How To Master YouTube Thumbnail Design
How To Master YouTube Thumbnail Design
Discover three unique ways to make your YouTube Thumbnail design stand out against the crowd. We look at Mr Beast, DOAC podcast & Alex Hormozi for inspiration.
Social Corner,
Storytime:
Many years ago I worked in partnership with YouTube and was YouTube-certified in audience growth.
During my time I helped hundreds of YouTubers gain thousands of subscribers and build incomes from their passions, however, one of the most asked questions I got was "How do I make good thumbnails" or "Are my thumbnails any good?".
So let's dive into what makes great YouTube thumbnails for the era we're in.
It's important to note that each of these tips may not work in tandem for YOUR audience, and just one could be what takes you from a good to a greater creator.
1: Sell Anticipation
One of the most important metrics to look at as a YouTuber is a video's click-through rate – or CTR. The click-through rate shows how many people out of those who have seen your thumbnail click on it.
As a rough guide, a decent click-through rate is around 5%.
One of the best creators crushing thumbnails right now is Mr Beast.
As you can see below, he's mastered the art of selling an anticipated outcome. He gives people just enough of an insight into the video for them to click and watch it. In addition, he:
Uses a good close-up of himself that portrays an emotion
He ensures he is the focus of the thumbnail, and not crowded by too much else.
He uses contrasting tones/colours to stand out in front of busier backgrounds.
2: Fewer Words Are Key
The "Diary Of A CEO" Podcast has quickly become one of the most listened-to podcasts around the world, and for good reason.
But when it comes to YouTube, their social media team knows one of two things is important:
The guests they feature
Selecting messaging that gets people to click the video.
In fact, the DOAC team tests hundreds of thumbnails and A/B test the sh*t out of them to find the ones that produce the highest click-through rates.
Here's what they do well in their thumbnails:
A clear, close-up shot of their guests.
Consistent watermark branding to build familiarity/trust.
Picking out a one-liner from each podcast that acts as a shooting gun for click-through rates – then highlighting a single power word.
Podcasting is quickly becoming saturated, so if someone can understand a valuable thing about a video before they click it, they're more likely to click it.
3: Sell An Outcome
It's no secret that I'm a big Alex Hormozi fan.
But there's a good reason for it; he and his team crush it on social media (here are three of many reasons why).
One thing Alex does amazingly well before people even click his video is convey either what he did, or what people can do with the information he's about to outline.
👇 This thumbnail outlines a path from $0-$1,000,000 in revenue. Alex is showing the blueprint + outcome through the image. Outcome = How to grow a business
👇 This thumbnail shows people how to turn trash into cash. Alex is conveying how to turn actual trash into a business that generates cashflow. Outcome = building a business.
That’s all for this week’s newsletter, Social Corner family. If you’re subscribed, hit the button below to get one weekly email with free social media strategy tips: