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"[New] Elevate Video Appeal Crafting Unforgettable Thumbnail Images"
Elevate Video Appeal: Crafting Unforgettable Thumbnail Images
How To Add Custom Thumbnails to Your YouTube Videos
Richard Bennett
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
YouTube custom thumbnails are a great way to get people’s attention to your YouTube video. It’s a pretty simple process but if you are wondering how to create a thumbnail and add the thumbnail to YouTube video and customize it with the correct size. You have come to the right place. While in this article, I will show you how to create and add a thumbnail to a YouTube video and how to customize the YouTube video thumbnail. Follow these easy steps below and add eyecatching customed thumbnails to your YouTube videos in no time.
- Part 1: Create and Add Custom Thumbnails to YouTube
- Part 2: Tools to Create Custom YouTube Video Thumbnails
- Part 3: How to Change A Thumbnail On YouTube
- Part 4: Things You Need to Know Before Making a YouTube Custom Thumbnail
- Part 5: Tips on How to Make Good YouTube Thumbnails to Get More Clicks
- Part 6: YouTube Thumbnail FAQs
How To Add Custom Thumbnails to Your YouTube Videos [Steps, Tools and Tips]
We have just made a video tutorial about how to make a YouTube video thumbnail, check it below to find out the tips and tricks of making customized YouTube thumbnail.
Part 1: How to Make a Thumbnail for YouTube and Add Custom Thumbnails to YouTube
After you’ve verified your account and made your thumbnail, it’s finally time to upload it to your video and make a custom thumbnail. To do this, go to Creator Studio and then Video Manager. You’ll see a button labeled “Edit” next to each video, and an arrow pointing down. Click Thumbnail Editor.
In Thumbnail Editor, you can use the still images in the video as a thumbnail, choose a solid background color for the thumbnail, or add other images from your computer. I will show you the steps of how to customize the video still as a video thumbnail.
1. Preview the video and choose the target video still. You can click the Playback button and check the video and pause it at the desired frame. Or, you can step through each frame by clicking the Preview Frame button and Next Frame icon. Click Next to continue.
2. And now, you can add text, image and shape overlays to the thumbnail. You can change the text font, size, opacity and more.
3. Click Next to save the thumbnail and you will see how the thumbnail displays on different platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Click Save to save the video thumbnail.
In this way, you can add a custom thumbnail to the new videos and change the video thumbnail of the previously uploaded videos.
Part 2: Thumbnail Makers to Create Custom YouTube Thumbnails
Of course, you can use some of the best tools to make a YouTube video thumbnail. In this part, we will show you some of the best tools to create custom YouTube thumbnails.
Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )
1. Create YouTube Thumbnail with Online solution - Canva
Canva is a free, powerful online image editing program with tons of great templates to get you started. One of their templates just happens to be YouTube thumbnails. Open Canva and select the “YouTube Thumbnail” design type. Use your own photo or choose from a huge library, then add text and effects to really make it stand out. Save and share — easy as that.
Check this video tutorial to see how to Make a Youtube Thumbnail using Canva.
You may also like: Best online Photo Editor
2. Design YouTube thumbnail with a Desktop solution - Gimp
Gimp is one of the most popular image editing programs around for one very simple reason: it’s powerful and free! Where Canva uses a lot of templates, Gimp gives you absolute, full control over how you want your image to look. Make a 1280x720 image and start putting together your eye-catching thumbnail exactly how you want to.
Check this video tutorial to see how to make professional Thumbnails for YouTube Videos with Gimp:
Part 3: How to Change A Thumbnail On YouTube
Note: YouTube allows verified YouTube accounts (accounts that provided YouTube with a working phone number) to upload custom thumbnail images and change them accordingly.
In this part, we’ll be going over how to change a thumbnail image on YouTube. There are pictures to make it easy to follow along.
- After signing into YouTube with your Google account, click on your profile on the top right corner. Click on YouTube Studio from the drop-down menu.
- On the left side of the page, click on Videos and then find your video and click on the details button.
- Find the Thumbnail section in the basic video details tab, and then click the Upload thumbnail to select the image that you want to upload.
- Finally, click on the Save button on the right upper corner. And just like that, in seven easy steps, we’re done changing the thumbnail of a YouTube video.
If you don’t have an image to upload but you want to check out some online resources to make your own, check out our Top YouTube Thumbnail Makers .
Part 4: Things You Need to Know Before Making a Custom Thumbnail
- About the proper YouTube video thumbnail size: Your thumbnail should be 1280x720 pixels in size and be less than 2MB. The minimum width of the image is 640 pixels.
- About the YouTube Image thumbnail format: Use .JPG, .PNG, .GIF or .BMP files for your thumbnail image.
- You’ll want your thumbnails to stand out. Bright colored text is a simple, easy way to draw people’s attention. Red, white, yellow, or orange are all popular choices.
- You can even do a little homework to see what colors others are using for similar videos to yours, and then choose different colors to stand out.
One word of warning: your thumbnail should be related to the content of your video. Misleading thumbnail images, if reported, will reflect poorly on your channel. You’ll get a negative rating in the community status part of your channel. This can actually remove your ability to use custom thumbnails, so keep it honest!
You may also like: How to Make YouTube Channel Art
To make a creative YouTube video, you may also need a powerful video editing software. Check how to edit a YouTube video in Filmora video editor and download it to try.
You may also like: Best video editing software for YouTube
Part 5: Tips on How to Make Good YouTube Thumbnails - Get More Clicks
The thumbnails of your videos play a huge role in convincing people to watch them; a good YouTube thumbnail will get you more views and more potential subscribers. This part will give you 6 tips on creating thumbnails that help grow your channel. Now let’s learn how to make thumbnails using Wondershare PixStudio.
1. Stay On Topic
Your thumbnail should tell a story; it should be clear from looking at it what viewers will get out of watching the video, be it knowledge or entertainment. If your thumbnail sets expectations that your video doesn’t deliver on, people will click away quickly. You may get views quickly, but you won’t get much watch time. That will tell YouTube’s search algorithm ‘people aren’t getting what they want from this, rank it lower’. That leads to fewer views over time, and gives the people who do manage to find your video a negative opinion of your channel.
Very few people intentionally use thumbnails that have nothing to do with the content of their videos – i.e, most people understand not to use a picture of a kitten in the thumbnail for their tech review, unless maybe their kitten is the one doing the review (which would be adorable, someone should do that). People who want serious advice won’t click, and people who click to see a kitten will click away fast.
This thumbnail had better be for a kitten’s iPhone review video or people will click away. Fast.
A mistake a lot of creators do make is creating a thumbnail that is meant to evoke an emotion which the video itself does not justify. For example, if you see a picture of a YouTuber looking nervous alongside text that reads ‘My Secret’, you will think they are going to share something deeply personal. You will be curious, and you may even be worried about them. You’ll probably click. Then, if their secret is that they don’t like pineapple on pizza, you’ll probably be angry. This technique gets clicks, but not a lot of watch time and it will lose you subs in the long run.
2. Don’t Be Mysterious
A good thumbnail doesn’t make people guess. Your thumbnail should tell people what’s in your video, not make them wonder about it. People want to know what they’re being asked to spend time watching.
Often, they will be looking for the answer to a specific question and will completely ignore anything that doesn’t show – in the thumbnail – that it has their answer.
Sometimes big channels can get away with stuff like this, because large portions of their audiences are interested in them as people and will already be curious about anything they post. This technique will not bring in new viewers, though.
If this came up in a search for ‘smoky eye tutorial’, would you click it?
When people want answers, they want to feel confident that they video they click on will have those answers. If you have great content, then let people know it!
3. People Like People
Viewers are more likely to click on a thumbnail if they feel a connection when they look at it. One of the best ways to create a feeling of connection is through eye contact, and you can apply that principle to your YouTube thumbnails easily.
Just make sure you’re in them.
You can either compose a photo to use as your thumbnail, or use a screenshot from your video. Ideally, the image of you will convey the emotional tone of the video and tell potential viewers what it is about, besides you.
So, if you want to post a funny video that is also about making brownies, maybe a picture of you smiling while holding up a tray of brownies would be a better direction than just showing the brownies?
4. Check Out The Competition
Before you post your video, type your topic into YouTube’s search engine and see what comes up. This will give you insight into what kinds of thumbnails are performing well for other people, as well as what you can do to stand out in comparison.
Phil starts talking about thumbnails at 6:09, and he has great tips on checking out your competition!
For example, if all five of the top-ranked videos for the search ‘how to build a cabinet’ show images of the YouTuber smiling while holding a power tool, then your thumbnail for a video on the same topic should also be a picture of you smiling and holding a power tool. You know that works, so why not do it?
5. Use Color in Interesting Ways
You want to use colors that will help you stand out from the other search results. While checking out your competition if you notice that all the people in the other thumbnails are wearing black or navy blue, it will be a good idea for you to wear a brighter color for your shoot to grab a bit more attention.
Beyond simply using colors that are different from other people’s colors, you should consider the emotions different colors trigger.
Maybe don’t use a lot of green and yellow in the thumbnail for your angry video rant?
6. Make Your Text Huge
Usually, you’ll want to use a bit of text in your thumbnail. It might be the full title of your video, or just a keyword or phrase. You don’t want to use a full sentence because you won’t have room for it if you’re using huge text.
The reason you should use huge text is so that people can read it. Remember that when people see your thumbnail in their search results, it will be much smaller than it will look while you are creating it. Text that looks big enough while you are creating your thumbnail will be much smaller when people are actually trying to read it, and that goes double for viewers watching on their small smartphone screens.
Frequently Asked Questions about YouTube Thumbnail
1. What is YouTube Thumbnail?
When you upload a video on YouTube, YouTube gives you three images to choose from in the selection of your video’s thumbnail image. These three images are just freeze-frame snapshots from different parts of your video, which may not tell your viewers what your video is really all about.
2. Can You Change YouTube Thumbnail After Publishing?
Yes, you can replace the auto-generated thumbnail with the customized thumbnail you like. But YouTube only allows verified YouTube accounts to upload custom thumbnail images.
3. How Long Does It Take for a Thumbnail to Change on YouTube?
Normally, if you have a good internet connection, you can see the thumbnail is changed within 10 seconds.
4. Why YouTube Thumbnail is Important?
When you get more people watching your video for longer, it increases your watch time and tells YouTube’s search algorithm ‘people like this, rank it higher’. Being ranked higher gets you more views, and even more watch time. It’s a wonderful cycle that all begins with a great thumbnail (paired with a good title and the right tags).
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
YouTube custom thumbnails are a great way to get people’s attention to your YouTube video. It’s a pretty simple process but if you are wondering how to create a thumbnail and add the thumbnail to YouTube video and customize it with the correct size. You have come to the right place. While in this article, I will show you how to create and add a thumbnail to a YouTube video and how to customize the YouTube video thumbnail. Follow these easy steps below and add eyecatching customed thumbnails to your YouTube videos in no time.
- Part 1: Create and Add Custom Thumbnails to YouTube
- Part 2: Tools to Create Custom YouTube Video Thumbnails
- Part 3: How to Change A Thumbnail On YouTube
- Part 4: Things You Need to Know Before Making a YouTube Custom Thumbnail
- Part 5: Tips on How to Make Good YouTube Thumbnails to Get More Clicks
- Part 6: YouTube Thumbnail FAQs
How To Add Custom Thumbnails to Your YouTube Videos [Steps, Tools and Tips]
We have just made a video tutorial about how to make a YouTube video thumbnail, check it below to find out the tips and tricks of making customized YouTube thumbnail.
Part 1: How to Make a Thumbnail for YouTube and Add Custom Thumbnails to YouTube
After you’ve verified your account and made your thumbnail, it’s finally time to upload it to your video and make a custom thumbnail. To do this, go to Creator Studio and then Video Manager. You’ll see a button labeled “Edit” next to each video, and an arrow pointing down. Click Thumbnail Editor.
In Thumbnail Editor, you can use the still images in the video as a thumbnail, choose a solid background color for the thumbnail, or add other images from your computer. I will show you the steps of how to customize the video still as a video thumbnail.
1. Preview the video and choose the target video still. You can click the Playback button and check the video and pause it at the desired frame. Or, you can step through each frame by clicking the Preview Frame button and Next Frame icon. Click Next to continue.
2. And now, you can add text, image and shape overlays to the thumbnail. You can change the text font, size, opacity and more.
3. Click Next to save the thumbnail and you will see how the thumbnail displays on different platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Click Save to save the video thumbnail.
In this way, you can add a custom thumbnail to the new videos and change the video thumbnail of the previously uploaded videos.
Part 2: Thumbnail Makers to Create Custom YouTube Thumbnails
Of course, you can use some of the best tools to make a YouTube video thumbnail. In this part, we will show you some of the best tools to create custom YouTube thumbnails.
Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )
1. Create YouTube Thumbnail with Online solution - Canva
Canva is a free, powerful online image editing program with tons of great templates to get you started. One of their templates just happens to be YouTube thumbnails. Open Canva and select the “YouTube Thumbnail” design type. Use your own photo or choose from a huge library, then add text and effects to really make it stand out. Save and share — easy as that.
Check this video tutorial to see how to Make a Youtube Thumbnail using Canva.
You may also like: Best online Photo Editor
2. Design YouTube thumbnail with a Desktop solution - Gimp
Gimp is one of the most popular image editing programs around for one very simple reason: it’s powerful and free! Where Canva uses a lot of templates, Gimp gives you absolute, full control over how you want your image to look. Make a 1280x720 image and start putting together your eye-catching thumbnail exactly how you want to.
Check this video tutorial to see how to make professional Thumbnails for YouTube Videos with Gimp:
Part 3: How to Change A Thumbnail On YouTube
Note: YouTube allows verified YouTube accounts (accounts that provided YouTube with a working phone number) to upload custom thumbnail images and change them accordingly.
In this part, we’ll be going over how to change a thumbnail image on YouTube. There are pictures to make it easy to follow along.
- After signing into YouTube with your Google account, click on your profile on the top right corner. Click on YouTube Studio from the drop-down menu.
- On the left side of the page, click on Videos and then find your video and click on the details button.
- Find the Thumbnail section in the basic video details tab, and then click the Upload thumbnail to select the image that you want to upload.
- Finally, click on the Save button on the right upper corner. And just like that, in seven easy steps, we’re done changing the thumbnail of a YouTube video.
If you don’t have an image to upload but you want to check out some online resources to make your own, check out our Top YouTube Thumbnail Makers .
Part 4: Things You Need to Know Before Making a Custom Thumbnail
- About the proper YouTube video thumbnail size: Your thumbnail should be 1280x720 pixels in size and be less than 2MB. The minimum width of the image is 640 pixels.
- About the YouTube Image thumbnail format: Use .JPG, .PNG, .GIF or .BMP files for your thumbnail image.
- You’ll want your thumbnails to stand out. Bright colored text is a simple, easy way to draw people’s attention. Red, white, yellow, or orange are all popular choices.
- You can even do a little homework to see what colors others are using for similar videos to yours, and then choose different colors to stand out.
One word of warning: your thumbnail should be related to the content of your video. Misleading thumbnail images, if reported, will reflect poorly on your channel. You’ll get a negative rating in the community status part of your channel. This can actually remove your ability to use custom thumbnails, so keep it honest!
You may also like: How to Make YouTube Channel Art
To make a creative YouTube video, you may also need a powerful video editing software. Check how to edit a YouTube video in Filmora video editor and download it to try.
You may also like: Best video editing software for YouTube
Part 5: Tips on How to Make Good YouTube Thumbnails - Get More Clicks
The thumbnails of your videos play a huge role in convincing people to watch them; a good YouTube thumbnail will get you more views and more potential subscribers. This part will give you 6 tips on creating thumbnails that help grow your channel. Now let’s learn how to make thumbnails using Wondershare PixStudio.
1. Stay On Topic
Your thumbnail should tell a story; it should be clear from looking at it what viewers will get out of watching the video, be it knowledge or entertainment. If your thumbnail sets expectations that your video doesn’t deliver on, people will click away quickly. You may get views quickly, but you won’t get much watch time. That will tell YouTube’s search algorithm ‘people aren’t getting what they want from this, rank it lower’. That leads to fewer views over time, and gives the people who do manage to find your video a negative opinion of your channel.
Very few people intentionally use thumbnails that have nothing to do with the content of their videos – i.e, most people understand not to use a picture of a kitten in the thumbnail for their tech review, unless maybe their kitten is the one doing the review (which would be adorable, someone should do that). People who want serious advice won’t click, and people who click to see a kitten will click away fast.
This thumbnail had better be for a kitten’s iPhone review video or people will click away. Fast.
A mistake a lot of creators do make is creating a thumbnail that is meant to evoke an emotion which the video itself does not justify. For example, if you see a picture of a YouTuber looking nervous alongside text that reads ‘My Secret’, you will think they are going to share something deeply personal. You will be curious, and you may even be worried about them. You’ll probably click. Then, if their secret is that they don’t like pineapple on pizza, you’ll probably be angry. This technique gets clicks, but not a lot of watch time and it will lose you subs in the long run.
2. Don’t Be Mysterious
A good thumbnail doesn’t make people guess. Your thumbnail should tell people what’s in your video, not make them wonder about it. People want to know what they’re being asked to spend time watching.
Often, they will be looking for the answer to a specific question and will completely ignore anything that doesn’t show – in the thumbnail – that it has their answer.
Sometimes big channels can get away with stuff like this, because large portions of their audiences are interested in them as people and will already be curious about anything they post. This technique will not bring in new viewers, though.
If this came up in a search for ‘smoky eye tutorial’, would you click it?
When people want answers, they want to feel confident that they video they click on will have those answers. If you have great content, then let people know it!
3. People Like People
Viewers are more likely to click on a thumbnail if they feel a connection when they look at it. One of the best ways to create a feeling of connection is through eye contact, and you can apply that principle to your YouTube thumbnails easily.
Just make sure you’re in them.
You can either compose a photo to use as your thumbnail, or use a screenshot from your video. Ideally, the image of you will convey the emotional tone of the video and tell potential viewers what it is about, besides you.
So, if you want to post a funny video that is also about making brownies, maybe a picture of you smiling while holding up a tray of brownies would be a better direction than just showing the brownies?
4. Check Out The Competition
Before you post your video, type your topic into YouTube’s search engine and see what comes up. This will give you insight into what kinds of thumbnails are performing well for other people, as well as what you can do to stand out in comparison.
Phil starts talking about thumbnails at 6:09, and he has great tips on checking out your competition!
For example, if all five of the top-ranked videos for the search ‘how to build a cabinet’ show images of the YouTuber smiling while holding a power tool, then your thumbnail for a video on the same topic should also be a picture of you smiling and holding a power tool. You know that works, so why not do it?
5. Use Color in Interesting Ways
You want to use colors that will help you stand out from the other search results. While checking out your competition if you notice that all the people in the other thumbnails are wearing black or navy blue, it will be a good idea for you to wear a brighter color for your shoot to grab a bit more attention.
Beyond simply using colors that are different from other people’s colors, you should consider the emotions different colors trigger.
Maybe don’t use a lot of green and yellow in the thumbnail for your angry video rant?
6. Make Your Text Huge
Usually, you’ll want to use a bit of text in your thumbnail. It might be the full title of your video, or just a keyword or phrase. You don’t want to use a full sentence because you won’t have room for it if you’re using huge text.
The reason you should use huge text is so that people can read it. Remember that when people see your thumbnail in their search results, it will be much smaller than it will look while you are creating it. Text that looks big enough while you are creating your thumbnail will be much smaller when people are actually trying to read it, and that goes double for viewers watching on their small smartphone screens.
Frequently Asked Questions about YouTube Thumbnail
1. What is YouTube Thumbnail?
When you upload a video on YouTube, YouTube gives you three images to choose from in the selection of your video’s thumbnail image. These three images are just freeze-frame snapshots from different parts of your video, which may not tell your viewers what your video is really all about.
2. Can You Change YouTube Thumbnail After Publishing?
Yes, you can replace the auto-generated thumbnail with the customized thumbnail you like. But YouTube only allows verified YouTube accounts to upload custom thumbnail images.
3. How Long Does It Take for a Thumbnail to Change on YouTube?
Normally, if you have a good internet connection, you can see the thumbnail is changed within 10 seconds.
4. Why YouTube Thumbnail is Important?
When you get more people watching your video for longer, it increases your watch time and tells YouTube’s search algorithm ‘people like this, rank it higher’. Being ranked higher gets you more views, and even more watch time. It’s a wonderful cycle that all begins with a great thumbnail (paired with a good title and the right tags).
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
YouTube custom thumbnails are a great way to get people’s attention to your YouTube video. It’s a pretty simple process but if you are wondering how to create a thumbnail and add the thumbnail to YouTube video and customize it with the correct size. You have come to the right place. While in this article, I will show you how to create and add a thumbnail to a YouTube video and how to customize the YouTube video thumbnail. Follow these easy steps below and add eyecatching customed thumbnails to your YouTube videos in no time.
- Part 1: Create and Add Custom Thumbnails to YouTube
- Part 2: Tools to Create Custom YouTube Video Thumbnails
- Part 3: How to Change A Thumbnail On YouTube
- Part 4: Things You Need to Know Before Making a YouTube Custom Thumbnail
- Part 5: Tips on How to Make Good YouTube Thumbnails to Get More Clicks
- Part 6: YouTube Thumbnail FAQs
How To Add Custom Thumbnails to Your YouTube Videos [Steps, Tools and Tips]
We have just made a video tutorial about how to make a YouTube video thumbnail, check it below to find out the tips and tricks of making customized YouTube thumbnail.
Part 1: How to Make a Thumbnail for YouTube and Add Custom Thumbnails to YouTube
After you’ve verified your account and made your thumbnail, it’s finally time to upload it to your video and make a custom thumbnail. To do this, go to Creator Studio and then Video Manager. You’ll see a button labeled “Edit” next to each video, and an arrow pointing down. Click Thumbnail Editor.
In Thumbnail Editor, you can use the still images in the video as a thumbnail, choose a solid background color for the thumbnail, or add other images from your computer. I will show you the steps of how to customize the video still as a video thumbnail.
1. Preview the video and choose the target video still. You can click the Playback button and check the video and pause it at the desired frame. Or, you can step through each frame by clicking the Preview Frame button and Next Frame icon. Click Next to continue.
2. And now, you can add text, image and shape overlays to the thumbnail. You can change the text font, size, opacity and more.
3. Click Next to save the thumbnail and you will see how the thumbnail displays on different platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Click Save to save the video thumbnail.
In this way, you can add a custom thumbnail to the new videos and change the video thumbnail of the previously uploaded videos.
Part 2: Thumbnail Makers to Create Custom YouTube Thumbnails
Of course, you can use some of the best tools to make a YouTube video thumbnail. In this part, we will show you some of the best tools to create custom YouTube thumbnails.
Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )
1. Create YouTube Thumbnail with Online solution - Canva
Canva is a free, powerful online image editing program with tons of great templates to get you started. One of their templates just happens to be YouTube thumbnails. Open Canva and select the “YouTube Thumbnail” design type. Use your own photo or choose from a huge library, then add text and effects to really make it stand out. Save and share — easy as that.
Check this video tutorial to see how to Make a Youtube Thumbnail using Canva.
You may also like: Best online Photo Editor
2. Design YouTube thumbnail with a Desktop solution - Gimp
Gimp is one of the most popular image editing programs around for one very simple reason: it’s powerful and free! Where Canva uses a lot of templates, Gimp gives you absolute, full control over how you want your image to look. Make a 1280x720 image and start putting together your eye-catching thumbnail exactly how you want to.
Check this video tutorial to see how to make professional Thumbnails for YouTube Videos with Gimp:
Part 3: How to Change A Thumbnail On YouTube
Note: YouTube allows verified YouTube accounts (accounts that provided YouTube with a working phone number) to upload custom thumbnail images and change them accordingly.
In this part, we’ll be going over how to change a thumbnail image on YouTube. There are pictures to make it easy to follow along.
- After signing into YouTube with your Google account, click on your profile on the top right corner. Click on YouTube Studio from the drop-down menu.
- On the left side of the page, click on Videos and then find your video and click on the details button.
- Find the Thumbnail section in the basic video details tab, and then click the Upload thumbnail to select the image that you want to upload.
- Finally, click on the Save button on the right upper corner. And just like that, in seven easy steps, we’re done changing the thumbnail of a YouTube video.
If you don’t have an image to upload but you want to check out some online resources to make your own, check out our Top YouTube Thumbnail Makers .
Part 4: Things You Need to Know Before Making a Custom Thumbnail
- About the proper YouTube video thumbnail size: Your thumbnail should be 1280x720 pixels in size and be less than 2MB. The minimum width of the image is 640 pixels.
- About the YouTube Image thumbnail format: Use .JPG, .PNG, .GIF or .BMP files for your thumbnail image.
- You’ll want your thumbnails to stand out. Bright colored text is a simple, easy way to draw people’s attention. Red, white, yellow, or orange are all popular choices.
- You can even do a little homework to see what colors others are using for similar videos to yours, and then choose different colors to stand out.
One word of warning: your thumbnail should be related to the content of your video. Misleading thumbnail images, if reported, will reflect poorly on your channel. You’ll get a negative rating in the community status part of your channel. This can actually remove your ability to use custom thumbnails, so keep it honest!
You may also like: How to Make YouTube Channel Art
To make a creative YouTube video, you may also need a powerful video editing software. Check how to edit a YouTube video in Filmora video editor and download it to try.
You may also like: Best video editing software for YouTube
Part 5: Tips on How to Make Good YouTube Thumbnails - Get More Clicks
The thumbnails of your videos play a huge role in convincing people to watch them; a good YouTube thumbnail will get you more views and more potential subscribers. This part will give you 6 tips on creating thumbnails that help grow your channel. Now let’s learn how to make thumbnails using Wondershare PixStudio.
1. Stay On Topic
Your thumbnail should tell a story; it should be clear from looking at it what viewers will get out of watching the video, be it knowledge or entertainment. If your thumbnail sets expectations that your video doesn’t deliver on, people will click away quickly. You may get views quickly, but you won’t get much watch time. That will tell YouTube’s search algorithm ‘people aren’t getting what they want from this, rank it lower’. That leads to fewer views over time, and gives the people who do manage to find your video a negative opinion of your channel.
Very few people intentionally use thumbnails that have nothing to do with the content of their videos – i.e, most people understand not to use a picture of a kitten in the thumbnail for their tech review, unless maybe their kitten is the one doing the review (which would be adorable, someone should do that). People who want serious advice won’t click, and people who click to see a kitten will click away fast.
This thumbnail had better be for a kitten’s iPhone review video or people will click away. Fast.
A mistake a lot of creators do make is creating a thumbnail that is meant to evoke an emotion which the video itself does not justify. For example, if you see a picture of a YouTuber looking nervous alongside text that reads ‘My Secret’, you will think they are going to share something deeply personal. You will be curious, and you may even be worried about them. You’ll probably click. Then, if their secret is that they don’t like pineapple on pizza, you’ll probably be angry. This technique gets clicks, but not a lot of watch time and it will lose you subs in the long run.
2. Don’t Be Mysterious
A good thumbnail doesn’t make people guess. Your thumbnail should tell people what’s in your video, not make them wonder about it. People want to know what they’re being asked to spend time watching.
Often, they will be looking for the answer to a specific question and will completely ignore anything that doesn’t show – in the thumbnail – that it has their answer.
Sometimes big channels can get away with stuff like this, because large portions of their audiences are interested in them as people and will already be curious about anything they post. This technique will not bring in new viewers, though.
If this came up in a search for ‘smoky eye tutorial’, would you click it?
When people want answers, they want to feel confident that they video they click on will have those answers. If you have great content, then let people know it!
3. People Like People
Viewers are more likely to click on a thumbnail if they feel a connection when they look at it. One of the best ways to create a feeling of connection is through eye contact, and you can apply that principle to your YouTube thumbnails easily.
Just make sure you’re in them.
You can either compose a photo to use as your thumbnail, or use a screenshot from your video. Ideally, the image of you will convey the emotional tone of the video and tell potential viewers what it is about, besides you.
So, if you want to post a funny video that is also about making brownies, maybe a picture of you smiling while holding up a tray of brownies would be a better direction than just showing the brownies?
4. Check Out The Competition
Before you post your video, type your topic into YouTube’s search engine and see what comes up. This will give you insight into what kinds of thumbnails are performing well for other people, as well as what you can do to stand out in comparison.
Phil starts talking about thumbnails at 6:09, and he has great tips on checking out your competition!
For example, if all five of the top-ranked videos for the search ‘how to build a cabinet’ show images of the YouTuber smiling while holding a power tool, then your thumbnail for a video on the same topic should also be a picture of you smiling and holding a power tool. You know that works, so why not do it?
5. Use Color in Interesting Ways
You want to use colors that will help you stand out from the other search results. While checking out your competition if you notice that all the people in the other thumbnails are wearing black or navy blue, it will be a good idea for you to wear a brighter color for your shoot to grab a bit more attention.
Beyond simply using colors that are different from other people’s colors, you should consider the emotions different colors trigger.
Maybe don’t use a lot of green and yellow in the thumbnail for your angry video rant?
6. Make Your Text Huge
Usually, you’ll want to use a bit of text in your thumbnail. It might be the full title of your video, or just a keyword or phrase. You don’t want to use a full sentence because you won’t have room for it if you’re using huge text.
The reason you should use huge text is so that people can read it. Remember that when people see your thumbnail in their search results, it will be much smaller than it will look while you are creating it. Text that looks big enough while you are creating your thumbnail will be much smaller when people are actually trying to read it, and that goes double for viewers watching on their small smartphone screens.
Frequently Asked Questions about YouTube Thumbnail
1. What is YouTube Thumbnail?
When you upload a video on YouTube, YouTube gives you three images to choose from in the selection of your video’s thumbnail image. These three images are just freeze-frame snapshots from different parts of your video, which may not tell your viewers what your video is really all about.
2. Can You Change YouTube Thumbnail After Publishing?
Yes, you can replace the auto-generated thumbnail with the customized thumbnail you like. But YouTube only allows verified YouTube accounts to upload custom thumbnail images.
3. How Long Does It Take for a Thumbnail to Change on YouTube?
Normally, if you have a good internet connection, you can see the thumbnail is changed within 10 seconds.
4. Why YouTube Thumbnail is Important?
When you get more people watching your video for longer, it increases your watch time and tells YouTube’s search algorithm ‘people like this, rank it higher’. Being ranked higher gets you more views, and even more watch time. It’s a wonderful cycle that all begins with a great thumbnail (paired with a good title and the right tags).
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
YouTube custom thumbnails are a great way to get people’s attention to your YouTube video. It’s a pretty simple process but if you are wondering how to create a thumbnail and add the thumbnail to YouTube video and customize it with the correct size. You have come to the right place. While in this article, I will show you how to create and add a thumbnail to a YouTube video and how to customize the YouTube video thumbnail. Follow these easy steps below and add eyecatching customed thumbnails to your YouTube videos in no time.
- Part 1: Create and Add Custom Thumbnails to YouTube
- Part 2: Tools to Create Custom YouTube Video Thumbnails
- Part 3: How to Change A Thumbnail On YouTube
- Part 4: Things You Need to Know Before Making a YouTube Custom Thumbnail
- Part 5: Tips on How to Make Good YouTube Thumbnails to Get More Clicks
- Part 6: YouTube Thumbnail FAQs
How To Add Custom Thumbnails to Your YouTube Videos [Steps, Tools and Tips]
We have just made a video tutorial about how to make a YouTube video thumbnail, check it below to find out the tips and tricks of making customized YouTube thumbnail.
Part 1: How to Make a Thumbnail for YouTube and Add Custom Thumbnails to YouTube
After you’ve verified your account and made your thumbnail, it’s finally time to upload it to your video and make a custom thumbnail. To do this, go to Creator Studio and then Video Manager. You’ll see a button labeled “Edit” next to each video, and an arrow pointing down. Click Thumbnail Editor.
In Thumbnail Editor, you can use the still images in the video as a thumbnail, choose a solid background color for the thumbnail, or add other images from your computer. I will show you the steps of how to customize the video still as a video thumbnail.
1. Preview the video and choose the target video still. You can click the Playback button and check the video and pause it at the desired frame. Or, you can step through each frame by clicking the Preview Frame button and Next Frame icon. Click Next to continue.
2. And now, you can add text, image and shape overlays to the thumbnail. You can change the text font, size, opacity and more.
3. Click Next to save the thumbnail and you will see how the thumbnail displays on different platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Click Save to save the video thumbnail.
In this way, you can add a custom thumbnail to the new videos and change the video thumbnail of the previously uploaded videos.
Part 2: Thumbnail Makers to Create Custom YouTube Thumbnails
Of course, you can use some of the best tools to make a YouTube video thumbnail. In this part, we will show you some of the best tools to create custom YouTube thumbnails.
Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )
1. Create YouTube Thumbnail with Online solution - Canva
Canva is a free, powerful online image editing program with tons of great templates to get you started. One of their templates just happens to be YouTube thumbnails. Open Canva and select the “YouTube Thumbnail” design type. Use your own photo or choose from a huge library, then add text and effects to really make it stand out. Save and share — easy as that.
Check this video tutorial to see how to Make a Youtube Thumbnail using Canva.
You may also like: Best online Photo Editor
2. Design YouTube thumbnail with a Desktop solution - Gimp
Gimp is one of the most popular image editing programs around for one very simple reason: it’s powerful and free! Where Canva uses a lot of templates, Gimp gives you absolute, full control over how you want your image to look. Make a 1280x720 image and start putting together your eye-catching thumbnail exactly how you want to.
Check this video tutorial to see how to make professional Thumbnails for YouTube Videos with Gimp:
Part 3: How to Change A Thumbnail On YouTube
Note: YouTube allows verified YouTube accounts (accounts that provided YouTube with a working phone number) to upload custom thumbnail images and change them accordingly.
In this part, we’ll be going over how to change a thumbnail image on YouTube. There are pictures to make it easy to follow along.
- After signing into YouTube with your Google account, click on your profile on the top right corner. Click on YouTube Studio from the drop-down menu.
- On the left side of the page, click on Videos and then find your video and click on the details button.
- Find the Thumbnail section in the basic video details tab, and then click the Upload thumbnail to select the image that you want to upload.
- Finally, click on the Save button on the right upper corner. And just like that, in seven easy steps, we’re done changing the thumbnail of a YouTube video.
If you don’t have an image to upload but you want to check out some online resources to make your own, check out our Top YouTube Thumbnail Makers .
Part 4: Things You Need to Know Before Making a Custom Thumbnail
- About the proper YouTube video thumbnail size: Your thumbnail should be 1280x720 pixels in size and be less than 2MB. The minimum width of the image is 640 pixels.
- About the YouTube Image thumbnail format: Use .JPG, .PNG, .GIF or .BMP files for your thumbnail image.
- You’ll want your thumbnails to stand out. Bright colored text is a simple, easy way to draw people’s attention. Red, white, yellow, or orange are all popular choices.
- You can even do a little homework to see what colors others are using for similar videos to yours, and then choose different colors to stand out.
One word of warning: your thumbnail should be related to the content of your video. Misleading thumbnail images, if reported, will reflect poorly on your channel. You’ll get a negative rating in the community status part of your channel. This can actually remove your ability to use custom thumbnails, so keep it honest!
You may also like: How to Make YouTube Channel Art
To make a creative YouTube video, you may also need a powerful video editing software. Check how to edit a YouTube video in Filmora video editor and download it to try.
You may also like: Best video editing software for YouTube
Part 5: Tips on How to Make Good YouTube Thumbnails - Get More Clicks
The thumbnails of your videos play a huge role in convincing people to watch them; a good YouTube thumbnail will get you more views and more potential subscribers. This part will give you 6 tips on creating thumbnails that help grow your channel. Now let’s learn how to make thumbnails using Wondershare PixStudio.
1. Stay On Topic
Your thumbnail should tell a story; it should be clear from looking at it what viewers will get out of watching the video, be it knowledge or entertainment. If your thumbnail sets expectations that your video doesn’t deliver on, people will click away quickly. You may get views quickly, but you won’t get much watch time. That will tell YouTube’s search algorithm ‘people aren’t getting what they want from this, rank it lower’. That leads to fewer views over time, and gives the people who do manage to find your video a negative opinion of your channel.
Very few people intentionally use thumbnails that have nothing to do with the content of their videos – i.e, most people understand not to use a picture of a kitten in the thumbnail for their tech review, unless maybe their kitten is the one doing the review (which would be adorable, someone should do that). People who want serious advice won’t click, and people who click to see a kitten will click away fast.
This thumbnail had better be for a kitten’s iPhone review video or people will click away. Fast.
A mistake a lot of creators do make is creating a thumbnail that is meant to evoke an emotion which the video itself does not justify. For example, if you see a picture of a YouTuber looking nervous alongside text that reads ‘My Secret’, you will think they are going to share something deeply personal. You will be curious, and you may even be worried about them. You’ll probably click. Then, if their secret is that they don’t like pineapple on pizza, you’ll probably be angry. This technique gets clicks, but not a lot of watch time and it will lose you subs in the long run.
2. Don’t Be Mysterious
A good thumbnail doesn’t make people guess. Your thumbnail should tell people what’s in your video, not make them wonder about it. People want to know what they’re being asked to spend time watching.
Often, they will be looking for the answer to a specific question and will completely ignore anything that doesn’t show – in the thumbnail – that it has their answer.
Sometimes big channels can get away with stuff like this, because large portions of their audiences are interested in them as people and will already be curious about anything they post. This technique will not bring in new viewers, though.
If this came up in a search for ‘smoky eye tutorial’, would you click it?
When people want answers, they want to feel confident that they video they click on will have those answers. If you have great content, then let people know it!
3. People Like People
Viewers are more likely to click on a thumbnail if they feel a connection when they look at it. One of the best ways to create a feeling of connection is through eye contact, and you can apply that principle to your YouTube thumbnails easily.
Just make sure you’re in them.
You can either compose a photo to use as your thumbnail, or use a screenshot from your video. Ideally, the image of you will convey the emotional tone of the video and tell potential viewers what it is about, besides you.
So, if you want to post a funny video that is also about making brownies, maybe a picture of you smiling while holding up a tray of brownies would be a better direction than just showing the brownies?
4. Check Out The Competition
Before you post your video, type your topic into YouTube’s search engine and see what comes up. This will give you insight into what kinds of thumbnails are performing well for other people, as well as what you can do to stand out in comparison.
Phil starts talking about thumbnails at 6:09, and he has great tips on checking out your competition!
For example, if all five of the top-ranked videos for the search ‘how to build a cabinet’ show images of the YouTuber smiling while holding a power tool, then your thumbnail for a video on the same topic should also be a picture of you smiling and holding a power tool. You know that works, so why not do it?
5. Use Color in Interesting Ways
You want to use colors that will help you stand out from the other search results. While checking out your competition if you notice that all the people in the other thumbnails are wearing black or navy blue, it will be a good idea for you to wear a brighter color for your shoot to grab a bit more attention.
Beyond simply using colors that are different from other people’s colors, you should consider the emotions different colors trigger.
Maybe don’t use a lot of green and yellow in the thumbnail for your angry video rant?
6. Make Your Text Huge
Usually, you’ll want to use a bit of text in your thumbnail. It might be the full title of your video, or just a keyword or phrase. You don’t want to use a full sentence because you won’t have room for it if you’re using huge text.
The reason you should use huge text is so that people can read it. Remember that when people see your thumbnail in their search results, it will be much smaller than it will look while you are creating it. Text that looks big enough while you are creating your thumbnail will be much smaller when people are actually trying to read it, and that goes double for viewers watching on their small smartphone screens.
Frequently Asked Questions about YouTube Thumbnail
1. What is YouTube Thumbnail?
When you upload a video on YouTube, YouTube gives you three images to choose from in the selection of your video’s thumbnail image. These three images are just freeze-frame snapshots from different parts of your video, which may not tell your viewers what your video is really all about.
2. Can You Change YouTube Thumbnail After Publishing?
Yes, you can replace the auto-generated thumbnail with the customized thumbnail you like. But YouTube only allows verified YouTube accounts to upload custom thumbnail images.
3. How Long Does It Take for a Thumbnail to Change on YouTube?
Normally, if you have a good internet connection, you can see the thumbnail is changed within 10 seconds.
4. Why YouTube Thumbnail is Important?
When you get more people watching your video for longer, it increases your watch time and tells YouTube’s search algorithm ‘people like this, rank it higher’. Being ranked higher gets you more views, and even more watch time. It’s a wonderful cycle that all begins with a great thumbnail (paired with a good title and the right tags).
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Enhancing Visibility and Discoverability via Targeted Tags
Create High-Quality Video - Wondershare Filmora
An easy and powerful YouTube video editor
Numerous video and audio effects to choose from
Detailed tutorials provided by the official channel
Tagging your content online greatly impacts how viewers will react to your post. However, it doesn’t end at adding tags; you need to know more. Be savvy to put the tags strategically depending on your topic’s trending. So, why add a tag to YouTube videos? You want to gain enough clicks, yes, right? And that’s what hashtags do. They are online content features that will push the number of clicks to an unimaginable level.
Your content will gain more views and go viral within a short time. After all, that’s what we purpose for when posting videos. No one wants to put effort into editing videos and posting then don’t get a considerable number of views or clicks. But also, know that the ball is at your court. There are no go-zone areas when it comes to dealing with YouTube tags. Check this article on what to do for more views.
In this article
02 How will YouTube tag affect your video performance?
03 Things to consider before you start adding a tag.
04 How to add a tag to YouTube video
What is a YouTube tag?
A tag is a word used to describe a video or image. It is generally added to video titles and descriptions or used independently. They make YouTubers easily discover other posts with similar tags. YouTube tags are vital as they help the YouTube algorithm fully understand the videos you post. It’s by this that those who are interested in your video get hooked to them.
For tags to work ideally, you need to include your brand-specific tags before adding similar tags. YouTube auto-suggest is another gem in this scenario. Just see what YouTube suggests when you type while searching other similar topics. For great results, place the most important keywords and tags first, as these will act as the face of your video.
How will YouTube tag affect your video performance?
It is YouTube tags that help viewers to find videos they are searching for on YouTube. Besides, this is how it works: An audience will type keywords into YouTube’s search bar. Then videos with the same tag and keywords will appear in the search results. If not correctly done, the YouTube tag could affect your video performance and lead to such outcomes.
1. No adequate audience engagement
Your main focus should be audience engagement. You are trying to drive the attention of many YouTube users as possible. A small mistake, and you lose track. It is wise to know the best approach to use your tags. Improper YouTube tagging will not drive enough audience to your channel. You, therefore, won’t get adequate audience engagement.
2. Your video won’t go viral
Anything selling should strive to reach thousands and probably millions of viewers. Perhaps you have put in several days and months of work on a single video, only for it to be viewed by a few fellows. You will feel like a waste of time when you put so much effort, yet your videos don’t go viral. It means there will be fewer people looking out for your content.
3. Limited chances of your video ranking high
If you don’t do YouTube tagging the right way, then the chances are that your video won’t rank high. Everyone feels better when they get a pat on the back for a well-done job. But what happens if there is no traffic to your video? You probably lose the urge to continue doing more videos. Just play right, so you are not demoralized whenever you post your videos.
Things to consider before you start adding a tag
If used properly, YouTube tags are a great way for your video and business to perform well. You’ll attract the audience and probably get a flux of customers. And the tricks are just at your fingertips. You only need to give the best approach possible to all the steps of your YouTube tagging. Here are some tips to help you out.
1) Use keyword variations
Try to use variations of keywords to increase the chances of your video ranking high. The audience will use several phrases to lead them to the right YouTube video. More so, they’ll even change the order of keywords for best results. It would be best to strive to appear in as many searches as possible. The best option is to use the “YouTube” tag generator to gather as many relevant tags as possible. It will pop you more ideas and let you identify the most important core terms that you can build on.
2) Research competitors
This trick works well for you before you add a tag to a YouTube video. Check out what your competitors are up to and what tags they use. While you check at what competitors do, also mind the trending tags. You don’t want to be left behind in the quick-paced technological advances. But ensure your searches are related to your content. Any misleading tags will plunge you into more drawbacks. Checking out on the latest trends will help you generate more ideas for useful keywords that make your videos rank better.
3) Conduct keyword research
Research is a vital point to start from. By this, you’ll find other keyword possibilities for your video. Don’t just think of keywords out of the blue but ensure that the audience searches what you use. It is better to check out the generic relationship between YouTube tags and your video content. Find keywords that will directly link to what your video is all about. You can also find out what has worked for those in your industry to know the best approach to give.
4) Write a keyword-optimized title and description
Ensure that the texts associated with your video are keyword-optimized. Your audience will majorly rely on the video title and description. The description should emphasize more on what the title is. Consider that first, and then find the kinds of tags that would correlate with both your title and description. Besides, it is the best way for your audience to quickly find your videos as the keywords will directly link them.
5) Don’t go overboard
Even though there are no limits on words for YouTube tags, don’t use so many words; it may turn away your audience. Instead, focus on adding relevant tags but don’t stuff in keywords. Going overboard may automatically take you off the topic and mislead your audience.
How to add a tag to a YouTube video
Adding the right YouTube tag will increase the chances of YouTubers finding and watching your video. Here are the steps how to add a tag to a YouTube video.
Step 1. First, log in to your YouTube account and hit the “Camera” icon. It is located at the top-right corner of your screen.
Step 2. Check the drop-down menu and choose the “Upload Video” option.
Step 3. Select from your videos which one to upload. Then click on the “Edit” tab to add relevant information like keywords, descriptions, etc.
Step 4. Give your video a name and description. Ensure the description correlates to the title of your video.
Step 5. Add relevant tags, separating them with commas. You can use from five to fifteen tags. YouTube may ignore your tags if they are more than 15.
Step 6. Click on the “Save” tab to complete the upload.
Make Your Video Better with Filmora
You may know how to add a tag to a YouTube video, but you might not know how to come up with a compelling piece of video. Filmora works in simple steps to produce a quality video that makes heads turn around. Its powerful editing tools enable you to add several effects for better viewing. It has over 800 stunning effects to enhance your videos with. The export feature also lets you upload your videos to YouTube in any format just with a click of a button.
Key Features
- Edit and export your videos at a high resolution of up to 4K
- Easily remove any background noise from the video
- Make unique clips by slowing them down or increasing speed up to ten times
- It supports GIF files among other output formats
- Easily flip your clips and play them backward.
For Win 7 or later (64-bit)
For macOS 10.12 or later
Conclusion
● YouTube tags play a vital role for you and your potential customers. YouTube’s algorithm uses your tags to match them to similar search queries. When properly utilized, tags can bring an over flux of customers to your video. You have to know how to add a tag to a YouTube video for better results. Remember that YouTube tags can also drive away customers if not properly utilized. We have covered the effects and the best approach when settling on YouTube tags.
● Nonetheless, ensure your videos are top-notch before you tag them around. The best video editor – Filmora – works to produce high-end videos. Try it and gain additional traffic to your video.
Tagging your content online greatly impacts how viewers will react to your post. However, it doesn’t end at adding tags; you need to know more. Be savvy to put the tags strategically depending on your topic’s trending. So, why add a tag to YouTube videos? You want to gain enough clicks, yes, right? And that’s what hashtags do. They are online content features that will push the number of clicks to an unimaginable level.
Your content will gain more views and go viral within a short time. After all, that’s what we purpose for when posting videos. No one wants to put effort into editing videos and posting then don’t get a considerable number of views or clicks. But also, know that the ball is at your court. There are no go-zone areas when it comes to dealing with YouTube tags. Check this article on what to do for more views.
In this article
02 How will YouTube tag affect your video performance?
03 Things to consider before you start adding a tag.
04 How to add a tag to YouTube video
What is a YouTube tag?
A tag is a word used to describe a video or image. It is generally added to video titles and descriptions or used independently. They make YouTubers easily discover other posts with similar tags. YouTube tags are vital as they help the YouTube algorithm fully understand the videos you post. It’s by this that those who are interested in your video get hooked to them.
For tags to work ideally, you need to include your brand-specific tags before adding similar tags. YouTube auto-suggest is another gem in this scenario. Just see what YouTube suggests when you type while searching other similar topics. For great results, place the most important keywords and tags first, as these will act as the face of your video.
How will YouTube tag affect your video performance?
It is YouTube tags that help viewers to find videos they are searching for on YouTube. Besides, this is how it works: An audience will type keywords into YouTube’s search bar. Then videos with the same tag and keywords will appear in the search results. If not correctly done, the YouTube tag could affect your video performance and lead to such outcomes.
1. No adequate audience engagement
Your main focus should be audience engagement. You are trying to drive the attention of many YouTube users as possible. A small mistake, and you lose track. It is wise to know the best approach to use your tags. Improper YouTube tagging will not drive enough audience to your channel. You, therefore, won’t get adequate audience engagement.
2. Your video won’t go viral
Anything selling should strive to reach thousands and probably millions of viewers. Perhaps you have put in several days and months of work on a single video, only for it to be viewed by a few fellows. You will feel like a waste of time when you put so much effort, yet your videos don’t go viral. It means there will be fewer people looking out for your content.
3. Limited chances of your video ranking high
If you don’t do YouTube tagging the right way, then the chances are that your video won’t rank high. Everyone feels better when they get a pat on the back for a well-done job. But what happens if there is no traffic to your video? You probably lose the urge to continue doing more videos. Just play right, so you are not demoralized whenever you post your videos.
Things to consider before you start adding a tag
If used properly, YouTube tags are a great way for your video and business to perform well. You’ll attract the audience and probably get a flux of customers. And the tricks are just at your fingertips. You only need to give the best approach possible to all the steps of your YouTube tagging. Here are some tips to help you out.
1) Use keyword variations
Try to use variations of keywords to increase the chances of your video ranking high. The audience will use several phrases to lead them to the right YouTube video. More so, they’ll even change the order of keywords for best results. It would be best to strive to appear in as many searches as possible. The best option is to use the “YouTube” tag generator to gather as many relevant tags as possible. It will pop you more ideas and let you identify the most important core terms that you can build on.
2) Research competitors
This trick works well for you before you add a tag to a YouTube video. Check out what your competitors are up to and what tags they use. While you check at what competitors do, also mind the trending tags. You don’t want to be left behind in the quick-paced technological advances. But ensure your searches are related to your content. Any misleading tags will plunge you into more drawbacks. Checking out on the latest trends will help you generate more ideas for useful keywords that make your videos rank better.
3) Conduct keyword research
Research is a vital point to start from. By this, you’ll find other keyword possibilities for your video. Don’t just think of keywords out of the blue but ensure that the audience searches what you use. It is better to check out the generic relationship between YouTube tags and your video content. Find keywords that will directly link to what your video is all about. You can also find out what has worked for those in your industry to know the best approach to give.
4) Write a keyword-optimized title and description
Ensure that the texts associated with your video are keyword-optimized. Your audience will majorly rely on the video title and description. The description should emphasize more on what the title is. Consider that first, and then find the kinds of tags that would correlate with both your title and description. Besides, it is the best way for your audience to quickly find your videos as the keywords will directly link them.
5) Don’t go overboard
Even though there are no limits on words for YouTube tags, don’t use so many words; it may turn away your audience. Instead, focus on adding relevant tags but don’t stuff in keywords. Going overboard may automatically take you off the topic and mislead your audience.
How to add a tag to a YouTube video
Adding the right YouTube tag will increase the chances of YouTubers finding and watching your video. Here are the steps how to add a tag to a YouTube video.
Step 1. First, log in to your YouTube account and hit the “Camera” icon. It is located at the top-right corner of your screen.
Step 2. Check the drop-down menu and choose the “Upload Video” option.
Step 3. Select from your videos which one to upload. Then click on the “Edit” tab to add relevant information like keywords, descriptions, etc.
Step 4. Give your video a name and description. Ensure the description correlates to the title of your video.
Step 5. Add relevant tags, separating them with commas. You can use from five to fifteen tags. YouTube may ignore your tags if they are more than 15.
Step 6. Click on the “Save” tab to complete the upload.
Make Your Video Better with Filmora
You may know how to add a tag to a YouTube video, but you might not know how to come up with a compelling piece of video. Filmora works in simple steps to produce a quality video that makes heads turn around. Its powerful editing tools enable you to add several effects for better viewing. It has over 800 stunning effects to enhance your videos with. The export feature also lets you upload your videos to YouTube in any format just with a click of a button.
Key Features
- Edit and export your videos at a high resolution of up to 4K
- Easily remove any background noise from the video
- Make unique clips by slowing them down or increasing speed up to ten times
- It supports GIF files among other output formats
- Easily flip your clips and play them backward.
For Win 7 or later (64-bit)
For macOS 10.12 or later
Conclusion
● YouTube tags play a vital role for you and your potential customers. YouTube’s algorithm uses your tags to match them to similar search queries. When properly utilized, tags can bring an over flux of customers to your video. You have to know how to add a tag to a YouTube video for better results. Remember that YouTube tags can also drive away customers if not properly utilized. We have covered the effects and the best approach when settling on YouTube tags.
● Nonetheless, ensure your videos are top-notch before you tag them around. The best video editor – Filmora – works to produce high-end videos. Try it and gain additional traffic to your video.
Tagging your content online greatly impacts how viewers will react to your post. However, it doesn’t end at adding tags; you need to know more. Be savvy to put the tags strategically depending on your topic’s trending. So, why add a tag to YouTube videos? You want to gain enough clicks, yes, right? And that’s what hashtags do. They are online content features that will push the number of clicks to an unimaginable level.
Your content will gain more views and go viral within a short time. After all, that’s what we purpose for when posting videos. No one wants to put effort into editing videos and posting then don’t get a considerable number of views or clicks. But also, know that the ball is at your court. There are no go-zone areas when it comes to dealing with YouTube tags. Check this article on what to do for more views.
In this article
02 How will YouTube tag affect your video performance?
03 Things to consider before you start adding a tag.
04 How to add a tag to YouTube video
What is a YouTube tag?
A tag is a word used to describe a video or image. It is generally added to video titles and descriptions or used independently. They make YouTubers easily discover other posts with similar tags. YouTube tags are vital as they help the YouTube algorithm fully understand the videos you post. It’s by this that those who are interested in your video get hooked to them.
For tags to work ideally, you need to include your brand-specific tags before adding similar tags. YouTube auto-suggest is another gem in this scenario. Just see what YouTube suggests when you type while searching other similar topics. For great results, place the most important keywords and tags first, as these will act as the face of your video.
How will YouTube tag affect your video performance?
It is YouTube tags that help viewers to find videos they are searching for on YouTube. Besides, this is how it works: An audience will type keywords into YouTube’s search bar. Then videos with the same tag and keywords will appear in the search results. If not correctly done, the YouTube tag could affect your video performance and lead to such outcomes.
1. No adequate audience engagement
Your main focus should be audience engagement. You are trying to drive the attention of many YouTube users as possible. A small mistake, and you lose track. It is wise to know the best approach to use your tags. Improper YouTube tagging will not drive enough audience to your channel. You, therefore, won’t get adequate audience engagement.
2. Your video won’t go viral
Anything selling should strive to reach thousands and probably millions of viewers. Perhaps you have put in several days and months of work on a single video, only for it to be viewed by a few fellows. You will feel like a waste of time when you put so much effort, yet your videos don’t go viral. It means there will be fewer people looking out for your content.
3. Limited chances of your video ranking high
If you don’t do YouTube tagging the right way, then the chances are that your video won’t rank high. Everyone feels better when they get a pat on the back for a well-done job. But what happens if there is no traffic to your video? You probably lose the urge to continue doing more videos. Just play right, so you are not demoralized whenever you post your videos.
Things to consider before you start adding a tag
If used properly, YouTube tags are a great way for your video and business to perform well. You’ll attract the audience and probably get a flux of customers. And the tricks are just at your fingertips. You only need to give the best approach possible to all the steps of your YouTube tagging. Here are some tips to help you out.
1) Use keyword variations
Try to use variations of keywords to increase the chances of your video ranking high. The audience will use several phrases to lead them to the right YouTube video. More so, they’ll even change the order of keywords for best results. It would be best to strive to appear in as many searches as possible. The best option is to use the “YouTube” tag generator to gather as many relevant tags as possible. It will pop you more ideas and let you identify the most important core terms that you can build on.
2) Research competitors
This trick works well for you before you add a tag to a YouTube video. Check out what your competitors are up to and what tags they use. While you check at what competitors do, also mind the trending tags. You don’t want to be left behind in the quick-paced technological advances. But ensure your searches are related to your content. Any misleading tags will plunge you into more drawbacks. Checking out on the latest trends will help you generate more ideas for useful keywords that make your videos rank better.
3) Conduct keyword research
Research is a vital point to start from. By this, you’ll find other keyword possibilities for your video. Don’t just think of keywords out of the blue but ensure that the audience searches what you use. It is better to check out the generic relationship between YouTube tags and your video content. Find keywords that will directly link to what your video is all about. You can also find out what has worked for those in your industry to know the best approach to give.
4) Write a keyword-optimized title and description
Ensure that the texts associated with your video are keyword-optimized. Your audience will majorly rely on the video title and description. The description should emphasize more on what the title is. Consider that first, and then find the kinds of tags that would correlate with both your title and description. Besides, it is the best way for your audience to quickly find your videos as the keywords will directly link them.
5) Don’t go overboard
Even though there are no limits on words for YouTube tags, don’t use so many words; it may turn away your audience. Instead, focus on adding relevant tags but don’t stuff in keywords. Going overboard may automatically take you off the topic and mislead your audience.
How to add a tag to a YouTube video
Adding the right YouTube tag will increase the chances of YouTubers finding and watching your video. Here are the steps how to add a tag to a YouTube video.
Step 1. First, log in to your YouTube account and hit the “Camera” icon. It is located at the top-right corner of your screen.
Step 2. Check the drop-down menu and choose the “Upload Video” option.
Step 3. Select from your videos which one to upload. Then click on the “Edit” tab to add relevant information like keywords, descriptions, etc.
Step 4. Give your video a name and description. Ensure the description correlates to the title of your video.
Step 5. Add relevant tags, separating them with commas. You can use from five to fifteen tags. YouTube may ignore your tags if they are more than 15.
Step 6. Click on the “Save” tab to complete the upload.
Make Your Video Better with Filmora
You may know how to add a tag to a YouTube video, but you might not know how to come up with a compelling piece of video. Filmora works in simple steps to produce a quality video that makes heads turn around. Its powerful editing tools enable you to add several effects for better viewing. It has over 800 stunning effects to enhance your videos with. The export feature also lets you upload your videos to YouTube in any format just with a click of a button.
Key Features
- Edit and export your videos at a high resolution of up to 4K
- Easily remove any background noise from the video
- Make unique clips by slowing them down or increasing speed up to ten times
- It supports GIF files among other output formats
- Easily flip your clips and play them backward.
For Win 7 or later (64-bit)
For macOS 10.12 or later
Conclusion
● YouTube tags play a vital role for you and your potential customers. YouTube’s algorithm uses your tags to match them to similar search queries. When properly utilized, tags can bring an over flux of customers to your video. You have to know how to add a tag to a YouTube video for better results. Remember that YouTube tags can also drive away customers if not properly utilized. We have covered the effects and the best approach when settling on YouTube tags.
● Nonetheless, ensure your videos are top-notch before you tag them around. The best video editor – Filmora – works to produce high-end videos. Try it and gain additional traffic to your video.
Tagging your content online greatly impacts how viewers will react to your post. However, it doesn’t end at adding tags; you need to know more. Be savvy to put the tags strategically depending on your topic’s trending. So, why add a tag to YouTube videos? You want to gain enough clicks, yes, right? And that’s what hashtags do. They are online content features that will push the number of clicks to an unimaginable level.
Your content will gain more views and go viral within a short time. After all, that’s what we purpose for when posting videos. No one wants to put effort into editing videos and posting then don’t get a considerable number of views or clicks. But also, know that the ball is at your court. There are no go-zone areas when it comes to dealing with YouTube tags. Check this article on what to do for more views.
In this article
02 How will YouTube tag affect your video performance?
03 Things to consider before you start adding a tag.
04 How to add a tag to YouTube video
What is a YouTube tag?
A tag is a word used to describe a video or image. It is generally added to video titles and descriptions or used independently. They make YouTubers easily discover other posts with similar tags. YouTube tags are vital as they help the YouTube algorithm fully understand the videos you post. It’s by this that those who are interested in your video get hooked to them.
For tags to work ideally, you need to include your brand-specific tags before adding similar tags. YouTube auto-suggest is another gem in this scenario. Just see what YouTube suggests when you type while searching other similar topics. For great results, place the most important keywords and tags first, as these will act as the face of your video.
How will YouTube tag affect your video performance?
It is YouTube tags that help viewers to find videos they are searching for on YouTube. Besides, this is how it works: An audience will type keywords into YouTube’s search bar. Then videos with the same tag and keywords will appear in the search results. If not correctly done, the YouTube tag could affect your video performance and lead to such outcomes.
1. No adequate audience engagement
Your main focus should be audience engagement. You are trying to drive the attention of many YouTube users as possible. A small mistake, and you lose track. It is wise to know the best approach to use your tags. Improper YouTube tagging will not drive enough audience to your channel. You, therefore, won’t get adequate audience engagement.
2. Your video won’t go viral
Anything selling should strive to reach thousands and probably millions of viewers. Perhaps you have put in several days and months of work on a single video, only for it to be viewed by a few fellows. You will feel like a waste of time when you put so much effort, yet your videos don’t go viral. It means there will be fewer people looking out for your content.
3. Limited chances of your video ranking high
If you don’t do YouTube tagging the right way, then the chances are that your video won’t rank high. Everyone feels better when they get a pat on the back for a well-done job. But what happens if there is no traffic to your video? You probably lose the urge to continue doing more videos. Just play right, so you are not demoralized whenever you post your videos.
Things to consider before you start adding a tag
If used properly, YouTube tags are a great way for your video and business to perform well. You’ll attract the audience and probably get a flux of customers. And the tricks are just at your fingertips. You only need to give the best approach possible to all the steps of your YouTube tagging. Here are some tips to help you out.
1) Use keyword variations
Try to use variations of keywords to increase the chances of your video ranking high. The audience will use several phrases to lead them to the right YouTube video. More so, they’ll even change the order of keywords for best results. It would be best to strive to appear in as many searches as possible. The best option is to use the “YouTube” tag generator to gather as many relevant tags as possible. It will pop you more ideas and let you identify the most important core terms that you can build on.
2) Research competitors
This trick works well for you before you add a tag to a YouTube video. Check out what your competitors are up to and what tags they use. While you check at what competitors do, also mind the trending tags. You don’t want to be left behind in the quick-paced technological advances. But ensure your searches are related to your content. Any misleading tags will plunge you into more drawbacks. Checking out on the latest trends will help you generate more ideas for useful keywords that make your videos rank better.
3) Conduct keyword research
Research is a vital point to start from. By this, you’ll find other keyword possibilities for your video. Don’t just think of keywords out of the blue but ensure that the audience searches what you use. It is better to check out the generic relationship between YouTube tags and your video content. Find keywords that will directly link to what your video is all about. You can also find out what has worked for those in your industry to know the best approach to give.
4) Write a keyword-optimized title and description
Ensure that the texts associated with your video are keyword-optimized. Your audience will majorly rely on the video title and description. The description should emphasize more on what the title is. Consider that first, and then find the kinds of tags that would correlate with both your title and description. Besides, it is the best way for your audience to quickly find your videos as the keywords will directly link them.
5) Don’t go overboard
Even though there are no limits on words for YouTube tags, don’t use so many words; it may turn away your audience. Instead, focus on adding relevant tags but don’t stuff in keywords. Going overboard may automatically take you off the topic and mislead your audience.
How to add a tag to a YouTube video
Adding the right YouTube tag will increase the chances of YouTubers finding and watching your video. Here are the steps how to add a tag to a YouTube video.
Step 1. First, log in to your YouTube account and hit the “Camera” icon. It is located at the top-right corner of your screen.
Step 2. Check the drop-down menu and choose the “Upload Video” option.
Step 3. Select from your videos which one to upload. Then click on the “Edit” tab to add relevant information like keywords, descriptions, etc.
Step 4. Give your video a name and description. Ensure the description correlates to the title of your video.
Step 5. Add relevant tags, separating them with commas. You can use from five to fifteen tags. YouTube may ignore your tags if they are more than 15.
Step 6. Click on the “Save” tab to complete the upload.
Make Your Video Better with Filmora
You may know how to add a tag to a YouTube video, but you might not know how to come up with a compelling piece of video. Filmora works in simple steps to produce a quality video that makes heads turn around. Its powerful editing tools enable you to add several effects for better viewing. It has over 800 stunning effects to enhance your videos with. The export feature also lets you upload your videos to YouTube in any format just with a click of a button.
Key Features
- Edit and export your videos at a high resolution of up to 4K
- Easily remove any background noise from the video
- Make unique clips by slowing them down or increasing speed up to ten times
- It supports GIF files among other output formats
- Easily flip your clips and play them backward.
For Win 7 or later (64-bit)
For macOS 10.12 or later
Conclusion
● YouTube tags play a vital role for you and your potential customers. YouTube’s algorithm uses your tags to match them to similar search queries. When properly utilized, tags can bring an over flux of customers to your video. You have to know how to add a tag to a YouTube video for better results. Remember that YouTube tags can also drive away customers if not properly utilized. We have covered the effects and the best approach when settling on YouTube tags.
● Nonetheless, ensure your videos are top-notch before you tag them around. The best video editor – Filmora – works to produce high-end videos. Try it and gain additional traffic to your video.
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- Title: "[New] Elevate Video Appeal Crafting Unforgettable Thumbnail Images"
- Author: Kevin
- Created at : 2024-05-25 16:05:01
- Updated at : 2024-05-26 16:05:01
- Link: https://youtube-videos.techidaily.com/new-elevate-video-appeal-crafting-unforgettable-thumbnail-images/
- License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
