Do you want to make new viewers click on your channel and keep on clicking? The following tips will help you in creating such eye-catching YouTube thumbnails. 


What are Thumbnails?

Thumbnails are a snapshot of videos that are either created automatically or can be applied a custom made. While making a Youtube video, you can pick from three snapshots that created automatically or you can design your own thumbnail to achieve a more branded and creative look that will attract viewers. Thumbnail appears in the home feed, search engine results, or in the next video sections. 


Recent thumbnails allow viewers to play a small clip when they hover the mouse cursor on them.



Why is the Design of Thumbnails Important to Get Right?

Those small snaps of your video play an important role if that video will be clicked or not. It is true that the first impression is the last impression. Your video also has one chance of whether it will be viewed or not. They increase the potential viewers to click and watch your video. 


Many viewers look at the thumbnails to know the content of the video. For example, if someone is looking for tutorials video, they will look at the thumbnail to see if that topic is covered in the video or not. Also, while watching videos, YouTube suggests videos related to that content in the YouTube sidebar, that time,  only your thumbnail will determine if the viewers plays your video next or not.


Effective thumbnails entice new viewers. Then, after viewers click on that first thumbnail, other well-designed thumbnails will encourage them to keep watching other videos on your channel. This leads to an increased likelihood the viewer will subscribe or see your videos appear in their recommendations.


What Size Should a Thumbnail Be?

An image size of 1280 x 720 pixels, with a minimum width of 640 pixels is recommended by YouTube. This makes the thumbnail looks clear on any screen. Other recommended settings include the size of custom thumbnail remains under 2MB, the image should either be in JPG, GIF or PNG and maintain 16:9 aspect ratio as it's the most used in YouTube players and previews.



How Do I Design a Clickable Thumbnail?

Thumbnails can be easily created on any design software such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, GIMP, or Affinity Photo. There are many online design websites that give a preset size for the thumbnail. Few commonly used online websites are Canva, Adobe spark, Designer, etc.


Remember to use the “Save for web” setting if you are using Adobe Photoshop as it will save a high-quality image in a smaller size.




Photos and Illustrations

You might have noticed that most Youtube thumbnails use photos instead of illustrated content, i.e., they will feature a snapshot of the video. However, tutorials, slideshows, and content aimed at children may benefit from an illustrated image instead of a photo. 


Many YouTubers create thumbnails with focus on a particular theme, for example, if the video is travel vlog, they will feature the cool scene along with some facts written in the thumbnail. Many videos feature the person in focus or brand. Because, the face of the individual is the face of the channel.

A positive, enthusiastic facial expression communicates a sense of enjoyment to a potential viewer. Plus, direct eye contact helps to engage with browsers. Focussing on the title also gives an additional visual cue for spectators to click. If you have the equipment on hand, a fisheye-style headshot also helps the image to feel like it’s jumping out of the thumbnail, making the design feel assertive and immersive.


Alternatively, an activity-based video such as a workout class or city guide will benefit from an image that represents the person doing the activity. This gives viewers an insight into what they can expect from the full video. 


Font face, Colour, and Layout

Font plays a big role in telling what you want to speak. The correct font face is like the voice of your image. Select a font colour that stands out from the background colour. Also, you can use colours to highlight the font. 


The layout for making a thumbnail is also important while you want to make an attractive thumbnail. You can show your creativity in making the layout. Following are different examples of the layouts used in making a thumbnail.

  • Keep the main face of the video and title of the video in 50-50 proportion. Add a logo or brand name at the bottom.

  • Another layout structure includes the use of 60-70ratio, where you put the snapshot of video, on top and short description at the bottom. 

Once you’ve created an achieving formula for your first thumbnail, you can keep your design as a template. That way it’s ready to reuse and pinch for future videos. It’s simple to give your layout a sharp update by swapping in text and photo subject in Photoshop or InDesign.



The conclusion

Your thumbnail is the unsung workhorse of a successful channel identity. It entices new viewers and also keeps users clicking across to more of your video content. So take time in making the perfect thumbnails for your YouTube videos.