, allows viewers to easily identify your videos. Consistency in thumbnail design includes color pallet, layout, number of subjects, arrangement, font, and other elements.
Design for the small screen: The majority of impressions your thumbnail will receive – whether those impressions are on a mobile device, the related videos column, or the homepage feed — will have very small dimensions.
Choosing colors: When choosing colors for your thumbnails, try to use complementary colors. Complementary colors are colors that are opposite of each other on the color wheel.
Easy to see and understand: Your thumbnails should be easy to see and understand to the casual viewer. This means that your thumbnails should visually tell the story of what your video is about.
Represents the first 15 to 30 seconds of a video: Not only is it important that a thumbnail represents the video in principle, but in terms of tactics a thumbnail should also represent the first 15 to 30 seconds. This is because of the nature of viewership on YouTube. If an audience feels duped by a misleading thumbnail, title, or combination of both, they will almost immediately click away.
If a video is structured so that the best thumbnail and title combination occurs later in the video, then either reorganize the video before uploading, or mention at the beginning of the video that the topic of the thumbnail and title will be covered later in it.
Avoid placing anything important in the lower right hand corner: YouTube often covers the lower right hand corner with either a timestamp or a watch later button. The lower right hand corner is also the last place a western viewer will look due to the way that audience reads (left to right, top to bottom). Therefore, avoid placing copy or images in the lower right hand corner.
Guide to make thumbnails more attractive
