Ask any YouTuber and they will tell you that generating significant views and subscribers isn't easy. But with the right strategy and tools, any video creator can build an engaged subscriber base when they understand what those subscribers want to watch.

Appealing to an audience to watch content you are passionate about making is just the first step, you need to know how to reach them and get your videos discovered. Our guides to how to guide more views on YouTube will give you the best tips to succeed on the platform.

Getting Views

How To Get More Views on YouTube

Getting thousands or even millions of YouTube subscribers is a dream for most creators. In the articles below, we'll show you how to turn casual viewers into long-term fans. 

Subscribers

YouTube Subscribers

Do you want to make money on YouTube? Millions of creators are earning a very good living from monetizing the platform and uploading content that drives huge views and engagements. Whether that YouTube income is from advertising revenue, merchandise sales, or brand deals, or subscriptions, we keep you updated with best practices and ideas.

Monetization

How To Make Money on YouTube

Want to see how your channel is performing? Read these YouTube analytics articles to discover what's working and what isn't. You'll learn how to identify which videos have the most Watch Time, clicks, audience retention, revenue, and more.

Analytics

YouTube Analytics

Watch Time is arguably THE most important metric on YouTube right now, and creators won’t be able to monetize their content without 4000 hours of it. But what is it and how can creators increase the amount of Watch Time their videos attract? We keep you updated on the best practices around Watch Time, and how you can increase how much your video content generates.

Watch Time

YouTube Watch Time

YouTube Shorts content is set to explode! 

All the latest tips, tricks, and rock-solid advice you need for this new feature.

YouTube Shorts

Do you know how to do keyword research so you understand what videos people are actually searching for on YouTube? Do you know how to create a custom YouTube thumbnail? Do you know how to create a Playlist on YouTube?

vidIQ has a ton of tips that will help every creator maximise their video content. We publish content every week to keep you up to date with all the best practices.

Tips & Tricks

YouTube Tips & Tricks

At vidIQ we have incredible insights into what viewers are searching for on YouTube. Not only can we confirm the top keywords being searched for, we can also show you how you can leverage that interest to create content around trending topics and tentpole events. That's going to give you a clear edge over other creators!

Insights

YouTube Insights

Your In-Depth Guide to Building a Successful YouTube Channel

Thumbnails are one of the biggest pain points for new creators, and an important one to solve. Thumbnails are the "book cover" of your video—something that needs to grab attention in just a fraction of a second. 

There are so many elements that go into making that winning thumbnail for your content, and it's simply not possible to address all of that here. So, 

 with expert, John Scott, to get all your thumbnail queries answered.

In this post, we'll walk you through the ideal 

, some key best practices for creating thumbnails that stand out!

12 Types of YouTube Thumbnails People Love to Click On

First impressions are critical in the endless ocean of YouTube content. The thumbnail plays a massive role in getting viewers to click on your video over countless others. For new YouTubers trying to gain traction, getting your thumbnail right can be the difference between a low-performing video and that ever-alluring viral hit. Here’s why size specifically matters:

: YouTube thumbnails appear across a wide range of devices—desktops, tablets, and, most importantly, mobile phones. Therefore, you need a thumbnail that remains sharp and eye-catching across all these platforms.

: Thumbnails with the correct size and dimensions ensure a polished, professional look. Low-quality, blurry images won’t just make your video less appealing—they’ll make it look amateurish.

 Faster Than Ever: 6 Ways to Make YouTube Thumbnails in Record Time

The Best Size for YouTube Thumbnails in 2024

When designing your thumbnail, the recommended size is 

 with a 16:9 aspect ratio. This size works across devices and ensures your thumbnail looks pleasing to the eye. Additionally, the minimum width YouTube accepts is 640 pixels but going lower than the recommended size is probably not a good idea. To keep things simple, here's what you need to follow.

: 16:9 (standard YouTube video aspect ratio)

https://www.oberlo.com/blog/youtube-thumbnail-size

Using the optimal size guarantees that your thumbnail will look crisp, regardless of the screen size it's being viewed on. It also helps your video stand out in YouTube search results and suggested video sections, making it an essential element of your overall video SEO strategy.

Best Practices for Creating YouTube Thumbnails

Creating a well-designed thumbnail is more than just getting the size right. It’s about crafting something that resonates with your audience and drives them to click. Let’s break down some important design strategies that’ll help your thumbnails pop in 2024:

Your thumbnail needs to deliver a clear message in a split second. Overloading it with too many details, colors, or text can be overwhelming, especially when viewed on smaller screens like mobile phones. Stick to one focal point and keep the design clean.

Text on thumbnails can be incredibly effective—if done right. Use 

 that stand out against the background. Avoid cramming too many words; instead, aim for short, snappy phrases that intrigue viewers. Also, contrast is essential. If your background is dark, make sure your text is light, and vice versa.

Your thumbnail should immediately grab attention, even when it’s displayed alongside hundreds of others. Using high-contrast colors can help your image stand out. Consider using colors that are complementary or that contrast sharply with YouTube’s default red, black, and white color scheme.

Thumbnails that feature human faces—especially ones that show strong emotions—tend to get higher engagement. Whether it’s excitement, surprise, or curiosity, showing a human expression can create an instant connection with potential viewers.

One great trick for building brand recognition is to use a consistent style for all your thumbnails. This could include specific color schemes, text placement, or the use of your logo in a corner. Over time, viewers will come to recognize your videos at a glance, making it more likely they’ll click on your content.

For example, this is how the vidIQ channel home page looks at first glance. As you can see, there is homogeneity in the way we use our creators faces and other graphical elements across videos./

While designing thumbnails can be fun, it’s wise to avoid a few traps. Here are some common mistakes that you should avoid at all costs:

: Never use clickbait or misleading images that have nothing to do with your video’s content. This will only frustrate viewers, hurt your channel’s reputation, and lead to a high bounce rate—something YouTube’s algorithm won’t like.

: You don’t want to clutter your thumbnail with unnecessary text. Keep it short and to the point. Let the title of your video do the talking, and use text on your thumbnail sparingly.

: More than half of YouTube’s traffic comes from mobile devices, so always ensure your thumbnails are legible on small screens. If you’re adding text, make sure it’s large and bold enough to read easily on a smartphone.

: A blurry or pixelated thumbnail can significantly reduce your video’s chances of getting clicked. Always use high-resolution images, and if you’re unsure, err on the side of larger file sizes (

Tips for Testing and Optimizing Thumbnails

If you’re not sure which thumbnail design will work best, don’t be afraid to experiment. YouTube allows you to change thumbnails even after your video has been published. Here are some tips for testing and optimizing your thumbnails over time:

: Try switching between different thumbnails on the same video and track their performance in 

. This way, you can identify which design drives more clicks.

 of your videos. A higher CTR means more people are engaging with your content, which helps boost your visibility in YouTube’s algorithm.

: Beyond the CTR, also look at how long people are watching your video. If your audience is dropping off quickly after clicking, your thumbnail might not accurately represent your content. 

 for optimizing, testing, and comparing different thumbnail options for the same video by using the above metrics. 

According to YouTube, 90% of the best-performing videos use custom thumbnails.

 In 2024, making it on YouTube involves more than just creating great content—you need to package it well, starting with your thumbnail. Understanding the 

 and following design best practices will set you on the path to success. 

Whether you’re just starting or looking to level up your YouTube game, getting your thumbnail right is a crucial step to increasing your views, engagement, and subscriber count. 

Now it’s time to create that killer thumbnail

Learn the correct YouTube thumbnail measurements for 2024 and how to optimize them for the best quality and viewer engagement!

YouTube Thumbnail Measurements: The Right Size for 2024

On YouTube, there's nothing more rewarding than building a passionate community. It goes beyond likes, comments, and subscribers. When you create a movement people can get behind – especially as a source of entertainment – fans will follow you across the web.

It sounds simple, but growing isn't that easy in practice. The internet is a big, crowded place, and it's hard to be everywhere at once. You can engage with viewers on Facebook, Clubhouse, Twitch, Instagram, and Discord, to name a few options. These are powerful channels, but maintaining them is hard work. 

In this episode of TubeTalk, we sit down with vidIQ Community Manager Daniel Holzhauer as he shares tips for growing a community. By far, the best piece of advice is how to manage an audience without burning out.

 In the beginning, it's best to pace yourself and focus on your YouTube channel before branching out.

How the Community tab accelerates your growth.

 This social network is built into YouTube, so use it before creating a Discord or Facebook group.

How to enter communities within your YouTube niche.

 It's not about promoting your content; you should join a community to interact with others.

How to find a balance between self-promotion and joining discussions.

 Hint: It all depends on the value you can add to a community.

 Do you have 10,000 subscribers? A mental list of all your super fans? The stamina to maintain extra channels? That's a positive sign to start expanding.

 These are your super fans, and you're going to need them to avoid social media burn out.

Speaking of moderators, how do you choose the right ones for your community? For Daniel, the first step is identifying the leaders.

"We know they're the type of people that we want in our community," he says. "They also feel a bit of responsibility for it. They feel like they are part of the hierarchy of the community. They're the ones to set an example."

YouTube's Community Tab Is Essential For All Channels

We can't talk about community building without mentioning the YouTube Community tab. 

, learn all the benefits of engaging with viewers through YouTube's in-app social network.

TubeTalk is one of the most popular and listened to podcasts in the online video industry. Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to TubeTalk on your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode!

You can also find the complete list of all the​​​ ​TubeTalk podcast episodes 

Slow and steady wins the race. That's true about most things in life, and expanding your YouTube community is no different.

How to Expand Your YouTube Community Without Burning Out

YouTube’s video editor has undergone some major changes. What used to be a limited tool is filled with features every creator needs, such as a tool for blurring faces, adding end cards, and choosing royalty-free music.

Now that the video editor seems to be complete, we can show you how to use each feature. Watch our tutorial below to get the full tour:

Need a quick way to bookmark this information? No problem. Scroll down to read the complete guide to YouTube’s video editor, then save this page for future reference.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to reach YouTube’s video editor:

Find the video you want to edit and hover your mouse over it. On the pop-up menu that appears, click the 

You’ll know you’re in the right place when you’ve reached this screen:

You can also reach the video editor from any watch page. To do that, click on one of your videos and watch it the traditional way. This means you’ll be able to see comments, your video’s description, and other suggested videos.

If you’re logged in as the channel owner, you’ll see two blue buttons below the video. Click the one that says 

 to reach the video details page, then select the video editor once again.

Basic Controls in the YouTube Video Editor

A good video editor has user-friendly controls. YouTube’s has six important ones you’ll likely need at some point:

 An area for scrubbing through the entire video, complete with a marker for clicking and dragging across the timeline.

 A tool for zooming in and out on the timeline so you can make accurate changes to the video.

 Allows you to speed up or slow down the video.

 Allows you to jump forward or backward in 10-second increments.

 A tool for erasing or reapplying certain changes to your video.

To quickly find each control, match the numbers above to the features below.

Here’s a routine task every creator needs to master. Follow the steps below to trim your YouTube videos of unwanted scenes:

Make your way to YouTube’s video editor (YouTube Studio > Content > Hover over the video > Pencil Icon > Editor).

Click the trim button to highlight the entire video, which will turn blue.

Use the gray video marker to scrub the timeline to the exact point you want to trim. Zoom in so you can see the sound waves and make an accurate selection.

Go to the beginning of the video, then click and drag the dark blue bar to the position of the gray marker. This part of the video will be grayed out and won’t play when you test the results.

Don’t worry about saving your changes just yet. In the next section, we’ll show you the most efficient way to do that.

Next up, we're going to do a split in the middle of a video and remove footage. This is a combination of splitting and trimming, and after we make those changes, we’ll show you the best way to save the video.

On the video timeline, drag your gray marker to the split point of your choice.

The gray marker should now be highlighted in blue. Drag the marker from the split point to create a split in the middle of the video. Everything that’s grayed will now be cut from the video. To cancel a split, click the X symbol above any of the gray areas.

When you’re done, follow the steps from the previous section to trim the video as you see fit. Click 

How to Save Editing Changes in the YouTube Editor

Before we go any further, we need to talk about saving your video. Here’s the best way to lock in your changes:

Instead of clicking the blue save button in the top right corner, click the three dots beside it.

This allows you to save the changes as a brand new video. If you simply click the Save button, YouTube will show the original, unedited video as it processes the changes for a few hours.

To get around this altogether, do your editing before you make a video public. If it's already public and you need to urgently change something, set it to private until the changes are applied.

How to Add Royalty-Free Music in the YouTube Editor

Unfortunately, you can’t add external audio or footage to the YouTube editor. That means last minute voice-overs or other sound effects will have to be added using a separate video editor, such as Final Cut Pro or Adobe Premiere Pro.

 add royalty-free music. YouTube has an audio library that any creator can access from the video editor. The music is pretty nice, too!

Here’s how to add audio tracks to your video:

To the left of the video timeline, click the 

A panel of free music tracks will appear by default. You can scroll the list, listen to tracks, and perform searches. Click 

 to insert a song into the video timeline. For extra details about all the songs, click Audio Library.

When the music track is on your timeline, it shows up as a blue bar with three dots at the end. This is a menu you can click to remove the track or view its license, which explains whether you need to credit the artist in your video description.

Next to the three dots are mixing controls. Click the 

 and drag the slider to the appropriate position. By default, the music will completely replace the video’s original audio, so you need to adjust this setting to get a good mixture of the two.

To position the music track itself, simply click and drag it to the appropriate place on the timeline.

How to Blur Faces and Objects in YouTube Videos

Have you ever needed to blur something out of your video? Fortunately, YouTube has a tool for that in its video editor. You can do two types of blurs - one for faces and another for custom objects.

When you do a face blur, YouTube will scan the video for all of the faces it can detect. Then you’ll choose which faces to blur on an individual basis.

A custom blur allows you to place circular or rectangular blurs over different objects.

To access this part of the video editor, go to the timeline and click 

. The lettering is big, blue, and hard to miss. You’ll find it right below the timeline section for royalty-free audio tracks.

YouTube’s face blur will do most of the work for you. After it detects faces, and you select which ones to blur, you’re nearly done. For the custom blur, you’ll need to make more selections, such as whether to employ a circular or rectangular blur, plus motion tracking for certain objects.

We have a helpful blog post on this topic, so be sure to read it 

. If you need a visual tutorial, watch the video below to learn more about blurring in the YouTube video editor:

How to Add End Screens in the YouTube Video Editor

The video editor probably isn’t the best place to add end screens. If you go back to the video details page, there’s a dedicated end screen feature that’s less cluttered.

But if you want to add end screens in the YouTube video editor, the tools there work just fine. To add one, go to the video timeline and click the card icon. It’s right below the 

 feature we discussed in the previous section.

A pop-up will appear, allowing you to choose between promoting a:

The number of subscribers you have will determine how many of these options you can access. But in any case, you can only add four end screens to a video.

For each option, YouTube will guide you through the process for choosing the playlist, video, channel, etc., you want to promote. It’s pretty straightforward and doesn’t take much time.

Here are a few extra things to remember, though:

End screens run for a maximum of 20 seconds at the end of the video.

YouTube has templates to help you create an end screen layout for your videos. In the video editor, the template option is listed with the other promotion types above (video, playlist, etc.)

You can import end screens from previous videos.

End screens are great for suggesting content to your audience so you can get more views. And if you really want to wow your viewers, you can design something like what we have below – a nice layout where you can direct viewers to certain videos on your channel.

Need to quickly trim a video? Add royalty-free music to set the scene for your content? If so, you're going to need this guide to YouTube's new-and-improved video editor.

How to Use YouTube's Video Editor [2021 Update]

Gaming on YouTube is competitive. Depending on which game you choose to play, it can be hard to stand out among the viral let's play videos or the informative how-to tutorials.

There's a lane for every creator, though. That's what Nikko, also known as 

, discovered on his YouTube journey. In just 10 months, he gained nearly 40k subscribers by posting tutorials about 

How did Nikko grow his channel so quickly? 

That's what we reveal in this episode of TubeTalk. In an interesting conversation, Nikko shares his inspiring journey and how he approaches gaming on YouTube.

How to make focused content that solves a problem for viewers

The value of quickly getting to the point in your videos

How to keep going when you're making popular but repetitive content

The benefits of joining online gaming communities

Why you should make videos that answer specific questions

Want to know Nikko's secret weapon? It's all about taking the first steps - finding the courage to start a YouTube channel, stay the course, and learn from the experience.

"Good is better than best," he says. "Everything that I'm doing, I try to make it as good as possible and not stress about making it perfect... You just have to figure it out. There's only so much you can tell other people [about how to succeed on YouTube]."

Growing a YouTube channel is about more than video analytics. 

, you'll learn how to leverage additional tools for success, such as pinned comments, the Community tab, timestamps, YouTube Shorts, and certain ranking signals.

Can you get 40k subscribers on YouTube in just 10 months? While nothing's guaranteed, these five tips from 100 Percent Zelda may help.

5 Tips to Get 40k YouTube Subscribers Like This 'Zelda' Creator

Do you get excited to monetize your content, only to realize YouTube is showing a limited number of ads on your videos? Or even worse, none at all?

If that’s your current reality, understand that you’re not alone. From music videos to kids’ content, creators have continually asked for more clarity around which videos get fully monetized - and most importantly, 

This year, YouTube won’t keep you in suspense. The 

 team recently posted a video about how monetization works, specifically for gaming content. In it, insider Conor Kavanagh shares tips for titles and thumbnails, graphic scenes, reaction videos, and more.

Hopefully, this video answers creators’ burning questions. But if you need more information, you can also read 

 on YouTube’s support page about gaming and monetization.

Too busy to do either? We totally understand. Here’s a quick guide to earning as much ad revenue as possible from your gaming content.

1. Keep Your Titles and Thumbnails as ‘Clean’ as Possible

Having a shocking title or thumbnail can help you get more views on YouTube. There’s no doubt about it. But the method you use to attract viewers is important. If you decide to add adult themes, graphic violence, or profanity to these visual elements, you might earn less ad revenue from your content.

A gaming video can receive full monetization if the thumbnail and title contain fully censored or abbreviated profanities.

So for example, if either element contains an abbreviation like “WTF” or the phrase “What the ****,” that’s alright. But if you plan to use partially-censored profanity, such as “F#%” or “Sh*t” that will result in fewer ads.

You have to be careful with sexual themes in thumbnails as well. Even if you blur sensitive content, such as genitals, YouTube may decide to limit ads if you’re specifically highlighting that area of the thumbnail.

Oh, and one last tip for titles: You should never include adult references in all caps, such as “18+” or “ADULT ONLY.”

2. Don’t Emphasize Graphic Violence or Gore in a Game

Here’s a tricky one. Many games contain violence and gore, so how can creators make sure they aren’t emphasizing those things?

According to YouTube, it’s all in the editing. The platform understands that certain games will have violence, and for those, you can get full monetization. But when you zoom in on those moments to highlight bloody injuries or fatalities, YouTube will limit the video's ads.

 on violence in a non-educational way, YouTube recommends turning ads off completely. This applies to gory compilations and individual videos showing severe violence.

3. Limit the Use of Sexually Suggestive Gaming Content

Romance is a recurring theme in some games. YouTube won’t automatically punish you for showing these moments, but the platform does draw a line for certain kinds of sexual scenes.

Here are the safe visuals any gaming creator can add to their videos:

A kiss between characters or similar romantic scenes

Limited clothing that isn’t portrayed in a sexually gratifying way (such as bikinis or swim trunks at a pool)

Naked bodies that have been fully censored (no discernible body parts)

Dialogue about romantic relationships (without mentioning sex)

You can get full monetization if you stick to the themes above. If you publish a video more suggestive than that, get ready to see limited ads.

4. Keep Strong Profanity Out of Gaming Commentary

, we revealed that videos with profanity can still earn ad revenue. It all depends on which words you want to say and how early in the video you want to say them.

Limited monetization on YouTube is no fun. If you're a gaming creator, do these four things to earn as much money as possible from your content.

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