How To Create The Best YouTube Thumbnail: The Ultimate Guide
Today I want to talk about how to create the best YouTube thumbnail to boost the success journey on YT. 90% of videos perform well because of the thumbnail. This is the reason why all creators should design and create relevant thumbnails for their uploaded videos.
Many times you might have recorded a high-quality video with excellent information for the audience but did not get more views and clicks. This can be really demotivating and force you to think that you cannot be a successful YouTuber even if you put lots of effort into increasing the watch time. But the fact is completely opposite. Clicks and views totally depend on the thumbnail and title.
When you search for any topic, you find an endless list of videos but how can you decide to watch a particular video? Thumbnails play a major role to influence people and increase click-through rates. YT thumbnails are the most crucial elements of video optimization,
Due to high competition on YouTube, it is important to create a unique thumbnail to drive traffic to your channel. These tactics will help you to stand out from the competitors. In this article, we will guide you on the best strategy to create the best YouTube thumbnail from scratch to attract potential viewers.
What Are YouTube Thumbnails?
A YT thumbnail is a representation of the videos that can be used to give an idea about your content to the people. If you add it in every video then you will notice the improvement in the performance of your channel.
Thumbnails are beneficial for the increase in click-through rates because they capture the attention of the audience.
It works the same as the movie poster that appeals to its audience to watch the movies. You need to add call-to-action words to encourage the viewers to watch the content.
Why Are Thumbnails Important For YouTube Videos?
Let us understand the importance and need of a YT thumbnail to grow the channel.
1. YouTube Is A Crowded Place
Every day more than 1 billion hours of video are watched on YouTube, so it is a competitive and crowded place. It has an endless library of videos that are uploaded every day on YT. So you should create the best YouTube thumbnail to stand out from the crowded market.
2. There Are Many Videos On The Same Topic
A lot of videos are available on YouTube for the audiences but very few of them perform well. So if you want to improve the ranking of YT videos then adding thumbnails is one of the fine tactics.
If you do not plan to create one then YT will create a random thumbnail for you from your video. This is not a good choice as custom thumbnails are more target-specific than any random image taken from a video.
Benefits Of Adding The Best YouTube Thumbnail In 2022
Boosts Discoverability
When you make a unique thumbnail for YT videos, then it increases the number of clicks on your videos. The viewers check out other relevant videos on your channel as well. Every activity on your channel is noticed by the YouTube algorithm.
Thumbnails boost the ranking of the videos to the next level as it increases the discoverability of the videos on your channel.
Increase The Conversion Rates
You cannot deny the fact that any good thumbnail can massively boost the growth of your channel and make it trustworthy for the viewers. It also helps you to get target traffic on your channel. If your videos will get more views then the conversion rate on your channel will also improve.
Let’s Know How To Create The Best YouTube Thumbnail
1. The Ideal Size And Format
If you want to increase the click-through rate to get more views then the very first thing you should know is the ideal size and format of the thumbnail. The recommended dimension of the YouTube thumbnail should be 1280 x 720 pixels.
It looks like a poster of the videos. You can upload a thumbnail in the recommended format such as JPG, PNG, and GIF format, and the size of the thumbnail should be less than 2MB. The aspect ratio should be 16:9.
2. Use The Relevant Image To Create The Best YouTube Thumbnail
As you have understood the dimension and size of the thumbnail, now you are ready to move to the next step. Before publishing videos on your channel, you should use the right and relevant images to make an eye-catchy thumbnail. The image should be relevant to your title or you can use your own image in the thumbnail.
People are not interested to watch videos if you use any random image because they want to watch you. If you feature yourself in the videos then your thumbnail looks more engaging and it encourages the people to watch the videos. Your face hooks the attention of the viewers.
3. Add Small Graphics
If you want your videos to look more attractive then you should add graphics or emojis to the thumbnail. This makes your videos look authentic and trustworthy.
4. Add Catchy Text, Use Solid Fonts And Background
When it comes to creating the best YouTube thumbnail, you should focus on selecting the background color relevant to the topic. Adding catchy text and using solid fonts will help you to grab the attention of the viewers.
Always keep in mind to add main keywords to your thumbnail to increase the chances of getting more clicks easily. Solid fonts are more readable and they create a positive impact on the minds of people.
5. Follow The Same Layout
If you follow the same layout for the thumbnail with background colors, then the chances of getting more clicks and views will improve. This is because if your subscribers accidentally unsubscribe from the channel then they can easily identify your videos from the layout. It will increase the number of views and subscribers.
I hope you found this article to be helpful. You can use tools like Canva, Phonto, Thumbnail maker to design and create the best YouTube thumbnail in recommended size. You can check out other blogs on our site to start a successful YouTube channel.