Have you ever seen YouTube and felt a strong urge to watch it? Do you remember that other video that did not have the same effect? Apart from content, nothing is more important than a thumbnail for any YouTube video release.
This is because the quality of a thumbnail determines whether one will watch the video. A nicely done video caption is what draws clicks and views. This means this is where most of your attention should be whenever you creating something for YouTube audience. Professional video crafters use the following tips and tactics to get numerous views.
Use Color Psychology
It is interesting how people tend to ignore the role color plays in making a thumbnail attractive. Depending on what emotion you seek to portray, you should use the appropriate color. For example, you are not going to use pink to promote masculine products or red when you want to pass a message of calmness. Every color elicits a certain emotion, as you can learn from the popular KISSmetrics.
Make Eye Contact and Demonstrate Emotions
Humans are designed to respond to eye contact, hence the amazing success of YouTube thumbnails that have visible whites of the eye. Add this to the emotional cues that come with close-ups and you can almost recall the most exciting videos you have ever watched. Showing intense emotions on YouTube thumbnails is a sure way of attracting viewership.
Add Text Appropriately
Normally, the thumbnail should be enough for a YouTube video, but there are times some text would also be desirable. If you must add text, do not go beyond six words. You must not eat too much from the thumbnail. Remember to make the text as visible as possible so the viewers do not have to strain too much. Some people include branded thumbnails and the response is usually positive.
Design for Mobile Devices
The number of people using mobile devices to access videos and email is staggering. This means a majority of thumbnail impressions will be small. If you do not design for small sizes, you are set to provide as much as 70% poor images. That is not acceptable if you are looking to make your thumbnails eye-catching. While at it, use only high-resolution images to save your audience from blurry images in the name of YouTube thumbnails. According to experts at SEO Chicago – SEO services USA, a distorted thumbnail may lead to audience ignoring the video as it sets the expectations very low.
Mind Your Background Colors
YouTube background is white so bright backgrounds will always stand out. Just manipulate the colors filter; even a small change to background color is enough to divert attention from a competitor’s thumbnail to yours. For even more distinction, use outlines and contrast, as this makes the thumbnail subject to stand out.
Use an Action Shot
This is another proven method of making a YouTube thumbnail irresistible. Viewers are known to be encouraged by the sense of motion that comes with an action shot. You can be confident that most of the viewers that watch such an amazing thumbnail will go ahead to watch the video. Hire someone that can pick the best shot from your YouTube video to take full advantage of this strategy.
These methods will definitely bring viewers to your video. However, you must remember that using a misleading YouTube thumbnail can be your greatest undoing. You do not want to lose viewership by promising what you cannot deliver. Let the YouTube thumbnail and content be consistent and you will get the views and clicks you desire.
Do you have any other tactics of creating exciting YouTube thumbnails? Please share your views with us in the comments below.
Bonus tip! If you need to download the soundtrack from YouTube video, use a handy youtube mp3 converter. It supports multiple video and audio formats that you can download directly to your storage.
Divya Thaker is a seasoned social media marketer with experience working on today’s biggest platforms. She loves helping businesses maximize their presence on social media
