How Updating Old Thumbnails Generated Millions of Extra Views for Vevo

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

Eye-catching custom thumbnails are essential for growing your YouTube channel, but what about the thumbnails on videos you've already posted?

If you’re like most creators, your early thumbnails probably weren’t your best work. We’ve been there. At vidIQ, our thumbnails have evolved a lot in the past year. Now, we’re more consistent with color schemes, bold imagery, and minimal text.

And it’s working. Our YouTube click-through rate (CTR) data shows people are much more likely to click on our videos now compared to years ago.

So the big questions are:

• should you go back and update old thumbnails with your new skills?

• Can changing thumbnails after a video is posted actually boost views?

Let’s look at a real-world case study.

Vevo's Massive YouTube Thumbnail Update: Millions of Extra Views

Even VEVO, one of the largest music channels on YouTube, admitted to their own failing when it came to custom thumbnails. They decided to embark on a hugely ambitious project to update the thumbnails on thousands of their videos, including this one for 'Ghost' by Halsey. The thumbnail went from looking like on the one on the left to the one on the right:

The before-and-after was dramatic. And the results? Even better.

That single thumbnail swap led to a 4,000% increase in views for the video over just two weeks. Vevo saw an immediate spike in traffic, followed by stronger, long-term momentum.

But they didn’t stop there. Vevo applied the same thumbnail update strategy across 4,000+ videos, tracking the results carefully.

On average, views increased by over 5% in the 20 days following the changes, a huge increase at their scale.

Should You Update Your YouTube Custom Thumbnails?

So, this is a no brainer, isn't it? I need to go through all of the terrible thumbnails I was making years ago, update them all, and I'm guaranteed views.

Well, not exactly. It's important to remember that most videos Vevo release come with some traction of view velocity. Meaning they continue getting views months and years after posting. Swapping the thumbnails gave those videos new life, but it worked because the videos were still discoverable.

For smaller channels who have less views overall, and less evergreen content, it's pointless to change the thumbnails on video that are not driving traffic and expect that to suddenly change.

Instead, use your YouTube Studio real-time analytics to find:

• Videos bringing in consistent views over the last 48 hours
• Evergreen videos still showing up in search or suggested feeds
• Older videos with outdated or poorly designed thumbnails

These are the perfect candidates for a thumbnail refresh.

See Thumbnail History with vidIQ’s Free Extension

Before you dive into changing your own thumbnails, it’s smart to see what works for other creators, including your competitors.

With vidIQ’s free Chrome extension, you can view the thumbnail history for most YouTube videos. This shows you the different thumbnails (and titles) a creator has tested over time which is perfect for researching how successful channels optimize their content over time.

Use this feature to:

• See which thumbnails creators replaced and what they kept
• Understand how top channels experiment to improve their click-through rate
• Get inspiration for your own custom thumbnails

How to Change YouTube Thumbnail After Posting

If you find videos worth updating, the process is simple:

1. Open YouTube Studio
2. Go to the Content tab
3. Click the video you want to update
4. Hover over your current thumbnail and select the pencil/edit icon
5. Upload your new, eye-catching custom thumbnail

Pro Tip: After updating, monitor your CTR and views in the Reach tab of YouTube Analytics to see the impact.

Small Change, Big Results

Your old videos are an untapped opportunity if they still bring in traffic. In that case, it’s worth it to change YouTube thumbnails after posting. The payoff can be huge!

Want help designing better thumbnails? Tools like vidIQ’s AI YouTube Thumbnail Maker can make the process faster, especially if you’re updating a lot of videos.

Remember, updating thumbnails works best when paired with smart research and great content. When done right, it’s one of the fastest ways to breathe new life into your YouTube library.

Want To Get More YouTube Views?

If you want to take your YouTube channel to the next level then make sure to download vidIQ. It will help you research YouTube, analyze videos, audit your own channel, and take actionable steps click here to install now!