When browsing through our YouTube page, we come across several stills with titles under them. These stills are called thumbnails. Google Support calls these a ‘quick snapshot’ of your video. The word ‘quick’ is key here. Because when we’re scrolling through our YouTube feed, we see the thumbnail for a second or even less than that. And within that time-frame, we decide, based on the thumbnail (and the title of the video ofcourse), whether we want to watch the video or skip it. This is exactly why the attention given to the thumbnail is as important as the attention given to the video itself. Thumbnails are considered to be an important way to hook YouTube users. And as a YouTube creator, it is very important to balance the art and the science of YouTube Thumbnails.
The Science of Thumbnails
The science of thumbnails dictate that thumbnails that follow the generic thumbnail rules, i.e. ‘have a crazy or surprised expression‘, ‘the whites of the eyes are visible‘ and ‘need to have a high level of saturation and pop‘, usually have a very high click-through rate (CTR). The CTR basically tells you the number of times a YouTube user has been presented with the thumbnail of your video either on their YouTube feed or a suggested video on another channel and the number of times they’ve actually clicked on your video to see it. The average CTR is between 4 and 5% on YouTube. This does differ based on various factors like the niche of the YouTube channel, number of subscribers, views, length of the video and so on. Here are some of the highly successful YouTube accounts that follow this science.
Mr Beast:
Mrwhosetheboss:
Graham Stephan:
Techy Kiran:
These YouTube channels follow the script of having an exaggerated expression (surprise, fear, disappointment, happiness) in the thumbnails with bright colours that pop, really big text in white or red and you can see the white of their eyes. According to the data-crunching done by several youTube guides and gurus, this formula works very well to ensure high CTR for your videos. It’s evident by MrBeast’s thumbnails that this formula works for his audience, which includes a high percentage of viewers aged between 8 and 14. It also works for tech channels like Mrwhosetheboss. The creator of this tech channel has clearly studied the YouTube landscape very closely and has incorporated the science of thumbnails to get the clicks. Even channels catering to viewers within the finance world, Graham Stephan, has thumbnails that adhere to the rules of the science of thumbnails. And smaller channels like Techy Kiran are also getting the clicks based on this format.
The Art of Thumbnails
While yes, getting the clicks is key. However, getting the clicks using only the science of thumbnails may not be every YouTuber’s priority. Some like to build brands and focus on aesthetics. And this is how some YouTube channels have a vibe that attracts their tribe. Here are some YouTubers that stray away from the science of YouTube thumbnails and lean a bit more towards the art of YouTube thumbnails.
Matt D’Avella:
Peter McKinnon:
Becki & Chris:
MKBHD:
Some popular YouTubers don’t necessarily follow the science of thumbnails. Instead, they want their YouTube channel page to look like an Instagram feed. They want the thumbnails to have a clean aesthetic to ensure that there is consistency when you scroll through their channel page. It gives viewers the impression of professionalism and they are more likely to subscribe to a channel that has a more aesthetic look to it. Matt D’Avella, the minimalist guy has a minimalistic look to his thumbnails. These thumbnails draw in viewers who resonate with his aesthetic and his message. Peter McKinnon, a stellar photographer, has thumbnails to showcase his insane photography skills and draws the right kind of audience in. Becki and Chris have a black and white feel to their thumbnails and they have one of the synchronised thumbnails on their feed. And MKBHD, the juggernaut of YouTube tech with over 14 million subscribers, has a minimalist look to his thumbnails.
It is, therefore, important that as beginner YouTubers, we balance the art and science of thumbnails. At the very start we need to optimise for clicks, hence leaning a bit more towards the science of thumbnails makes more sense. Also, on the other side, we could hit the ground running with branding and have a ‘theme’ in mind to attract viewers towards our channel. Canva is a great tool to make enticing and interesting thumbnails. I use it exclusively to create thumbnails for my videos. Since my channel is more tech centred, I have to use a good balance of the image of the product I’m reviewing, my face in the thumbnail, text within the thumbnail. Canva helps to solve this problem with its template offerings and easy to duplicate option. So, if you’re a beginner YouTuber, it’s never been easier to create ‘banger’ thumbnails. Fire away and get those clicks!