The very first thing a viewer sees when they find a video on Youtube is the thumbnail of the video. Thus, it holds the power of influencing a viewer to click on the video and watch it, in turn, influencing the impression click through rate. This makes the video thumbnail one of the most important video optimization technique. Hence, it is always advisable create a custom thumbnail rather than letting generate a random thumbnail for the video.
Many youtubers even love to buy YouTube subscribers for their channels, who are real and active YouTube users. This helps them gain more views on their videos, making them look popular, which is another factor that inspires clicks from viewers.
However, before understanding how to create the perfect thumbnail, let’s explore why is it crucial to create a Youtube thumbnail that inspires clicks!
What are the benefits of creating a custom YouTube thumbnail?
- Establishes authority by display of prowess- A thumbnail designed with great details, high- resolution images, and clear texts helps creators show their audience that they are serious and highly- professional. A well- designed thumbnail is a great way to establish authority by displaying skill, professionalism and prowess, by inspiring clicks from the viewers.
- Complements the theme of the video title- Along with the Youtube thumbnail, the video title is also one of the first thing a viewer sees, when they find your video on the platform of YouTube. Thus, the thumbnail as well as the video title should complement each other, in such a way that together they tell one story an give the viewer some insight into the video.
- Increases the impressions click through rate of the video- Youtube records an impression every time a viewer sees a video on is platform. The impression click through rate is a metric that lets a creator know how many users are clicking on the video after seeing it in the SERPs or the suggested videos window. YouTube algorithm uses this metric to analyse how effective a thumbnail is. And the consequence is – increase YouTube subscribers
- Boosts the discoverability of the video on YouTube- As mentioned in the earlier point, a cleverly designed youtube thumbnail can positively influence the impressions click through rate, a metric used by the youtube algorithm to understand how effective the thumbnail of a video is. When a viewer clicks through a video and watches it, it registers well with the algorithm and thus, it boosts the discoverability of the video.
How to create the ultimate thumbnail that inspires clicks?
The question all creators are haunted by is how to create a thumbnail that inspires their viewers to click! In this 5- step guide, youtubers will learn the secret to creating the perfect YouTube thumbnail for their next video!
Step 1- Find the ideal size and format
YouTube Creator Academy suggests:
- To stick to a resolution of 1280 x 720 (with minimum width of 640 pixels).
- To use formats including JPG, GIF, or PNG.
- To stick to under the 2MB size limit.
- Try to use a 16:9 aspect ratio
Always preview the YouTube thumbnail before uploading it, in order to see if it fulfils its motive and speaks to the target audience.
Step 2- Target the target audience
Youtube has an endless number of videos for each query a user makes. Thus, it is crucial for the creators to catch the attention of their target audience in one go, so that their eyes do not fall upon another video. The youtube thumbnail should such that it lets the target audience know they are at the right place and that this video will resolve their query.
Step 3- Create a YouTube thumbnail template for all videos
When youtubers create a template for their video thumbnails, they become an identity for their YouTube channel. Thus, the viewers will recognize their video, no matter where ever they might happen to find it. Say, they find it in the SERPs but it ranks on the 5th position, despite its lower ranking, the viewer will proceed to that video, because they recognized it from the template.
Step 4- Find the right image and text for YouTube thumbnail
Finding the right image is the most important step in this guide, why, because it’s the image that catches the viewers attention at first, and then the viewer proceeds to read the text on the thumbnail and the video title. Thus, the image creators use should be of high- resolution and should righty define the purpose of the video as well as complement the over arching theme of the video.
Step 5- Add text to the Youtube thumbnail
After finding the right image that justifies the underlying theme of the video as well as provokes interest of the viewer, the next step is to add text to this that further supports the cause of the video. The text should be big and bold, so that it is easily readable without putting strain on the eyes of the viewer. This color of the text should be contrast to the color background.
By following these 5 simple steps, any creator can create a custom thumbnail for their videos that will inspire clicks!
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