Mittalmar Guide: How To Make Good Thumbnails on YouTube

Creating an eye-catching thumbnail involves several key elements that work together to grab a viewer's attention and encourage them to click. Here's how to make effective thumbnails:

Clarity of Concept

The most important aspect of a thumbnail is that it should clearly communicate the idea or topic of the video. The packaging, which includes the thumbnail and title, needs to effectively communicate the idea from the best possible perspective, generating curiosity and enticing viewers to click.

Visual Hierarchy

Use visual hierarchy to guide the viewer’s eye to the most important elements of the thumbnail. This involves:

• Size: Larger elements attract more attention.

• Colors and Contrast: Use bright colors to draw attention and create contrast to guide the viewer to important elements.

• Typography: Use different fonts, weights, sizes, and arrangements to create a visual hierarchy and direct the reader's attention. Larger and bolder fonts are perceived as more important.

• Position: Elements placed in the top left or center are generally seen first.

Simplicity

The less visual noise a thumbnail has, the better. Avoid over-editing and unnecessary elements that can lead to an incoherent visual hierarchy. The goal is to make the thumbnail easy to understand quickly.

Emotional Connection

Use the thumbnail to add an emotional tone to what is being shown in the video.

Intrigue and Curiosity

Thumbnails should create a curiosity gap rather than adding as much information about the video as possible. They should make the viewer wonder what the nuance behind the concept is.

Coherence

Ensure that the thumbnail and title work together to clarify the video's concept. The thumbnail should represent a significant portion of the video's content.

Testing

Use A/B testing to compare different thumbnails and see which ones generate more clicks. You can use unlisted videos in end screens to test different thumbnails. Don’t use YouTube’s built-in A/B testing tool as it can actually harm your videos.

Use of Blur

Apply a blur effect to check if the subject of the thumbnail still stands out prominently. If not, make the thumbnail simpler.

Avoid Clickbait

Be aware that if there is a large gap between the packaging (thumbnail and title) and the actual content, the video can be flagged as clickbait.

Common mistakes to avoid:

-Over-optimization for clickbait can result in misleading packaging where the thumbnail communicates one thing and the title something else.

-Poorly designed thumbnails can set the tone for the quality of the content and may cause viewers to perceive the content as lower quality.

-Relying on non-experts for advice can lead to wrong conclusions about what makes a good thumbnail.

-Saying the same with title and thumbnail text. Every element should add additional value.

Summary

Thumbnails should be designed to work with the title to make something remarkable, more remarkable. A good thumbnail captures attention, while the title generates interest. A thumbnail should grab the attention of the viewer so they read the title, and then the title can create interest and curiosity.