10 Thumbnail Tips: Why Some Thumbnails Get Clicks (and Others Don't)

This post was originally written Mar 10, 2020 and has been updated with newer information.

Your thumbnail is your video’s first impression and your biggest opportunity to stand out. A strong thumbnail grabs attention, builds curiosity, and makes viewers click. A weak one? It gets ignored.

We’ve studied thousands of thumbnails from creators of all sizes. These are the Thumbnail Tips that separate the scroll-stopping images from the ones that disappear in the feed.

1. Keep It Simple

The best thumbnails are bold and easy to understand even when they’re small. Aim for just 2-3 main elements that stay clear when your thumbnail is shrunk down.

2. Use Custom Images

The best thumbnails are custom - not just still frames from the videos. The most effective thumbnails, whether created manually or generated by AI, are intentionally designed, edited, and visually strong.

3. Plan Your Poses

Unless you capture the perfect moment during your recording, chances are you will need to create a prepared shot. If you're wondering how video creators get the YouTuber look, they often create poses in front of the camera, then create interesting foregrounds and backgrounds that contrast with each event. This way, you ensure the viewer directs their eyes to the things you want to highlight in your thumbnail.

4. Show Emotion

The next question you need to ask is, does the image show emotion and excitement? Thumbnails with expressive faces tend to drive more engagement. Focus on eye contact, emotion, or exaggerated expressions to build curiosity and connection

5. Tell a Visual Story

Of course, not all thumbnails can convey emotion - particularly if there's not a person in the thumbnail. But they should all be able to tell some sort of story. A great thumbnail gives viewers an instant idea of what the video is about, even without reading the title. If your thumbnail sparks curiosity or tells part of a story, it’s working.

6. Stay Consistent

A recognizable style across your thumbnails helps viewers instantly spot your content. Whether it’s colors, fonts, or layout; consistency builds familiarity. The goal should be to create thumbnails the viewer can instantly recognize as your thumbnails from your channel.

7. Boost Color and Contrast

Vibrant, sharp thumbnails grab attention. Even subtle edits to saturation or contrast can help your thumbnail pop off the screen.

Creators edit their images to be more colorful and sharper at a smaller size so they pop out of the screen. You can easily boost color with vidIQ’s thumbnail maker, or, if you're designing manually in Photoshop, try adding an adjustment layer to increase saturation and make your thumbnail colors pop even more

The effect may seem subtle but when it's on YouTube, where it's competing against everybody else's thumbnails, it can have a huge impact.

8. Use Text Sparingly

ext can help clarify your message, but keep it short and bold. No more than two or three words. Remember, you have a video title to do that - and the last thing you want to do is regurgitate your title in the thumbnail. Aim for just a few words that complement the story.

9. Plan for the Timestamp

Always remember YouTube alignments. You cannot avoid this timestamp blotting your thumbnail. Just be aware that it is always on the bottom right hand corner of your thumbnail or you'll end up with a problem.

10. Know your Audience

Your thumbnails should reflect who you’re trying to reach. If your viewers are younger, bold, flashy, and “cool” designs often grab attention. Think bright colors, energetic poses, or playful text.

But if your audience skews older or if your content is more serious - subtle, clean, and more reserved thumbnails may be the better approach. The key is to design thumbnails that resonate with your specific viewers and match the tone of your content.

Bonus: Break the Rules (When It Works)

Now there is something to remember about all of these thumbnail tips, tricks and guidance. Once you know them, don't be afraid to break them. Which brings us back to the most efficient thumbnail ever created on YouTube. One color, 17 million views. This is a disruptor. Something that follows no rules and because of that it stands out as something totally unique. It helps that the title is perfect too. It challenges your understanding and compels you to click, to get an answer to the question that's in your head, which is, what does this mean?

Putting it Together

The best thumbnails don’t happen by accident; they’re designed with purpose, tested over time, and tailored to your audience. Use these Thumbnail Tips to create images that stop the scroll, spark curiosity, and earn more clicks.

And remember, if you want to apply these principles fast, check out vidIQ’s YouTube Thumbnail Templates to mimic proven thumbnail styles and save time on your designs.

Better thumbnails lead to more clicks. More clicks lead to more views. Let’s make it happen.

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