Creating and uploading YouTube thumbnails are two of the most important keys to getting people to click on your video and watch it! Plan your thumbnail out ahead of time and take a good picture to use for your thumbnail. Add simple and easy to read text with Photoshop (or this free web-based program called picmonkey.com) Good thumbnails are: bright, proactive, clear, interesting, shocking, and/or fun.
When customizing video/channel thumbnails, a channel can incorporate consistent branding as well as subtle visual cues for refinement and clickability. For example, Epic Rap Battles uses zoomed-in images for their thumbnails to hook viewers. You want them to stay distinguishable on any sized screen because more than half of YouTube views come from mobile devices. YouTube overall, and even YouTube on mobile alone, reaches more 18-34 and 18-49 year-olds than any cable network in the U.S. It’s astounding!
To determine how well a thumbnail engages viewers, select a specific video and review its Audience Retention Report. Check the first 10-15 seconds of the graph to see if the audience keeps watching or drops off. The gradual slope indicates that viewers are clicking on the thumbnail and sticking around to watch the rest of the video. This suggests that a well-crafted title and thumbnail correctly set viewer expectations for the content. Playlists, cards, and end screens are a great way to drive traffic from one video to another and keep viewers watching by suggesting relevant content. Get people to stay on your videos and channel!
If you have any more questions regarding creating and uploading YouTube thumbnails please comment below!