THUMBNAILS
The importance of the Thumbnail for YouTube success
Creating good content for your YouTube videos is one way of ensuring that you move from “Oh no” to “Heck yes” situation when people watch your videos.
However, this might not take you where you want to be; that is, to get views on YouTube and increase the number of people who watch your channel, get more likes, shares, and subsequently subscriptions.
Keyword optimization and Thumbnails are needed to make people find your video and click on them. Therefore, you need to do it right if you are to succeed on this end.
First, you need to know the importance of Thumbnails (we will talk about keywords for titles and tags in a later post and in depth on the course) to appreciate how they are useful in your YouTube channel as far as finding your videos and getting people to click is concerned.
To give an overview of your video...or not?
YouTube Thumbnail is the first impression of your video. If it is engaging and captivating, you will have people wanting to know more about your video and click. But what should you include to do this?
Use the Thumbnail to entice them, tell them what the video is all about without giving it all away, do it in a way that will arouse curiosity, making them want to delve deeper to learn more or get more information.
Since many videos are competing for their attention, you want to be noticed immediately. Therefore, you have to use a few tricks to make it garner views.
Arouse curiousity so the viewer
then reads the title... which
should also add intrigue
leading to a click. Finding
that perfect combo is often
missed &the key to success.
This is discussed at length
in the full course
Grab attention
With the number of videos promoting similar content increasing, you need to stand out if you are to grab attention and have people finding and clicking on your video.
Treating thumbnails as your billboard can help you achieve this. If it is done properly, it will appeal to visitors and out of many be their choice.
Always take a moment to look at your thumbnail and think if this was amongst 100 other thumbnails, would I click this one?
Mr Beast, one of the
biggest and fastest growing
YouTube creators once
said "if someone spends
an hour thinking about
their thumbnail, I want to
take a day"
In the full YouTube Academy Course we discuss "BOGY" colours, saturation, using faction expression, layouts, whether to use text of not and study other thumbnails successful and those less so to see what's needed. You can check that out here.
It is also important to make sure that the content is equally engaging of course, and in both - the thumbnail and the content, do NOT deceive the viewer. If people find out that they are hoodwinked to think that they are in for what they want, that might be the end of the journey when that expectation is not fulfilled.
For repeat viewers, they will now recognize your videos and avoid them by all means. Also, the fact that they did not find your video appealing means they might hit the dislike button, an action that affects your channel negatively.
Casey Neistat rarely uses text
but when he does he doesn't
give much away and creates
intrigue. Left, is his most watched
video with a title which includes
money... something we discuss
on the course
Thumbnails play a great part in optimizing your content. You may have worked hard and did everything right to rank highly in searches, but have not managed to get the clicks.
Creating beautiful Thumbnails will cap it all, grab the attention of the visitors and drive the number of views to your video.
Learn more about Thumbnails on my course The YouTube Academy; it will not only show you how to do it but also its importance alongside everything else you need to know to grow your YouTube channel all in one place!
just
The Complete Guide from Beginner to Pro
The Most Up-to-date Complete Guide to Starting, Building, Branding, Filming, Growing and Making Money on YouTube
full course, lifetime access
Over 90,000 Students!
-
How to set up and grow a successful YouTube channel from scratch How to gain subscribers on YouTube quickly
-
Understand how youtube works and ranks videos so you can be seen by more
-
Set up your branding for a YouTube Channel
-
How to make money on YouTube and maximise how much you can earn
and more....
$19
on sale
