In the case of YouTube video content, thumbnails play the vital role of the first point of interaction with the viewers. The thumbnail is the still image that is shown on the video content when the video is not played. It is what viewers see first and decide whether they want to see the video or not. Therefore, it can be used to pique interest among the online users. Catchy thumbnails are the best elements to make viewers click, play, and watch video content on YouTube. If you are trying to improve your game for thumbnails, here are the top 10 tips to create more engaging thumbnails for your video content.
Inspire Curiosity with Text
While the thumbnail is mostly about creating visual attraction, text plays a vital part too. It can greatly help to stimulate curiosity among the viewers instead of confusing them with something else. Here are some common mistakes to avoid,
Opt for a Bold Font
It is not just spelling mistakes but opting for a bad font can also make your thumbnail unappealing. Fonts are quite content-specific and each font can reflect a mood or tone with their appearance. The purpose of fonts is different in every case and so, the font that is good for a book is never going to work well for a YouTube thumbnail. It is recommended to go for bold fonts like sans-serif fonts which can be easily noticed even through small screen sizes.
Create Familiarity with Consistent Visual Language
Once you have opted for the right font for your thumbnails, you need to consistently use them for the next video content rather than changing it each time. When you use the same bold content for a long time, it creates a brand identity for your business and allows online users to easily recognize your business. It helps to create more brand familiarity and with regular use, you can witness the positive effects in the coming days when viewers start watching your videos as soon as they see the same font on the thumbnail that helped to create your brand presence.
Learn to Leverage Notions that are preconceived
For industry, there are preconceived notions in the market that you can leverage by utilizing them as effective market trends. For example, if there is any popular meme of expression that is widely used in your niche industry, you can use thumbnails to reach more niche audiences who actually dig for such stuff. Such trendy elements are quite attractive to online users.
Add More Humane Essence with Faces
It has been proven that facial expressions and even just adding faces in the thumbnail can help to catch more attention from online viewers. Reaction faces work the best in this guess as the viewers expect to wish to feel the same way. If there is a thumbnail with a screaming happy face, a viewer considers that the video content will provide a similar feeling only. Therefore, it helps to express a particular mood and emotion for the video content. Faces help to add a more humane essence to the video content and create an organic appeal for human viewers.
Industry-specific Thumbnails
In order to ensure more success in your niche industry, you need to study your potential competitors as well. Find out what is working for them and what ingredients are helping them to secure more success. This way you can find more ideas to create industry-specific thumbnails that attract niche audiences.
Optimize Further For Small Screens
You will be surprised to know that 80% user on YouTube like to watch video content through their smartphones only. Therefore, you should not only optimize but over-optimize the thumbnails for smaller screens than just the desktop. Make sure to keep readability in mind so that viewers can easily understand what it is about even at a single glance. Instead of using larger full-body images, use headshots and mid-shots which are more captivating and visible on the small screen.
Stand Out in the Competitive Landscape
Make your study and research more about your niche in order to grow in a specific market with niche customers. The real problem is when creators watch other’s thumbnails and keep following them without exploring their own industry first. Those who want to stand out in the competitive market must understand their niche and target audiences. Try to put yourself in the shoes of the audience and think from their side whether the thumbnail looks appealing to you or not.
Keep it Bright and Vibrant
Bright thumbnails tend to attract more viewers right away and make them clock on the video content. The same goes for the color of the font. You can always bet on the brighter side which easily captures everyone’s attention.
Remove All Distractions
While there are many elements that you can use in a thumbnail to make it attractive, the key lies in keeping it minimal and striking without making it cluttered with a handful of elements that create unnecessary distractions. Adding too much in a single thumbnail can cause confusion and decision fatigue among the viewers.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Bottom Line
Thumbnail designing is currently a full-time job for graphic designers and it should never be neglected if you are trying to be successful on YouTube. It is recommended to hire a professional agency to get your custom thumbnail that makes your video more unique and captivating.
