Small creators cannot make thumbnails that reach 5% CTR
113 posts across 16 communities in the last 30 days; 55% from r/NewTubers.
“Hello all, I'm new to creating content on YT and am having trouble with thumbnails. My file is 1280px x 720px and 72dpi. The original file is 1.1mb but I even tried compressing it and it came down to 700kb. No matter all that it comes out fuzzy. How do I do it right?”
“I'm not sure if he did, but so many channels that make generic, popular, high view count videos have this thumbnail style, and I'm bored of it. I avoid channels with thumbnails like this nowadays. Will Tennyson is another one, but in the fitness space. His videos aren't bad but…”
“I created a slideshow (only 4 slides) that teaches how to use this annotating strategy but can't figure out how to export the slideshow so that it's a gif. I know I can make it into a video but was wondering if there is a way to create a gif instead.”
Content creators, particularly those new to platforms like YouTube, are experiencing frustration and low engagement due to a lack of effective thumbnails. They recognize the importance of compelling visuals but struggle with design skills, understanding what resonates with audiences, and achieving higher click-through rates. This leads to feelings of inadequacy and a desire for guidance or affordable design solutions.
SOURCES (60)
“in terms of editing i thought i made it similar to other creators who rack up a lot of view.. lmk what do yall think tho. submitted by /u/Willing_Mistake_1610 [link] [comments]”
“So, we uploaded a video that got 4.5K impressions, 450 total views, and around 203 engaged views. Our overall CTR is 10%, but YouTube Analytics shows a CTR of 4.1%. Should we change the thumbnail or keep it as it is? submitted by /u/South_Ability2772 [link] [comments]”
“Where do you draw the line tho? Thumbnails? One shot in the vid? I agree with you tho [re: YouTube needs a filter for AI-generated videos]”
“Thumbnail click-through rate is 8.5%, the video is 9 minutes and they stayed to watch for around 3 minutes [re: My First Full Video On Youtube]”
“Thumb, title and content are all the video. Just like trailers and posters are part of movies at the cinema. Part of what makes a good video or a good movie is getting people to sit down and give it a chance. The video starts when the viewer sees the thumbnail. [re: I feel like marketing matters more than the actual video now]”
“yeah your niche is straight forward with content and thumbnail. and even variants of it is simple to come up with. tho not every niche is like that. [re: I feel like marketing matters more than the actual video now]”
“Thumbnail that isn't AI generated and made with your own hands and heart [re: What makes a good thumbnail]”
“https://preview.redd.it/v8sp4ymcp5wh1.png?width=535&format=png&auto=webp&s=1638ab94de296f0aa14d3278bec35a7848141bec The content within the video is really just an accompilation of history memes, plus the thumbnail nowhere accurate to the French experience of the Franco-Prussian war submitted by /u/Ferg0202 [link] [comments]”
“Catchy, legible on any screen size (big or small), and makes people wanna click it in less than a second. [re: What makes a good thumbnail]”
“Better see your unknown channel with only hand drawn thumbnails, op. [re: Dear youtubers, this is a PSA: if I see AI generated images on your thumbnail I am blocking you <3]”
“the contrasting background is a thing i learn late, my old thumbnails were just screenshot with text and looked so messy. now i try to keep it simple, one clear subject and maybe 3 words max. the text overlay from AI is fine i think, nobody cares how you made it if it looks clean [re: What makes a good thumbnail]”
“I see a lot of comments ihere about how important a good thumbnail is, and I definitely agree with that, but I'm wondering what people's definition of a good thumbnail is. For my videos, I tend to take a relevant grab that looks interesting from the actual video and then overlay some text on it. I will admit that I use AI to generate the text overlay just because it's quicker and easier for me, and I don't have any good software that would allow me to do it myself in a way that l”
“Packaging is part of content. Title and thumbnail is an art just like creating a video. I can spend 2 days making a solid thumbnail or 20 seconds letting YouTube pick a random frame. Which do you think will do better [re: I feel like marketing matters more than the actual video now]”
“It’s been like this for five years. Thumbnail and title are king. [re: I feel like marketing matters more than the actual video now]”
“Both. The package gets you the view, brings someone to your video and channel. The video is what keeps them there, or makes them click off You could use a crazy, click bait thumbnail, get a ton of clicks, but not have people stay. [re: I feel like marketing matters more than the actual video now]”
“I'm also drawing my own thumbnails! This is very good but perhaps learn a little about how fonts and spacing can influence reading It reads "only 5cams" ETA Op has admitted that the font is AI. Disgusting [re: I'm currently in the process of re drawing my old AI thumbnails, because those don't really look good and don't make me feel like I put enough effort into them. What do y'all think, should I stick to drawing my own thumbnails?🤔]”
“Ohh gotcha hmm I'll have to brainstorm on that! Ya my packaging plus the weird slow intro might be throwing people. I wonder if I included a photo of doomguy in the thumbnail if it would help [re: Feedback Friday! Post your videos here if you want constructive critiques!]”
“i really like the thumbnails, as someone who is interested in history it would definitely attract my attention. i like the first thumbnail the most the font and the style is very very good man. keep the first font it's the best in my opinion [re: Feedback Friday! Post your videos here if you want constructive critiques!]”
“Hello all, I'm new to creating content on YT and am having trouble with thumbnails. My file is 1280px x 720px and 72dpi. The original file is 1.1mb but I even tried compressing it and it came down to 700kb. No matter all that it comes out fuzzy. How do I do it right? submitted by /u/crmason88 [link] [comments]”
“So I’m building a town called Ferret Town. First episode is me building the walls (time lapsed to music). But I’m not sure which thumbnail to use. The first is bright and colorful BUT is generic AF and tells you nothing of the channel or what I’m building. 2 an 3 are of my wall and my avatar, it’s darker but gives a better idea of what’s going on. Which do you feel works better? submitted by /u/FerretGuild [link] [comments]”
“I'm not sure if he did, but so many channels that make generic, popular, high view count videos have this thumbnail style, and I'm bored of it. I avoid channels with thumbnails like this nowadays. Will Tennyson is another one, but in the fitness space. His videos aren't bad but I've grown tired of them. These kinds of extremely generic videos just bore me completely. [re: Do you think Mr.Beast Really Started these types of thumbnails?]”
“Nice work on the thumbnails! I think they look very professional and engaging. I also enjoy making videos about janky old PS2 games (albiet strictly racing ones, at least so far!) so I appreciate that other people share an interest in this! [re: Feedback Friday! Post your videos here if you want constructive critiques!]”
“I think these are very eye catching thumbnails that do a great job of capturing what your topic is. I think they all look like they are from the same series/channel which is good (your face being in them helps). I do think you should stick to one font, they are all different in the 4 videos. The 2 that are in the red backdrop are very similar, with the difference being one of them has "scuffmarks" or something (not sure what to call them). But I'd make the other two videos have the”
“The thumbnails thing is probably the biggest lever for long form right now. scroll through the home feed of your own account and see which ones actually make you pause, then compare to yours. if the text is getting lost or it looks cluttered at a small size, it's not working yet also worth checking your first 30 seconds on the longer videos. shorts viewers are used to instant payoff so if you're doing a slow intro they'll click off before the good bit [re: I was wondering if someone”
“Not be rude but shorts are also just getting the start push I’m no expert but from what I can see thumbnails are not the best make the idea appear more and the thumbnail simpler and if you use ai for the text don’t use that if not I recommend changing and looking at another viral videos thumbnails and take an idea of how they look also try to look on what’s actually working in the gta YouTube community these days and do ur own version or idea from it yeah that’s it as I said I’m not really the b”
“Yeah, there usually arent that many memes, id assume you watched the spider-man video. Most videos I make usually dont have enough editing, so that video, I just wanted to change it up. And yeah I do SUCK at thumbnails. Thanks for helping me out and I will make sure to do all that stuff! [re: What can I do to improve my channel?]”
“Your art looks really good, idk why you used ai thumbnails [re: I'm currently in the process of re drawing my old AI thumbnails, because those don't really look good and don't make me feel like I put enough effort into them. What do y'all think, should I stick to drawing my own thumbnails?🤔]”
“Depends if you want the video to look clean or if you just want the idea out there before someone else does it, both ways work but you gotta know which one you're doing from start [re: meticulous execution n a lotta time spent on it or carrying with the idea of the video n more of a careless approach for editing]”
“Thumbnails are abysmal. Titles have no key words for SEO. I watched 21 seconds of a video and there was already 5 memes. That’s jarring imo but depends on the audience you want [re: What can I do to improve my channel?]”
“Your thumbnails and profile pic are a ripoff of MKIceAndFire [re: How is MKIceandFire even monetized? Very Weird...]”
“[CapCut] ★★★ 3/5 (v19.7.0) — Started off great but recently I think 75% of the images and videos I try and make “fail”. It’s not like I’m trying to make inappropriate content. Might have to switch to a different app”
“What's going on with youtube content creators of late? Have they become so lazy, physically and creatively, they can no longer make a decent thumbnail? . Cartoon-ish backgrounds and people, overly saturated dark colors, fat letterings that almost 3d like, characters rendered so bad, even the content creators don't look like themselves. They look almost like disney cartoon characters, always pose with their angry expressions or bigger than life smiles. And for the ones that may look like”
“Thumbnails are the main thing I would push harder on, that's what actually gets the click before anyone hears your mic [re: first time recording myself, editing and designing thumbnails. Could I get any feedback on what to improve for future videos?]”
“Checked out your channel quick, your thumbnails are not grabbing attention they look too busy with random colors and text nobody can read on phone. simplify that and maybe stick to one character focus per thumbnail [re: Hi I have a channel and I'm wondering what I'm doing wrong]”
“Found this guy randomly and some of his videos titles remind me too much of those thumbnails art memes submitted by /u/the_purple_mocha [link] [comments]”
“I created a slideshow (only 4 slides) that teaches how to use this annotating strategy but can't figure out how to export the slideshow so that it's a gif. I know I can make it into a video but was wondering if there is a way to create a gif instead. submitted by /u/NegativeGee [link] [comments]”
“Thank you so I need to improve the thumbnails based off of what you saw? [re: Started YouTube 9 days ago. How am I doing so far?]”
“It feels weird to give feedback, because I just posted my first video and it's awful 😶🌫️😶🌫️😶🌫️. But I really like your thumbnail, it' so pretty, it makes me want to like it. Also your voice is so soothing. But then tbh the title is so confusing, like is Genshin the name of the game? And I'm a bit confused on what is happening in the game. [re: first time recording myself, editing and designing thumbnails. Could I get any feedback on what to improve for future videos?]”
“Its a cozy gaming channel with long form format. It is edited but very lightly, I have taken about 3 hours of recorded video and trimmed and combined clips and condensed to an hour to make a somewhat hopefully coherent video for relaxing gameplay content to put on in the background. It is pretty much a Lets Play but those are the kind of videos I like and its what I thought would be best to initially experiment with. I am a female content creator who is planning to do faceless cozy gamplay- my c”
“I suggest 1, also if possible make 1,2,3 as a one video with little speed !? [re: Opinion on these 3 short cookie videos]”
“try simpler edits and focus more on the topic and thumbnail because even a well edited video won't get clicks if people don't feel like watching it and maybe experiment with a few different formats before deciding whether it's worth giving up on YouTube altogether [re: Genuinely Stuck With Youtube]”
“Disclaimer: I’m not an expert but here’s my thoughts. Title/Thumbnail: I wouldn’t change the title or the text for your video. They are great. For thumbnail I’m not sure if it’s the right impression or not, I just thought it was really high quality or edited too perfect..? I am not entirely sure how things work on the platform so maybe the vibrant colours would work. First 30-60seconds - Your opening lines would be quite effective with people who share the same interest or those who are curious”
“Use a photo image of your logo and cool background to use like some do for YouTube otherwise no [re: Do I need video for my podcast to work?]”
“Thanks for your reply! I appreciate it. I went back and did some A/B test titles but I’ll make them better later, as I like your suggestion. Any way you can give feedback on my thumbnails? My channel is a talking head channel so I put myself in the thumbnail. Not that I’m anyone special but I want people to know what to expect when they click. Not “wait what why is this person talking?” lol [re: Are question titles okay to use or should I switch away from them?]”
“You've got a really good hook already, it's just probably not on the thumbnail. "28 years later" is the story. One idea: split the image. Left side, the original N64 Link looking blocky and pixelated. Right side, your face or your hands on the controller. Big "28 YEARS LATER" in 3 or 4 words max. The contrast between old graphics and now does the work, and people who grew up with it will click out of nostalgia alone. The tool matters way less than people think. Canva”
“That's dark. I'm picturing a dimly lit room with pictures posted on the wall with a yarn string network connecting the photos. [re: Who is the biggest content creator in your niche? What could you learn from that creator and how could you improve on what you learned?]”
“Not yet, but I will definitely subs that out. Thank you! [re: Ai slop creators and thumbnails]”
“The tool can be useful. Have you tried the youtube thumbnail recommendations, if you try to edit an old video, it can generate thumbnail for you and it is pretty good I think [re: Ai slop creators and thumbnails]”
“I was using it for thumbnails. But after I started following a creator, who makes her own cartoon type posts, I stopped. It does take from other artists. And tbh my artistic ability peaked in primary school lmao. So I now use snapseed. Which i do believed has no ai. [re: Ai slop creators and thumbnails]”
“It looks like YouTubers are doing just as much to push AI imagine generation as anyone else. submitted by /u/IllegitimateRisk [link] [comments]”
“Thank you so much, it's helpful. So I will continue making the videos (with same kind of thumbnail). YT won't send them to the same irrelevant audience for every new video, right? Also, I actually put in weeks of work into this video so is it possible that it's views increases in the future? [re: YT algorithm tests the wrong audience. Advice?]”
“Yup, when you package format with great thumbnails and titles, the sky is the limit. [re: When you get monetized and have a breakout video, the floor and the ceiling rise]”
“canva is fine for thumbnails honestly the problem is usually the composition not the tool. look at what big channels in your niche are doing and steal the layout not the art. bold face, high contrast, one clear focal point. for ocarina of time you could just grab a clean png of link and put him against a colorful background with some text that teases the video concept dont overthink the software side. some of the best thumbnails ive seen were made in canva or even ms paint. its more about knowin”
“I am absolutely horrific at making thumbnails I'm currently using canva to make thumbnails and I just can't do it I can't pay cause I have no income and can't afford to pay for software because I spend alot of it on the videos and games I play and consoles. I'm currently trying to make a thumbnail for a video where I play The legend of Zelda ocarina of time for N64 28 years later and I'm really struggling is there any way I could make actual decent ones that I like and wo”