Which piece of content should you make first: the YouTube thumbnail or the YouTube video?
We pitched this question to creators on the YouTube Community tab back in early 2022. Out of 19,000 responses, 16,340 people chose “YouTube videos” first. Only 2,660 said they begin with a thumbnail.
That’s a big gap, but we’re not surprised. Many creators treat thumbnails as something you do after everything else. You can’t upload a thumbnail without a video, so it naturally becomes an afterthought. Designing one first can feel strange, like designing the book cover before the book.
But a lot has changed since we ran that survey. AI thumbnail tools now make it easier to visualize your video before you ever press record. Instead of staring at a blank page, you can generate a thumbnail concept in seconds. That one step might help you shape the entire video or inspire a new creative angle you hadn’t thought of.
More creators are rethinking their process, and here’s why starting with the thumbnail can actually boost your creativity and save time.
Technically, viewers don’t know a good video when they see one. They might assume the video has what they’re looking for, but people don’t know until they click and watch.
The quality of your thumbnail helps viewers decide what to do. If something on the graphic resonates with them, they’ll click and give your video a chance. If the thumbnail is unappealing, the video gets an abysmal number of views.
Read More: YouTube Thumbnail Guide - 9 Ways to Boost Click-Through Rate
That means you could post the best YouTube video ever, but it might never get seen if the thumbnail doesn't work.
When you design the thumbnail first, you give yourself time to test ideas and make improvements. With an AI-powered thumbnail maker, you can even create multiple versions quickly and get a feel for what looks most compelling. If none of them feel right, that might be a signal to rethink the topic before you spend hours filming and editing.
Do you struggle to write titles for your videos? If you’ve tried every hack imaginable, the next step is to give up for a while. Yes, you read that right. Take a break from organizing your words and craft visual concepts instead.
It’s easier to describe something when you can see it in real-time. Take the best parts of your video idea – the emotions you want to convey, the value you want to give – and create a thumbnail portraying those qualities. This visual aid helps you describe your content and write a better video title.
Read More: 9 Ways to Write Exciting YouTube Titles for Your Videos
Here’s how to streamline the process:
Getting people to click your videos is the ultimate YouTube goal. This method of creating thumbnails first and connecting them to your title is one way of doing that.
Creating a YouTube video takes a lot of energy. If you leave the thumbnail and title for the very end, it becomes a rushed process, not a creative one.
When we ran that survey in 2022, most creators weren’t thinking thumbnail first. But with today’s AI tools, that approach is much more accessible. You can quickly create visuals, explore concepts, and let your thumbnail guide your video idea instead of chasing it afterward.
If you want to save time, stay inspired, and increase your chances of getting clicks, try designing your thumbnail first. It just might change how you create videos.
Want to try it? Use vidIQ’s free AI Thumbnail Maker to create bold, click-worthy visuals in minutes.
Lydia Sweatt is a writer who loves balancing her article/blog time indoors with a healthy dose of nature. She bikes, hikes, and identifies edible plants along the way.
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