Essential Techniques in Creating YouTube Thumbnails That Stand Out

How to Make Video Thumbnails for YouTube

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

The video thumbnails you use for YouTube are vital to getting views and subscribers. There are a lot of things that go into making people watch your videos, but your video thumbnail might be the most important factor.

Here are 5 easy tips for creating thumbnails that get views.

1. Have a Consistent Layout
2. Use Your Face
3. Use Graphics/Emojis That is On Topic
4. Make Your Text Huge
5. Keep It Clutter-Free!

Contest now closed.

Edit Your Videos Before Creating Video Thumbnails

1. Have a Consistent Layout

Your thumbnails all must look like part of the same set. You want viewers to recognize your videos like yours, and they are more likely to do that if you build up a standard layout that they can start associating with you.

An example of a standard layout could be you in the middle of the screen wearing an expression that matches the theme of your video, with your title written underneath your face. Every individual thumbnail would still be different, but you and the text would always be in the same spot.

2. Use Your Face

People feel automatically connected and drawn into images that make eye contact. This makes thumbnails which feature faces more click-able than thumbnails which don’t, in most genres (i.e. if you make food videos then this may not apply – featuring the food might be more important than featuring your face). Check out more tips like this here .

Also, if somebody recognizes you in your thumbnail from a previous video of yours, that will go a long way towards making them click.

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3. Use Graphics/Emojis that are On Topic

Anybody can take a screenshot of themselves in their video and use it as a thumbnail. To make your thumbnails look polished, consider using small images (like emojis or hearts) to stand out. This will add color and personality to your thumbnail.

Make sure the images you choose are relevant to the topic of your video.

4. Make Your Text Huge

If you use text in your thumbnail (you don’t have to) then it should be to add context. For example, if the main image is just you smiling then you might need some text to let viewers know the video is a makeup tutorial.

Thumbnails might look large while you’re putting them together in your image editor, but when they’re displayed on YouTube they’re a lot smaller. That goes double if a viewer is watching on their phone. So, make sure that any text you use is large enough that it can be read easily on small screens.

5. Keep it Clutter-Free

It’s great to add text and emojis to your thumbnails, but you do need to be careful not to add too much. You never want your thumbnails to look cluttered. Viewers should be able to glance at your thumbnails and know exactly what kind of video to expect – that’s difficult to do if there’s too much to process.

A good rule for text is to use only 1-3 words. That way they won’t clutter your screen, and you can make them large enough to read on small-screened devices.

For even more tips on making great YouTube thumbnails, click here .

Use these tips to make video thumbnails for YouTube, and tell us what kind of results you get!

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

The video thumbnails you use for YouTube are vital to getting views and subscribers. There are a lot of things that go into making people watch your videos, but your video thumbnail might be the most important factor.

Here are 5 easy tips for creating thumbnails that get views.

1. Have a Consistent Layout
2. Use Your Face
3. Use Graphics/Emojis That is On Topic
4. Make Your Text Huge
5. Keep It Clutter-Free!

Contest now closed.

Edit Your Videos Before Creating Video Thumbnails

1. Have a Consistent Layout

Your thumbnails all must look like part of the same set. You want viewers to recognize your videos like yours, and they are more likely to do that if you build up a standard layout that they can start associating with you.

An example of a standard layout could be you in the middle of the screen wearing an expression that matches the theme of your video, with your title written underneath your face. Every individual thumbnail would still be different, but you and the text would always be in the same spot.

2. Use Your Face

People feel automatically connected and drawn into images that make eye contact. This makes thumbnails which feature faces more click-able than thumbnails which don’t, in most genres (i.e. if you make food videos then this may not apply – featuring the food might be more important than featuring your face). Check out more tips like this here .

Also, if somebody recognizes you in your thumbnail from a previous video of yours, that will go a long way towards making them click.

3. Use Graphics/Emojis that are On Topic

Anybody can take a screenshot of themselves in their video and use it as a thumbnail. To make your thumbnails look polished, consider using small images (like emojis or hearts) to stand out. This will add color and personality to your thumbnail.

Make sure the images you choose are relevant to the topic of your video.

4. Make Your Text Huge

If you use text in your thumbnail (you don’t have to) then it should be to add context. For example, if the main image is just you smiling then you might need some text to let viewers know the video is a makeup tutorial.

Thumbnails might look large while you’re putting them together in your image editor, but when they’re displayed on YouTube they’re a lot smaller. That goes double if a viewer is watching on their phone. So, make sure that any text you use is large enough that it can be read easily on small screens.

5. Keep it Clutter-Free

It’s great to add text and emojis to your thumbnails, but you do need to be careful not to add too much. You never want your thumbnails to look cluttered. Viewers should be able to glance at your thumbnails and know exactly what kind of video to expect – that’s difficult to do if there’s too much to process.

A good rule for text is to use only 1-3 words. That way they won’t clutter your screen, and you can make them large enough to read on small-screened devices.

For even more tips on making great YouTube thumbnails, click here .

Use these tips to make video thumbnails for YouTube, and tell us what kind of results you get!

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

The video thumbnails you use for YouTube are vital to getting views and subscribers. There are a lot of things that go into making people watch your videos, but your video thumbnail might be the most important factor.

Here are 5 easy tips for creating thumbnails that get views.

1. Have a Consistent Layout
2. Use Your Face
3. Use Graphics/Emojis That is On Topic
4. Make Your Text Huge
5. Keep It Clutter-Free!

Contest now closed.

Edit Your Videos Before Creating Video Thumbnails

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1. Have a Consistent Layout

Your thumbnails all must look like part of the same set. You want viewers to recognize your videos like yours, and they are more likely to do that if you build up a standard layout that they can start associating with you.

An example of a standard layout could be you in the middle of the screen wearing an expression that matches the theme of your video, with your title written underneath your face. Every individual thumbnail would still be different, but you and the text would always be in the same spot.

2. Use Your Face

People feel automatically connected and drawn into images that make eye contact. This makes thumbnails which feature faces more click-able than thumbnails which don’t, in most genres (i.e. if you make food videos then this may not apply – featuring the food might be more important than featuring your face). Check out more tips like this here .

Also, if somebody recognizes you in your thumbnail from a previous video of yours, that will go a long way towards making them click.

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3. Use Graphics/Emojis that are On Topic

Anybody can take a screenshot of themselves in their video and use it as a thumbnail. To make your thumbnails look polished, consider using small images (like emojis or hearts) to stand out. This will add color and personality to your thumbnail.

Make sure the images you choose are relevant to the topic of your video.

4. Make Your Text Huge

If you use text in your thumbnail (you don’t have to) then it should be to add context. For example, if the main image is just you smiling then you might need some text to let viewers know the video is a makeup tutorial.

Thumbnails might look large while you’re putting them together in your image editor, but when they’re displayed on YouTube they’re a lot smaller. That goes double if a viewer is watching on their phone. So, make sure that any text you use is large enough that it can be read easily on small screens.

5. Keep it Clutter-Free

It’s great to add text and emojis to your thumbnails, but you do need to be careful not to add too much. You never want your thumbnails to look cluttered. Viewers should be able to glance at your thumbnails and know exactly what kind of video to expect – that’s difficult to do if there’s too much to process.

A good rule for text is to use only 1-3 words. That way they won’t clutter your screen, and you can make them large enough to read on small-screened devices.

For even more tips on making great YouTube thumbnails, click here .

Use these tips to make video thumbnails for YouTube, and tell us what kind of results you get!

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

The video thumbnails you use for YouTube are vital to getting views and subscribers. There are a lot of things that go into making people watch your videos, but your video thumbnail might be the most important factor.

Here are 5 easy tips for creating thumbnails that get views.

1. Have a Consistent Layout
2. Use Your Face
3. Use Graphics/Emojis That is On Topic
4. Make Your Text Huge
5. Keep It Clutter-Free!

Contest now closed.

Edit Your Videos Before Creating Video Thumbnails

1. Have a Consistent Layout

Your thumbnails all must look like part of the same set. You want viewers to recognize your videos like yours, and they are more likely to do that if you build up a standard layout that they can start associating with you.

An example of a standard layout could be you in the middle of the screen wearing an expression that matches the theme of your video, with your title written underneath your face. Every individual thumbnail would still be different, but you and the text would always be in the same spot.

2. Use Your Face

People feel automatically connected and drawn into images that make eye contact. This makes thumbnails which feature faces more click-able than thumbnails which don’t, in most genres (i.e. if you make food videos then this may not apply – featuring the food might be more important than featuring your face). Check out more tips like this here .

Also, if somebody recognizes you in your thumbnail from a previous video of yours, that will go a long way towards making them click.

3. Use Graphics/Emojis that are On Topic

Anybody can take a screenshot of themselves in their video and use it as a thumbnail. To make your thumbnails look polished, consider using small images (like emojis or hearts) to stand out. This will add color and personality to your thumbnail.

Make sure the images you choose are relevant to the topic of your video.

4. Make Your Text Huge

If you use text in your thumbnail (you don’t have to) then it should be to add context. For example, if the main image is just you smiling then you might need some text to let viewers know the video is a makeup tutorial.

Thumbnails might look large while you’re putting them together in your image editor, but when they’re displayed on YouTube they’re a lot smaller. That goes double if a viewer is watching on their phone. So, make sure that any text you use is large enough that it can be read easily on small screens.

5. Keep it Clutter-Free

It’s great to add text and emojis to your thumbnails, but you do need to be careful not to add too much. You never want your thumbnails to look cluttered. Viewers should be able to glance at your thumbnails and know exactly what kind of video to expect – that’s difficult to do if there’s too much to process.

A good rule for text is to use only 1-3 words. That way they won’t clutter your screen, and you can make them large enough to read on small-screened devices.

For even more tips on making great YouTube thumbnails, click here .

Use these tips to make video thumbnails for YouTube, and tell us what kind of results you get!

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Strategies in Tagging and Titling Videos for Success

How to Use Video Titles and YouTube Tags for More Views?

Richard Bennett

Nov 01, 2022• Proven solutions

0

In order to make sure that your videos get the appreciation they deserve, you will need to optimize your titles and YouTube tags for more views. By optimizing your titles and tags, I mean using the right keywords so that YouTube knows how to sort your videos and the viewers who are interested in your content can find it.

1. Find the Best Keywords
2. How to Optimize Your Titles, Descriptions, and Tags

YouTube videos rank on Google just like any other piece of content, and YouTube itself is a lot of people’s go-to search engine. The success of your YouTube videos will largely depend on your ability to optimize your videos so they are ranked in people’s search results. People can’t fall in love with your videos they never stumble across them.

If you optimize your titles, tags, and descriptions to include relevant keywords you will see much better traffic from Google as well as from YouTube’s search results. Here are some tips:

Find the Best Keywords

One of the most important steps to ensuring SEO success is to identify the keywords that you should be using.

You can use the Google keyword planner to find keywords related to your video’s topic. Input one of your competitors’ video links to detect some of the top searches that were used to find the video. The keyword planner will scan through the top searches for that video link and determine the keywords that are used most often.

The keyword list can be a bit overwhelming the first time. Remember to use keywords that get at least 300 searches per month on Google. Using popular keywords will help you match up against competitors in your niche.

How to Optimize Your Titles, Descriptions, and Tags

Your keyword research will help you craft title, description, and tags of your videos.

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How to Optimize YouTube Titles

The ideal YouTube title intrigues the potential viewer, drawing them in and making them want to click the link.

A video title should include your most important keyword. Usually, your most important keyword will be the first word in your title. Great titles are accurate and descriptive, but also exciting and captivating.

You should also consider using general keywords that are popular on Google like “funny video” “Tutorial” “Review” and “Fitness”.

How to Optimize Your Video’s Description

The description of your video is the next big important challenge. The text description of your video is how Google and other search engines determine the subject matter of your video for ranking.

Some tips for success with your description include; using 2-3 important keywords in the first 25 words and making each YouTube description more than 250 words.

Your ideal description will help to index your video without over-utilizing keywords and being flagged as spam.

How to Optimize YouTube Tags

Tags will help decide which videos your video will be displayed beside as similar content and which searches it will appear in.

By using targeted and optimized tags you can gain more traffic and views. Some of the top rules that you should consider with tags are; using 8-12 in every video and making sure the top keyword you used in your title is included as a tag.

Tags on previous videos can also be rearranged and edited as you do keyword research. This will help improve the ranking of some of your older videos. If you all the tags you usually use to a notepad or text edit file and separate them with commas you can paste them all back into YouTube in the new order. This is the simplest way to mass edit tags.

Click here for more tips about YouTube search optimization.

These tips will help you optimize your YouTube tags for more views, as well as your other YouTube metadata.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Nov 01, 2022• Proven solutions

0

In order to make sure that your videos get the appreciation they deserve, you will need to optimize your titles and YouTube tags for more views. By optimizing your titles and tags, I mean using the right keywords so that YouTube knows how to sort your videos and the viewers who are interested in your content can find it.

1. Find the Best Keywords
2. How to Optimize Your Titles, Descriptions, and Tags

YouTube videos rank on Google just like any other piece of content, and YouTube itself is a lot of people’s go-to search engine. The success of your YouTube videos will largely depend on your ability to optimize your videos so they are ranked in people’s search results. People can’t fall in love with your videos they never stumble across them.

If you optimize your titles, tags, and descriptions to include relevant keywords you will see much better traffic from Google as well as from YouTube’s search results. Here are some tips:

Find the Best Keywords

One of the most important steps to ensuring SEO success is to identify the keywords that you should be using.

You can use the Google keyword planner to find keywords related to your video’s topic. Input one of your competitors’ video links to detect some of the top searches that were used to find the video. The keyword planner will scan through the top searches for that video link and determine the keywords that are used most often.

The keyword list can be a bit overwhelming the first time. Remember to use keywords that get at least 300 searches per month on Google. Using popular keywords will help you match up against competitors in your niche.

How to Optimize Your Titles, Descriptions, and Tags

Your keyword research will help you craft title, description, and tags of your videos.

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How to Optimize YouTube Titles

The ideal YouTube title intrigues the potential viewer, drawing them in and making them want to click the link.

A video title should include your most important keyword. Usually, your most important keyword will be the first word in your title. Great titles are accurate and descriptive, but also exciting and captivating.

You should also consider using general keywords that are popular on Google like “funny video” “Tutorial” “Review” and “Fitness”.

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How to Optimize Your Video’s Description

The description of your video is the next big important challenge. The text description of your video is how Google and other search engines determine the subject matter of your video for ranking.

Some tips for success with your description include; using 2-3 important keywords in the first 25 words and making each YouTube description more than 250 words.

Your ideal description will help to index your video without over-utilizing keywords and being flagged as spam.

How to Optimize YouTube Tags

Tags will help decide which videos your video will be displayed beside as similar content and which searches it will appear in.

By using targeted and optimized tags you can gain more traffic and views. Some of the top rules that you should consider with tags are; using 8-12 in every video and making sure the top keyword you used in your title is included as a tag.

Tags on previous videos can also be rearranged and edited as you do keyword research. This will help improve the ranking of some of your older videos. If you all the tags you usually use to a notepad or text edit file and separate them with commas you can paste them all back into YouTube in the new order. This is the simplest way to mass edit tags.

Click here for more tips about YouTube search optimization.

These tips will help you optimize your YouTube tags for more views, as well as your other YouTube metadata.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Nov 01, 2022• Proven solutions

0

In order to make sure that your videos get the appreciation they deserve, you will need to optimize your titles and YouTube tags for more views. By optimizing your titles and tags, I mean using the right keywords so that YouTube knows how to sort your videos and the viewers who are interested in your content can find it.

1. Find the Best Keywords
2. How to Optimize Your Titles, Descriptions, and Tags

YouTube videos rank on Google just like any other piece of content, and YouTube itself is a lot of people’s go-to search engine. The success of your YouTube videos will largely depend on your ability to optimize your videos so they are ranked in people’s search results. People can’t fall in love with your videos they never stumble across them.

If you optimize your titles, tags, and descriptions to include relevant keywords you will see much better traffic from Google as well as from YouTube’s search results. Here are some tips:

Find the Best Keywords

One of the most important steps to ensuring SEO success is to identify the keywords that you should be using.

You can use the Google keyword planner to find keywords related to your video’s topic. Input one of your competitors’ video links to detect some of the top searches that were used to find the video. The keyword planner will scan through the top searches for that video link and determine the keywords that are used most often.

The keyword list can be a bit overwhelming the first time. Remember to use keywords that get at least 300 searches per month on Google. Using popular keywords will help you match up against competitors in your niche.

How to Optimize Your Titles, Descriptions, and Tags

Your keyword research will help you craft title, description, and tags of your videos.

How to Optimize YouTube Titles

The ideal YouTube title intrigues the potential viewer, drawing them in and making them want to click the link.

A video title should include your most important keyword. Usually, your most important keyword will be the first word in your title. Great titles are accurate and descriptive, but also exciting and captivating.

You should also consider using general keywords that are popular on Google like “funny video” “Tutorial” “Review” and “Fitness”.

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How to Optimize Your Video’s Description

The description of your video is the next big important challenge. The text description of your video is how Google and other search engines determine the subject matter of your video for ranking.

Some tips for success with your description include; using 2-3 important keywords in the first 25 words and making each YouTube description more than 250 words.

Your ideal description will help to index your video without over-utilizing keywords and being flagged as spam.

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How to Optimize YouTube Tags

Tags will help decide which videos your video will be displayed beside as similar content and which searches it will appear in.

By using targeted and optimized tags you can gain more traffic and views. Some of the top rules that you should consider with tags are; using 8-12 in every video and making sure the top keyword you used in your title is included as a tag.

Tags on previous videos can also be rearranged and edited as you do keyword research. This will help improve the ranking of some of your older videos. If you all the tags you usually use to a notepad or text edit file and separate them with commas you can paste them all back into YouTube in the new order. This is the simplest way to mass edit tags.

Click here for more tips about YouTube search optimization.

These tips will help you optimize your YouTube tags for more views, as well as your other YouTube metadata.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Nov 01, 2022• Proven solutions

0

In order to make sure that your videos get the appreciation they deserve, you will need to optimize your titles and YouTube tags for more views. By optimizing your titles and tags, I mean using the right keywords so that YouTube knows how to sort your videos and the viewers who are interested in your content can find it.

1. Find the Best Keywords
2. How to Optimize Your Titles, Descriptions, and Tags

YouTube videos rank on Google just like any other piece of content, and YouTube itself is a lot of people’s go-to search engine. The success of your YouTube videos will largely depend on your ability to optimize your videos so they are ranked in people’s search results. People can’t fall in love with your videos they never stumble across them.

If you optimize your titles, tags, and descriptions to include relevant keywords you will see much better traffic from Google as well as from YouTube’s search results. Here are some tips:

Find the Best Keywords

One of the most important steps to ensuring SEO success is to identify the keywords that you should be using.

You can use the Google keyword planner to find keywords related to your video’s topic. Input one of your competitors’ video links to detect some of the top searches that were used to find the video. The keyword planner will scan through the top searches for that video link and determine the keywords that are used most often.

The keyword list can be a bit overwhelming the first time. Remember to use keywords that get at least 300 searches per month on Google. Using popular keywords will help you match up against competitors in your niche.

How to Optimize Your Titles, Descriptions, and Tags

Your keyword research will help you craft title, description, and tags of your videos.

How to Optimize YouTube Titles

The ideal YouTube title intrigues the potential viewer, drawing them in and making them want to click the link.

A video title should include your most important keyword. Usually, your most important keyword will be the first word in your title. Great titles are accurate and descriptive, but also exciting and captivating.

You should also consider using general keywords that are popular on Google like “funny video” “Tutorial” “Review” and “Fitness”.

How to Optimize Your Video’s Description

The description of your video is the next big important challenge. The text description of your video is how Google and other search engines determine the subject matter of your video for ranking.

Some tips for success with your description include; using 2-3 important keywords in the first 25 words and making each YouTube description more than 250 words.

Your ideal description will help to index your video without over-utilizing keywords and being flagged as spam.

How to Optimize YouTube Tags

Tags will help decide which videos your video will be displayed beside as similar content and which searches it will appear in.

By using targeted and optimized tags you can gain more traffic and views. Some of the top rules that you should consider with tags are; using 8-12 in every video and making sure the top keyword you used in your title is included as a tag.

Tags on previous videos can also be rearranged and edited as you do keyword research. This will help improve the ranking of some of your older videos. If you all the tags you usually use to a notepad or text edit file and separate them with commas you can paste them all back into YouTube in the new order. This is the simplest way to mass edit tags.

Click here for more tips about YouTube search optimization.

These tips will help you optimize your YouTube tags for more views, as well as your other YouTube metadata.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett