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"In 2024, Max Views, Max Impact Discover Best Posting Days"
Max Views, Max Impact: Discover Best Posting Days
Create High-Quality Video - Wondershare Filmora
An easy and powerful YouTube video editor
Numerous video and audio effects to choose from
Detailed tutorials provided by the official channel
Creators have one thing in mind when posting their content online. To be viewed by numerous followers and potential subscribers. For this, you need to run your channels tactfully. There are days when people throng the social media to watch upcoming content and videos. Perhaps you can make your best bets on such days. And is there any best day to post YouTube video?
Probably yes! People will settle on social media sites when they are more relaxed and off heavy duties on the weekdays. Let’s now dive into posting your videos and attaining some good leads.
In this article
01 Why is it important to post your YouTube video on the best days?
02 Best Days to Post on YouTube - General Practices
03 Best Days to Post on YouTube - Individual channel
Why is it important to post your YouTube video on the best days?
You are better off with best days to post on YouTube to increase the chances of getting more views. You want to make the biggest catch, and putting in a little effort will help you yield good results.
1) Your content never dies
The major advantage of posting on best days is that they hit the wall right from the onset of posting. You won’t need a lot of time to invest in expensive equipment. Remember, when viewers see your content immediately, they are posted, there are high chances of them sharing along with friends.
2) You’ll grow your audience worldwide
Growing a worldwide audience is every content creator’s dream. Posting your videos on the best days will open doors to new visitors who perhaps haven’t heard about you. It is even better to include captions so that people of all walks get your message deeply.
3) You’ll appear more on Google searches
Posting at the right time will help Google identify your content and make it appear on Google searches. Google uses an algorithm to check on many concepts of video posting. It means that posting your videos to YouTube on the best days will spike the graph and automatically get noticed by Google.
4) Your audience will promote you
Remember, when viewers go on searches, they look for something important to them. So, coming across your content at the right time will make an instant catch. They only want to fulfill their needs at that specific time. Hence will buy or promote you as long as what you sell is what they are looking for.
5) Increased subscribers
People want to associate themselves with new content. Anyone would be thrilled to hit the button on content that just popped up when they are online at their relaxed moments. You never know; you may just hit that 1,000 subscribers list by posting your videos on the best days.
Best Days to Post on YouTube - General Practices
How then do you know the best day to upload on YouTube? You can use general practices to pinpoint when your viewers are online or when your channel is at its peak.
- Weekday evenings
Weekdays are very busy days for everyone. People feel relaxed and ready to catch up on social media’s trending in the evening. So, posting in the evenings on weekdays may instantly help you get some increased views.
- Target Thursdays and Fridays
Depending on your YouTube content, you can target school-age children these days. If your content is about kid’s stuff and other online learning skills, then pushing it just before the weekend could give you some good visits. Kids tend to have various activities over the weekend and so, the best time for them to embark on online learning is just before the weekend kicks off.
- Weekends
Weekends will suit content that needs to sell products to the middle-class. Since they are busy the whole week with other duties, they probably find time over the weekend to chill and check out what’s happening around them and the world at large.
- End year
When it comes to the best months to post on YouTube, the end-year period tends to be the best. Usually, this is when companies and individuals are winding up on their busy schedules of the year. They want to get improvements and tips to start the next year. It is wise to spend more time online, giving the necessary tips and probably hooking up some potential customers.
Best Days to Post on YouTube - Individual channel
Stop guessing and find the facts right. Hitting on the road at the right time can get you as many viewers as possible. YouTube makes getting the facts right quite easy. Just use YouTube studio to know when your viewers are online.
First, go to YouTube Studio
Check in the “YouTube Studio” > “Analytics” > “Audience” option. Remember that your channel should have enough views for this option to give you relevant data.
Find the hours with the darkest purple bars
You’ll realize that there are dark bars and light ones. The latter represent when few viewers are on your channel. Avoid posting during such times and focus when you have many viewers on site. Also, try to post a few hours before the peak time.
Focus on the days with the darkest bars
Apart from specific times of the day, you can focus on days of the week when your viewers are on your channel. You will mostly realize that the best days of the week to post to your channel are on weekends. It is quite typical as it’s the days when viewers are more relaxed and can find new things online. However, you can monitor your statistics and learn the number of days per week you need to emphasize more on posting your videos.
Post videos a day before the peak day
You can also dwell on the narrative; the early bird catches the worm. You can make an early catch since you know the day when your viewers will throng’ your channel, but you don’t know the time. Post videos a day before your channel goes busy. By this, you won’t leave any viewers outside your new postings.
A few hours before prime time
Another trick is to get your videos posted in good time. Once you have known the best hour of the day when viewers are likely to be active, make your video available a few hours before then. They’ll then get it rolling once they land into the channel for the newest updates. If not, you may miss out on views you would have gotten by making your video go public earlier.
Upload your videos in private a few hours before publishing
Yes, mistakes do happen, and you don’t want to be caught up in the mix of errors. You can increase perfection by uploading your videos for some hours before publishing them. It will give you a good time to check it out privately and iron out any concerns. You don’t want your video going viral with tons of mishaps.
Create High-Quality Video with Filmora to Ensure Video Engagement
Besides knowing the best days to post on YouTube, you have to give your audience quality for their time. Composing the best video is the killer for this course. Learn how to get high-quality videos with Filmora. It is a widely used video editing tool that comes in hand with lots of templates and effects. These features enable you to compose high-end videos in 4K and HD resolution. The effect of quality videos is that they’ll help you get many views because users will understand your video first. Filmora has an intuitive interface that will give you an easy time.
- Edit your videos with minimal effect. You can easily merge, crop, tilt, and perform more with Filmora.
- Easily do motion tracking from the main interface.
- It supports 4K and HD editing ability./li>
- Use the speed control feature to make your clips up to ten times faster or slower.
- Make magical moves with the Reverse feature. You can flip your videos and play them backward.
- Create stunning video colors in your video using the color tuning feature. You can adjust the white balance and the dynamic range of colors.
- Get quality sound with the noise removal feature.
For Win 7 or later (64-bit)
For macOS 10.12 or later
Conclusion
● You don’t have to guess the best days to upload to YouTube anymore. You can use YouTube algorithm Studio to calculate and give you the exact hours and days when your viewers are at bay. But again, this will only be effective if you have already gathered a substantial number of viewers. It will, therefore, not work for you if you are starting on YouTube. Usually, there isn’t enough data yet for the system to know the best time to publish, and neither know how your content performs in general.
● But all in all, you can use general practices to know when to post your content. Most likely, combine your efforts and don’t dwell on specific hours or days. Use both combined to reach as many audiences as possible.
Creators have one thing in mind when posting their content online. To be viewed by numerous followers and potential subscribers. For this, you need to run your channels tactfully. There are days when people throng the social media to watch upcoming content and videos. Perhaps you can make your best bets on such days. And is there any best day to post YouTube video?
Probably yes! People will settle on social media sites when they are more relaxed and off heavy duties on the weekdays. Let’s now dive into posting your videos and attaining some good leads.
In this article
01 Why is it important to post your YouTube video on the best days?
02 Best Days to Post on YouTube - General Practices
03 Best Days to Post on YouTube - Individual channel
Why is it important to post your YouTube video on the best days?
You are better off with best days to post on YouTube to increase the chances of getting more views. You want to make the biggest catch, and putting in a little effort will help you yield good results.
1) Your content never dies
The major advantage of posting on best days is that they hit the wall right from the onset of posting. You won’t need a lot of time to invest in expensive equipment. Remember, when viewers see your content immediately, they are posted, there are high chances of them sharing along with friends.
2) You’ll grow your audience worldwide
Growing a worldwide audience is every content creator’s dream. Posting your videos on the best days will open doors to new visitors who perhaps haven’t heard about you. It is even better to include captions so that people of all walks get your message deeply.
3) You’ll appear more on Google searches
Posting at the right time will help Google identify your content and make it appear on Google searches. Google uses an algorithm to check on many concepts of video posting. It means that posting your videos to YouTube on the best days will spike the graph and automatically get noticed by Google.
4) Your audience will promote you
Remember, when viewers go on searches, they look for something important to them. So, coming across your content at the right time will make an instant catch. They only want to fulfill their needs at that specific time. Hence will buy or promote you as long as what you sell is what they are looking for.
5) Increased subscribers
People want to associate themselves with new content. Anyone would be thrilled to hit the button on content that just popped up when they are online at their relaxed moments. You never know; you may just hit that 1,000 subscribers list by posting your videos on the best days.
Best Days to Post on YouTube - General Practices
How then do you know the best day to upload on YouTube? You can use general practices to pinpoint when your viewers are online or when your channel is at its peak.
- Weekday evenings
Weekdays are very busy days for everyone. People feel relaxed and ready to catch up on social media’s trending in the evening. So, posting in the evenings on weekdays may instantly help you get some increased views.
- Target Thursdays and Fridays
Depending on your YouTube content, you can target school-age children these days. If your content is about kid’s stuff and other online learning skills, then pushing it just before the weekend could give you some good visits. Kids tend to have various activities over the weekend and so, the best time for them to embark on online learning is just before the weekend kicks off.
- Weekends
Weekends will suit content that needs to sell products to the middle-class. Since they are busy the whole week with other duties, they probably find time over the weekend to chill and check out what’s happening around them and the world at large.
- End year
When it comes to the best months to post on YouTube, the end-year period tends to be the best. Usually, this is when companies and individuals are winding up on their busy schedules of the year. They want to get improvements and tips to start the next year. It is wise to spend more time online, giving the necessary tips and probably hooking up some potential customers.
Best Days to Post on YouTube - Individual channel
Stop guessing and find the facts right. Hitting on the road at the right time can get you as many viewers as possible. YouTube makes getting the facts right quite easy. Just use YouTube studio to know when your viewers are online.
First, go to YouTube Studio
Check in the “YouTube Studio” > “Analytics” > “Audience” option. Remember that your channel should have enough views for this option to give you relevant data.
Find the hours with the darkest purple bars
You’ll realize that there are dark bars and light ones. The latter represent when few viewers are on your channel. Avoid posting during such times and focus when you have many viewers on site. Also, try to post a few hours before the peak time.
Focus on the days with the darkest bars
Apart from specific times of the day, you can focus on days of the week when your viewers are on your channel. You will mostly realize that the best days of the week to post to your channel are on weekends. It is quite typical as it’s the days when viewers are more relaxed and can find new things online. However, you can monitor your statistics and learn the number of days per week you need to emphasize more on posting your videos.
Post videos a day before the peak day
You can also dwell on the narrative; the early bird catches the worm. You can make an early catch since you know the day when your viewers will throng’ your channel, but you don’t know the time. Post videos a day before your channel goes busy. By this, you won’t leave any viewers outside your new postings.
A few hours before prime time
Another trick is to get your videos posted in good time. Once you have known the best hour of the day when viewers are likely to be active, make your video available a few hours before then. They’ll then get it rolling once they land into the channel for the newest updates. If not, you may miss out on views you would have gotten by making your video go public earlier.
Upload your videos in private a few hours before publishing
Yes, mistakes do happen, and you don’t want to be caught up in the mix of errors. You can increase perfection by uploading your videos for some hours before publishing them. It will give you a good time to check it out privately and iron out any concerns. You don’t want your video going viral with tons of mishaps.
Create High-Quality Video with Filmora to Ensure Video Engagement
Besides knowing the best days to post on YouTube, you have to give your audience quality for their time. Composing the best video is the killer for this course. Learn how to get high-quality videos with Filmora. It is a widely used video editing tool that comes in hand with lots of templates and effects. These features enable you to compose high-end videos in 4K and HD resolution. The effect of quality videos is that they’ll help you get many views because users will understand your video first. Filmora has an intuitive interface that will give you an easy time.
- Edit your videos with minimal effect. You can easily merge, crop, tilt, and perform more with Filmora.
- Easily do motion tracking from the main interface.
- It supports 4K and HD editing ability./li>
- Use the speed control feature to make your clips up to ten times faster or slower.
- Make magical moves with the Reverse feature. You can flip your videos and play them backward.
- Create stunning video colors in your video using the color tuning feature. You can adjust the white balance and the dynamic range of colors.
- Get quality sound with the noise removal feature.
For Win 7 or later (64-bit)
For macOS 10.12 or later
Conclusion
● You don’t have to guess the best days to upload to YouTube anymore. You can use YouTube algorithm Studio to calculate and give you the exact hours and days when your viewers are at bay. But again, this will only be effective if you have already gathered a substantial number of viewers. It will, therefore, not work for you if you are starting on YouTube. Usually, there isn’t enough data yet for the system to know the best time to publish, and neither know how your content performs in general.
● But all in all, you can use general practices to know when to post your content. Most likely, combine your efforts and don’t dwell on specific hours or days. Use both combined to reach as many audiences as possible.
Creators have one thing in mind when posting their content online. To be viewed by numerous followers and potential subscribers. For this, you need to run your channels tactfully. There are days when people throng the social media to watch upcoming content and videos. Perhaps you can make your best bets on such days. And is there any best day to post YouTube video?
Probably yes! People will settle on social media sites when they are more relaxed and off heavy duties on the weekdays. Let’s now dive into posting your videos and attaining some good leads.
In this article
01 Why is it important to post your YouTube video on the best days?
02 Best Days to Post on YouTube - General Practices
03 Best Days to Post on YouTube - Individual channel
Why is it important to post your YouTube video on the best days?
You are better off with best days to post on YouTube to increase the chances of getting more views. You want to make the biggest catch, and putting in a little effort will help you yield good results.
1) Your content never dies
The major advantage of posting on best days is that they hit the wall right from the onset of posting. You won’t need a lot of time to invest in expensive equipment. Remember, when viewers see your content immediately, they are posted, there are high chances of them sharing along with friends.
2) You’ll grow your audience worldwide
Growing a worldwide audience is every content creator’s dream. Posting your videos on the best days will open doors to new visitors who perhaps haven’t heard about you. It is even better to include captions so that people of all walks get your message deeply.
3) You’ll appear more on Google searches
Posting at the right time will help Google identify your content and make it appear on Google searches. Google uses an algorithm to check on many concepts of video posting. It means that posting your videos to YouTube on the best days will spike the graph and automatically get noticed by Google.
4) Your audience will promote you
Remember, when viewers go on searches, they look for something important to them. So, coming across your content at the right time will make an instant catch. They only want to fulfill their needs at that specific time. Hence will buy or promote you as long as what you sell is what they are looking for.
5) Increased subscribers
People want to associate themselves with new content. Anyone would be thrilled to hit the button on content that just popped up when they are online at their relaxed moments. You never know; you may just hit that 1,000 subscribers list by posting your videos on the best days.
Best Days to Post on YouTube - General Practices
How then do you know the best day to upload on YouTube? You can use general practices to pinpoint when your viewers are online or when your channel is at its peak.
- Weekday evenings
Weekdays are very busy days for everyone. People feel relaxed and ready to catch up on social media’s trending in the evening. So, posting in the evenings on weekdays may instantly help you get some increased views.
- Target Thursdays and Fridays
Depending on your YouTube content, you can target school-age children these days. If your content is about kid’s stuff and other online learning skills, then pushing it just before the weekend could give you some good visits. Kids tend to have various activities over the weekend and so, the best time for them to embark on online learning is just before the weekend kicks off.
- Weekends
Weekends will suit content that needs to sell products to the middle-class. Since they are busy the whole week with other duties, they probably find time over the weekend to chill and check out what’s happening around them and the world at large.
- End year
When it comes to the best months to post on YouTube, the end-year period tends to be the best. Usually, this is when companies and individuals are winding up on their busy schedules of the year. They want to get improvements and tips to start the next year. It is wise to spend more time online, giving the necessary tips and probably hooking up some potential customers.
Best Days to Post on YouTube - Individual channel
Stop guessing and find the facts right. Hitting on the road at the right time can get you as many viewers as possible. YouTube makes getting the facts right quite easy. Just use YouTube studio to know when your viewers are online.
First, go to YouTube Studio
Check in the “YouTube Studio” > “Analytics” > “Audience” option. Remember that your channel should have enough views for this option to give you relevant data.
Find the hours with the darkest purple bars
You’ll realize that there are dark bars and light ones. The latter represent when few viewers are on your channel. Avoid posting during such times and focus when you have many viewers on site. Also, try to post a few hours before the peak time.
Focus on the days with the darkest bars
Apart from specific times of the day, you can focus on days of the week when your viewers are on your channel. You will mostly realize that the best days of the week to post to your channel are on weekends. It is quite typical as it’s the days when viewers are more relaxed and can find new things online. However, you can monitor your statistics and learn the number of days per week you need to emphasize more on posting your videos.
Post videos a day before the peak day
You can also dwell on the narrative; the early bird catches the worm. You can make an early catch since you know the day when your viewers will throng’ your channel, but you don’t know the time. Post videos a day before your channel goes busy. By this, you won’t leave any viewers outside your new postings.
A few hours before prime time
Another trick is to get your videos posted in good time. Once you have known the best hour of the day when viewers are likely to be active, make your video available a few hours before then. They’ll then get it rolling once they land into the channel for the newest updates. If not, you may miss out on views you would have gotten by making your video go public earlier.
Upload your videos in private a few hours before publishing
Yes, mistakes do happen, and you don’t want to be caught up in the mix of errors. You can increase perfection by uploading your videos for some hours before publishing them. It will give you a good time to check it out privately and iron out any concerns. You don’t want your video going viral with tons of mishaps.
Create High-Quality Video with Filmora to Ensure Video Engagement
Besides knowing the best days to post on YouTube, you have to give your audience quality for their time. Composing the best video is the killer for this course. Learn how to get high-quality videos with Filmora. It is a widely used video editing tool that comes in hand with lots of templates and effects. These features enable you to compose high-end videos in 4K and HD resolution. The effect of quality videos is that they’ll help you get many views because users will understand your video first. Filmora has an intuitive interface that will give you an easy time.
- Edit your videos with minimal effect. You can easily merge, crop, tilt, and perform more with Filmora.
- Easily do motion tracking from the main interface.
- It supports 4K and HD editing ability./li>
- Use the speed control feature to make your clips up to ten times faster or slower.
- Make magical moves with the Reverse feature. You can flip your videos and play them backward.
- Create stunning video colors in your video using the color tuning feature. You can adjust the white balance and the dynamic range of colors.
- Get quality sound with the noise removal feature.
For Win 7 or later (64-bit)
For macOS 10.12 or later
Conclusion
● You don’t have to guess the best days to upload to YouTube anymore. You can use YouTube algorithm Studio to calculate and give you the exact hours and days when your viewers are at bay. But again, this will only be effective if you have already gathered a substantial number of viewers. It will, therefore, not work for you if you are starting on YouTube. Usually, there isn’t enough data yet for the system to know the best time to publish, and neither know how your content performs in general.
● But all in all, you can use general practices to know when to post your content. Most likely, combine your efforts and don’t dwell on specific hours or days. Use both combined to reach as many audiences as possible.
Creators have one thing in mind when posting their content online. To be viewed by numerous followers and potential subscribers. For this, you need to run your channels tactfully. There are days when people throng the social media to watch upcoming content and videos. Perhaps you can make your best bets on such days. And is there any best day to post YouTube video?
Probably yes! People will settle on social media sites when they are more relaxed and off heavy duties on the weekdays. Let’s now dive into posting your videos and attaining some good leads.
In this article
01 Why is it important to post your YouTube video on the best days?
02 Best Days to Post on YouTube - General Practices
03 Best Days to Post on YouTube - Individual channel
Why is it important to post your YouTube video on the best days?
You are better off with best days to post on YouTube to increase the chances of getting more views. You want to make the biggest catch, and putting in a little effort will help you yield good results.
1) Your content never dies
The major advantage of posting on best days is that they hit the wall right from the onset of posting. You won’t need a lot of time to invest in expensive equipment. Remember, when viewers see your content immediately, they are posted, there are high chances of them sharing along with friends.
2) You’ll grow your audience worldwide
Growing a worldwide audience is every content creator’s dream. Posting your videos on the best days will open doors to new visitors who perhaps haven’t heard about you. It is even better to include captions so that people of all walks get your message deeply.
3) You’ll appear more on Google searches
Posting at the right time will help Google identify your content and make it appear on Google searches. Google uses an algorithm to check on many concepts of video posting. It means that posting your videos to YouTube on the best days will spike the graph and automatically get noticed by Google.
4) Your audience will promote you
Remember, when viewers go on searches, they look for something important to them. So, coming across your content at the right time will make an instant catch. They only want to fulfill their needs at that specific time. Hence will buy or promote you as long as what you sell is what they are looking for.
5) Increased subscribers
People want to associate themselves with new content. Anyone would be thrilled to hit the button on content that just popped up when they are online at their relaxed moments. You never know; you may just hit that 1,000 subscribers list by posting your videos on the best days.
Best Days to Post on YouTube - General Practices
How then do you know the best day to upload on YouTube? You can use general practices to pinpoint when your viewers are online or when your channel is at its peak.
- Weekday evenings
Weekdays are very busy days for everyone. People feel relaxed and ready to catch up on social media’s trending in the evening. So, posting in the evenings on weekdays may instantly help you get some increased views.
- Target Thursdays and Fridays
Depending on your YouTube content, you can target school-age children these days. If your content is about kid’s stuff and other online learning skills, then pushing it just before the weekend could give you some good visits. Kids tend to have various activities over the weekend and so, the best time for them to embark on online learning is just before the weekend kicks off.
- Weekends
Weekends will suit content that needs to sell products to the middle-class. Since they are busy the whole week with other duties, they probably find time over the weekend to chill and check out what’s happening around them and the world at large.
- End year
When it comes to the best months to post on YouTube, the end-year period tends to be the best. Usually, this is when companies and individuals are winding up on their busy schedules of the year. They want to get improvements and tips to start the next year. It is wise to spend more time online, giving the necessary tips and probably hooking up some potential customers.
Best Days to Post on YouTube - Individual channel
Stop guessing and find the facts right. Hitting on the road at the right time can get you as many viewers as possible. YouTube makes getting the facts right quite easy. Just use YouTube studio to know when your viewers are online.
First, go to YouTube Studio
Check in the “YouTube Studio” > “Analytics” > “Audience” option. Remember that your channel should have enough views for this option to give you relevant data.
Find the hours with the darkest purple bars
You’ll realize that there are dark bars and light ones. The latter represent when few viewers are on your channel. Avoid posting during such times and focus when you have many viewers on site. Also, try to post a few hours before the peak time.
Focus on the days with the darkest bars
Apart from specific times of the day, you can focus on days of the week when your viewers are on your channel. You will mostly realize that the best days of the week to post to your channel are on weekends. It is quite typical as it’s the days when viewers are more relaxed and can find new things online. However, you can monitor your statistics and learn the number of days per week you need to emphasize more on posting your videos.
Post videos a day before the peak day
You can also dwell on the narrative; the early bird catches the worm. You can make an early catch since you know the day when your viewers will throng’ your channel, but you don’t know the time. Post videos a day before your channel goes busy. By this, you won’t leave any viewers outside your new postings.
A few hours before prime time
Another trick is to get your videos posted in good time. Once you have known the best hour of the day when viewers are likely to be active, make your video available a few hours before then. They’ll then get it rolling once they land into the channel for the newest updates. If not, you may miss out on views you would have gotten by making your video go public earlier.
Upload your videos in private a few hours before publishing
Yes, mistakes do happen, and you don’t want to be caught up in the mix of errors. You can increase perfection by uploading your videos for some hours before publishing them. It will give you a good time to check it out privately and iron out any concerns. You don’t want your video going viral with tons of mishaps.
Create High-Quality Video with Filmora to Ensure Video Engagement
Besides knowing the best days to post on YouTube, you have to give your audience quality for their time. Composing the best video is the killer for this course. Learn how to get high-quality videos with Filmora. It is a widely used video editing tool that comes in hand with lots of templates and effects. These features enable you to compose high-end videos in 4K and HD resolution. The effect of quality videos is that they’ll help you get many views because users will understand your video first. Filmora has an intuitive interface that will give you an easy time.
- Edit your videos with minimal effect. You can easily merge, crop, tilt, and perform more with Filmora.
- Easily do motion tracking from the main interface.
- It supports 4K and HD editing ability./li>
- Use the speed control feature to make your clips up to ten times faster or slower.
- Make magical moves with the Reverse feature. You can flip your videos and play them backward.
- Create stunning video colors in your video using the color tuning feature. You can adjust the white balance and the dynamic range of colors.
- Get quality sound with the noise removal feature.
For Win 7 or later (64-bit)
For macOS 10.12 or later
Conclusion
● You don’t have to guess the best days to upload to YouTube anymore. You can use YouTube algorithm Studio to calculate and give you the exact hours and days when your viewers are at bay. But again, this will only be effective if you have already gathered a substantial number of viewers. It will, therefore, not work for you if you are starting on YouTube. Usually, there isn’t enough data yet for the system to know the best time to publish, and neither know how your content performs in general.
● But all in all, you can use general practices to know when to post your content. Most likely, combine your efforts and don’t dwell on specific hours or days. Use both combined to reach as many audiences as possible.
Unveiling the Potential of Thumbnails in Video Marketing
The Ultimate Guide to YouTube Thumbnails that Get Views
Richard Bennett
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
Search for any topic on YouTube and you’ll find thousands of videos. How do you decide which of them to watch? Thumbnails play a major role in what viewers decide to click on. They’re often more important than video titles.
Viewers click on thumbnails that both standout and feel relevant to their search. Your task when it comes to creating YouTube thumbnails is to make something that does both of those things while also maintaining your personal style.
- How to Make a YouTube Thumbnail
- How to Upload a YouTube Thumbnail
- YouTube Thumbnail Makers
- How to Make Thumbnails that Get Clicks (Without Clickbait!)
- Animated YouTube Thumbnails
Part 1: How to Make a YouTube Thumbnail
In order to create a custom video thumbnail, you’ll need a program to put it together in. You can use an image editing program like Photoshop if you have one, but if you don’t you can check out these free thumbnail makers.
Here are some examples of popular thumbnail styles.
1. The Classic Thumbnail (Photo or Screenshot)
A photo that shows what happens in your video – whether that means the finished ‘look’ from your makeup tutorial or you posing in front of the landmark you shot your travel vlog in front of – is a great way to let viewers know what to expect. While curiosity can be a big motive behind clicking on a video thumbnail (or anything online), when people have searched for a specific topic they want to be convinced that your video has what they’re looking for.
#1. Choose Your Photo
To start off, either choose a still frame from your video or take a photograph while you’re still set up from your video. A separate photograph is usually a better idea because your video editor might not be able to export a high-quality snapshot, and also because you’re able to choose your facial expression.
Aim to make this shot a close-up or medium close-up and make sure you’re either in the center of the screen or off to one side, as per the ‘rule of thirds’. Many cameras allow you to bring an optional grid up onto your viewfinder. This will divide your screen into three equal segments both vertically and horizontally. Try to make sure your eyes line up with the top line, and if you’re going to be off to one side then make sure you’re on one of the vertical lines. This will ensure your image is visually appealing.
If you want to add text later, it’s a good idea to be off to one side.
Including your face is important for most types of YouTube videos. People are attracted to eye contact and are more likely to click on thumbnails that feature a face. Gamers might choose to use a picture of a video game character instead and it will have the same effect.
Some situations where it isn’t essential to include your face include tech reviews, where viewers will be more interested in seeing the product, and cooking videos where people are looking to be tempted by a yummy food pic.
#2. Add Text and/or Images
This part isn’t essential – in some cases, a photo is enough – but a lot of the thumbnails for the videos ranked highest in YouTube’s search results include either a couple of words of text, a simple graphic (i.e. an emoji), or both.
In some cases you might use text to make it clear what type of video you’ve made, i.e. ‘review’ or ‘tutorial’. It’s best to keep any text you use brief, but you could get a bit more descriptive and write something like ‘fall makeup tutorial’. Three words is probably the most you can get away with. Remember that your text will be shrunk down with the rest of your image; you need to make it big enough to read easily once it’s shrunk, and that means you don’t have a ton of room for text.
You should also avoid fonts that are harder to read. Fonts with a lot of curves can be harder to read, and you want to make sure you choose a color that stands out from your background. Yellow might work against black, but it probably won’t work against the beige wall of your sunny bedroom. Sans serif fonts tend to be best.
Another tactic used in successful thumbnails is to add small graphics, like emojis or small images (i.e. pumpkins for a Halloween video), which are related to your video’s content. As with text, you don’t want to overload your thumbnail with images, but they’re a great way to add something eye-catching that’s a bit different from competing thumbnails.
2. The Emotional Laser (Background + Face Reacting)
One increasingly popular style of YouTube thumbnail is what we’re going to call the ‘Emotional Laser’. It’s bright (like, blindingly bright), it communicates a clear feeling, and it creates high expectations for how exciting the video’s content is going to be.
The three main elements of the Emotional Laser thumbnail are a background (usually bright), your face on the right wearing an over-pronounced expression, and either the thing your expression is in reaction to (i.e. food, a product, the topic of your video in text) or reinforcement of your emotion (i.e an emoji or question marks) on the left.
#1. Ham It Up (Take Your Reaction Photo)
Take a high-quality photograph of yourself conveying strong emotion. Generally, you want to look extremely excited, disgusted, angry, or shocked depending on the theme of the video.
If there’s an object you want to include in your thumbnail, like a product you’ll be talking about, then it’s a good idea to hold it for this photo. Hold it to one side of your head, turn towards it slightly (but not so much that the camera can only see the side of your face) and put on the expression that’s supposed to be a reaction to the object.
It can be a good idea to take this photo in front of a solid color so you can remove the background easily with chroma key.
#2. Choose Your Background
Your background might be scenery, a solid color, or even the room you filmed the video in. Light or bright colors are popular. Make sure there’s nothing that will distract from your expression. If your background is a room, or anything else where there could be things like pictures hanging, you may want to add a blur effect in the next step.
#3. Put It Together
In your thumbnail maker or a program like Photoshop, you’ll need to put your photo and your background together. This will work differently depending on what program you use. If your program has a chroma key tool and your reaction photo was taken against a solid color then you can make that solid color transparent.
What if I don’t have a separate background? If you don’t have a background you want to use, but you still want your reaction to stand out the same way it would if you did, then you can use your photo editor’s blur tool to turn the normal background of your photo into something you can pop-out from.
#4. Add Extras (Text, Emojis, etc.)
If instead of an object you plan to fill the other side of your thumbnail with text, question marks, emojis, or some other graphic element then now is the time to add it.
Part 2: How to Upload a YouTube Thumbnail
When you upload a new video to YouTube, you will see a Custom thumbnail option under Video thumbnails after your upload is complete.
If you want to add a custom thumbnail to a video that’s already up, that’s easy too.
- Go to your Video Manager in the Creator Studio.
- Find the video you want to change the thumbnail for and click Edit next to it.
- Click Custom thumbnail on the right of the preview screen.
- Upload your thumbnail and click Save changes.
Remember when you’re uploading custom thumbnails that you need to use a .JPG, .GIF, .BMP, or .PNG image with an aspect ratio of 16:9 and that your file size has to be under 2MB.
YouTube recommends that thumbnail images have a resolution of 1280x720px, and you cannot upload an image with a width of less than 640 pixels.
Make sure that all of your thumbnails adhere to YouTube’s Community guidelines. Anything sexually suggestive, violent, or otherwise graphic could result in your video being age-restricted.
Part 3: YouTube Thumbnail Makers
You don’t have to go out and buy a photo editor like Photoshop to make custom video thumbnails (although it’s a good thing to use if you already have it). Here are two free online programs you can use instead:
Canva is an intuitive option with templates for Thumbnails, Channel Art, and other social media graphics. There are stock photos and graphics provided, but not all of them are free (paid options cost $1 each). Canva’s templates do tend to include paid resources, so you may want to use them mostly for their layouts or as inspiration and replace everything they provide with your own images.
Generally, using Canva is as easy as dragging and dropping things where you want them. You’ll be able to set the dimensions for your project so the image you export is a perfect size. Adding text and changing the size, font, or color is easy too.
Adobe Spark also has templates for channel art, and it’s also very easy to use. The first time you use it helpful notes will pop up to guide you through the process. Using templates is especially simple because you just click on the elements in the pre-made thumbnail and replace them with your own photos/text.
You can make changes to the colors in your Spark thumbnail easily by selecting a new color scheme or filter. You can even toggle through layouts easily. When you choose a new layout, Spark will rearrange all the pieces of your current thumbnail to align with the new layout so you can quickly see what it looks like instead of having to rebuild.
Click to check more YouTube thumbnail makers
Part 4: How to Make Thumbnails That Get Clicks (Without Clickbait!)
Here are the top 10 best practices for creating effective YouTube thumbnails:
#1. Show What Your Video Is About
Being mysterious and clickbaity can get you views, if you’re already big. For small YouTubers, it pays off to be clear about your video’s topic. You want people to click who want to watch the actual content of your video. Even if you manage to get some clicks by being mysterious, you’ll probably end up with low viewer retention because people are clicking away when they realize your video isn’t what they were looking for. That will make YouTube’s algorithm rank your video lower, and then even fewer people will find it.
If your video is a product review, show the product in the thumbnail and maybe even write ‘review’ on it. If your video is a makeup tutorial, show your face with the finished makeup and maybe even include pictures of the products you used. People want to know what they’re clicking on before they click.
#2. Use a Consistent Layout
As you grow, you’ll want people to be able to see one of your thumbnails and instantly know it’s yours. Building a recognizable brand is about consistency. Try to stick with one basic layout for all of your videos. You can still customize every individual thumbnail by using different facial expressions and different graphics, but try to use similar backgrounds, fonts, and general layouts (i.e. you to the right of the thumbnails, text to the left) over and over.
#3. Use Your Face
Why should people want to watch your videos? If the answer is ‘because I can teach them to create delicious food’ or ‘because they want to learn about the latest iPhone’ then your thumbnail should include that food or that iPhone.
If part of the reason people want to watch your videos is you – your personality and your sense of humor – then you should be in your thumbnail.
Viewers who are on YouTube because they like seeing a creator’s personality like to feel the presence of that personality in the video thumbnail, and eye contact naturally draws attention and clicks.
#4. Add Small Graphics
Adding small graphics, like emojis or hearts, to your thumbnail can help you stand out in a couple different ways. First, if they’re being compared to thumbnails that are just screenshots from the video, your thumbnails will look a lot more polished. Second, they’ll add a splash of color which can draw eyes to your video in a search where other thumbnails are not using those same colors.
#5. Your Text Should Be Huge
Your thumbnail will end up being a fraction of the size it is while you’re creating it in your thumbnail maker, and that means that any text you use will end up being shrunk down. You could probably type a six-word sentence in a size 18 font and have it look fine while you’re making your thumbnail, but after you upload it there’s no way people will be able to read it at a glance.
Aim for a huge font size, and 3 words or less (so your thumbnail doesn’t end up looking crowded).
#6. Check Out The Competition
Type your video’s title or topic into the search engine on YouTube and look at the thumbnails for the videos that come up. These are your competition. You want to make a thumbnail that is similar enough to what comes up that viewers know it’s on the same topic, but different enough that it stands out.
Generally, if most of the thumbnails have the same layout, you’ll want to mimic that layout. Where you can break from the crowd is in the colors, fonts, and graphics you use.
Part 5: Animated YouTube Thumbnails
Whether or not you upload a custom thumbnail to YouTube, YouTube’s A.I will choose what it thinks are the 3 juiciest seconds of your video (you cannot choose for yourself) and play them as a GIF-like animation when people mouseover your video thumbnails.
As of now, this only works in the Google Chrome desktop browser. Videos have to be at least 30 seconds long to get moving thumbnails.
Alright, now that you know everything about YouTube thumbnails, go make one! Tell us in the comments what you’re going to do to make your video thumbnails stand out.
Touch Up YouTube Videos with Effects & Elements in Filmora
As one of the most widely used video editing software in YouTube video editing, Filmora provides lots of templates and effects with an intuitive interface. Download the free trial version and get started now.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
Search for any topic on YouTube and you’ll find thousands of videos. How do you decide which of them to watch? Thumbnails play a major role in what viewers decide to click on. They’re often more important than video titles.
Viewers click on thumbnails that both standout and feel relevant to their search. Your task when it comes to creating YouTube thumbnails is to make something that does both of those things while also maintaining your personal style.
- How to Make a YouTube Thumbnail
- How to Upload a YouTube Thumbnail
- YouTube Thumbnail Makers
- How to Make Thumbnails that Get Clicks (Without Clickbait!)
- Animated YouTube Thumbnails
Part 1: How to Make a YouTube Thumbnail
In order to create a custom video thumbnail, you’ll need a program to put it together in. You can use an image editing program like Photoshop if you have one, but if you don’t you can check out these free thumbnail makers.
Here are some examples of popular thumbnail styles.
1. The Classic Thumbnail (Photo or Screenshot)
A photo that shows what happens in your video – whether that means the finished ‘look’ from your makeup tutorial or you posing in front of the landmark you shot your travel vlog in front of – is a great way to let viewers know what to expect. While curiosity can be a big motive behind clicking on a video thumbnail (or anything online), when people have searched for a specific topic they want to be convinced that your video has what they’re looking for.
#1. Choose Your Photo
To start off, either choose a still frame from your video or take a photograph while you’re still set up from your video. A separate photograph is usually a better idea because your video editor might not be able to export a high-quality snapshot, and also because you’re able to choose your facial expression.
Aim to make this shot a close-up or medium close-up and make sure you’re either in the center of the screen or off to one side, as per the ‘rule of thirds’. Many cameras allow you to bring an optional grid up onto your viewfinder. This will divide your screen into three equal segments both vertically and horizontally. Try to make sure your eyes line up with the top line, and if you’re going to be off to one side then make sure you’re on one of the vertical lines. This will ensure your image is visually appealing.
If you want to add text later, it’s a good idea to be off to one side.
Including your face is important for most types of YouTube videos. People are attracted to eye contact and are more likely to click on thumbnails that feature a face. Gamers might choose to use a picture of a video game character instead and it will have the same effect.
Some situations where it isn’t essential to include your face include tech reviews, where viewers will be more interested in seeing the product, and cooking videos where people are looking to be tempted by a yummy food pic.
#2. Add Text and/or Images
This part isn’t essential – in some cases, a photo is enough – but a lot of the thumbnails for the videos ranked highest in YouTube’s search results include either a couple of words of text, a simple graphic (i.e. an emoji), or both.
In some cases you might use text to make it clear what type of video you’ve made, i.e. ‘review’ or ‘tutorial’. It’s best to keep any text you use brief, but you could get a bit more descriptive and write something like ‘fall makeup tutorial’. Three words is probably the most you can get away with. Remember that your text will be shrunk down with the rest of your image; you need to make it big enough to read easily once it’s shrunk, and that means you don’t have a ton of room for text.
You should also avoid fonts that are harder to read. Fonts with a lot of curves can be harder to read, and you want to make sure you choose a color that stands out from your background. Yellow might work against black, but it probably won’t work against the beige wall of your sunny bedroom. Sans serif fonts tend to be best.
Another tactic used in successful thumbnails is to add small graphics, like emojis or small images (i.e. pumpkins for a Halloween video), which are related to your video’s content. As with text, you don’t want to overload your thumbnail with images, but they’re a great way to add something eye-catching that’s a bit different from competing thumbnails.
2. The Emotional Laser (Background + Face Reacting)
One increasingly popular style of YouTube thumbnail is what we’re going to call the ‘Emotional Laser’. It’s bright (like, blindingly bright), it communicates a clear feeling, and it creates high expectations for how exciting the video’s content is going to be.
The three main elements of the Emotional Laser thumbnail are a background (usually bright), your face on the right wearing an over-pronounced expression, and either the thing your expression is in reaction to (i.e. food, a product, the topic of your video in text) or reinforcement of your emotion (i.e an emoji or question marks) on the left.
#1. Ham It Up (Take Your Reaction Photo)
Take a high-quality photograph of yourself conveying strong emotion. Generally, you want to look extremely excited, disgusted, angry, or shocked depending on the theme of the video.
If there’s an object you want to include in your thumbnail, like a product you’ll be talking about, then it’s a good idea to hold it for this photo. Hold it to one side of your head, turn towards it slightly (but not so much that the camera can only see the side of your face) and put on the expression that’s supposed to be a reaction to the object.
It can be a good idea to take this photo in front of a solid color so you can remove the background easily with chroma key.
#2. Choose Your Background
Your background might be scenery, a solid color, or even the room you filmed the video in. Light or bright colors are popular. Make sure there’s nothing that will distract from your expression. If your background is a room, or anything else where there could be things like pictures hanging, you may want to add a blur effect in the next step.
#3. Put It Together
In your thumbnail maker or a program like Photoshop, you’ll need to put your photo and your background together. This will work differently depending on what program you use. If your program has a chroma key tool and your reaction photo was taken against a solid color then you can make that solid color transparent.
What if I don’t have a separate background? If you don’t have a background you want to use, but you still want your reaction to stand out the same way it would if you did, then you can use your photo editor’s blur tool to turn the normal background of your photo into something you can pop-out from.
#4. Add Extras (Text, Emojis, etc.)
If instead of an object you plan to fill the other side of your thumbnail with text, question marks, emojis, or some other graphic element then now is the time to add it.
Part 2: How to Upload a YouTube Thumbnail
When you upload a new video to YouTube, you will see a Custom thumbnail option under Video thumbnails after your upload is complete.
If you want to add a custom thumbnail to a video that’s already up, that’s easy too.
- Go to your Video Manager in the Creator Studio.
- Find the video you want to change the thumbnail for and click Edit next to it.
- Click Custom thumbnail on the right of the preview screen.
- Upload your thumbnail and click Save changes.
Remember when you’re uploading custom thumbnails that you need to use a .JPG, .GIF, .BMP, or .PNG image with an aspect ratio of 16:9 and that your file size has to be under 2MB.
YouTube recommends that thumbnail images have a resolution of 1280x720px, and you cannot upload an image with a width of less than 640 pixels.
Make sure that all of your thumbnails adhere to YouTube’s Community guidelines. Anything sexually suggestive, violent, or otherwise graphic could result in your video being age-restricted.
Part 3: YouTube Thumbnail Makers
You don’t have to go out and buy a photo editor like Photoshop to make custom video thumbnails (although it’s a good thing to use if you already have it). Here are two free online programs you can use instead:
Canva is an intuitive option with templates for Thumbnails, Channel Art, and other social media graphics. There are stock photos and graphics provided, but not all of them are free (paid options cost $1 each). Canva’s templates do tend to include paid resources, so you may want to use them mostly for their layouts or as inspiration and replace everything they provide with your own images.
Generally, using Canva is as easy as dragging and dropping things where you want them. You’ll be able to set the dimensions for your project so the image you export is a perfect size. Adding text and changing the size, font, or color is easy too.
Adobe Spark also has templates for channel art, and it’s also very easy to use. The first time you use it helpful notes will pop up to guide you through the process. Using templates is especially simple because you just click on the elements in the pre-made thumbnail and replace them with your own photos/text.
You can make changes to the colors in your Spark thumbnail easily by selecting a new color scheme or filter. You can even toggle through layouts easily. When you choose a new layout, Spark will rearrange all the pieces of your current thumbnail to align with the new layout so you can quickly see what it looks like instead of having to rebuild.
Click to check more YouTube thumbnail makers
Part 4: How to Make Thumbnails That Get Clicks (Without Clickbait!)
Here are the top 10 best practices for creating effective YouTube thumbnails:
#1. Show What Your Video Is About
Being mysterious and clickbaity can get you views, if you’re already big. For small YouTubers, it pays off to be clear about your video’s topic. You want people to click who want to watch the actual content of your video. Even if you manage to get some clicks by being mysterious, you’ll probably end up with low viewer retention because people are clicking away when they realize your video isn’t what they were looking for. That will make YouTube’s algorithm rank your video lower, and then even fewer people will find it.
If your video is a product review, show the product in the thumbnail and maybe even write ‘review’ on it. If your video is a makeup tutorial, show your face with the finished makeup and maybe even include pictures of the products you used. People want to know what they’re clicking on before they click.
#2. Use a Consistent Layout
As you grow, you’ll want people to be able to see one of your thumbnails and instantly know it’s yours. Building a recognizable brand is about consistency. Try to stick with one basic layout for all of your videos. You can still customize every individual thumbnail by using different facial expressions and different graphics, but try to use similar backgrounds, fonts, and general layouts (i.e. you to the right of the thumbnails, text to the left) over and over.
#3. Use Your Face
Why should people want to watch your videos? If the answer is ‘because I can teach them to create delicious food’ or ‘because they want to learn about the latest iPhone’ then your thumbnail should include that food or that iPhone.
If part of the reason people want to watch your videos is you – your personality and your sense of humor – then you should be in your thumbnail.
Viewers who are on YouTube because they like seeing a creator’s personality like to feel the presence of that personality in the video thumbnail, and eye contact naturally draws attention and clicks.
#4. Add Small Graphics
Adding small graphics, like emojis or hearts, to your thumbnail can help you stand out in a couple different ways. First, if they’re being compared to thumbnails that are just screenshots from the video, your thumbnails will look a lot more polished. Second, they’ll add a splash of color which can draw eyes to your video in a search where other thumbnails are not using those same colors.
#5. Your Text Should Be Huge
Your thumbnail will end up being a fraction of the size it is while you’re creating it in your thumbnail maker, and that means that any text you use will end up being shrunk down. You could probably type a six-word sentence in a size 18 font and have it look fine while you’re making your thumbnail, but after you upload it there’s no way people will be able to read it at a glance.
Aim for a huge font size, and 3 words or less (so your thumbnail doesn’t end up looking crowded).
#6. Check Out The Competition
Type your video’s title or topic into the search engine on YouTube and look at the thumbnails for the videos that come up. These are your competition. You want to make a thumbnail that is similar enough to what comes up that viewers know it’s on the same topic, but different enough that it stands out.
Generally, if most of the thumbnails have the same layout, you’ll want to mimic that layout. Where you can break from the crowd is in the colors, fonts, and graphics you use.
Part 5: Animated YouTube Thumbnails
Whether or not you upload a custom thumbnail to YouTube, YouTube’s A.I will choose what it thinks are the 3 juiciest seconds of your video (you cannot choose for yourself) and play them as a GIF-like animation when people mouseover your video thumbnails.
As of now, this only works in the Google Chrome desktop browser. Videos have to be at least 30 seconds long to get moving thumbnails.
Alright, now that you know everything about YouTube thumbnails, go make one! Tell us in the comments what you’re going to do to make your video thumbnails stand out.
Touch Up YouTube Videos with Effects & Elements in Filmora
As one of the most widely used video editing software in YouTube video editing, Filmora provides lots of templates and effects with an intuitive interface. Download the free trial version and get started now.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
Search for any topic on YouTube and you’ll find thousands of videos. How do you decide which of them to watch? Thumbnails play a major role in what viewers decide to click on. They’re often more important than video titles.
Viewers click on thumbnails that both standout and feel relevant to their search. Your task when it comes to creating YouTube thumbnails is to make something that does both of those things while also maintaining your personal style.
- How to Make a YouTube Thumbnail
- How to Upload a YouTube Thumbnail
- YouTube Thumbnail Makers
- How to Make Thumbnails that Get Clicks (Without Clickbait!)
- Animated YouTube Thumbnails
Part 1: How to Make a YouTube Thumbnail
In order to create a custom video thumbnail, you’ll need a program to put it together in. You can use an image editing program like Photoshop if you have one, but if you don’t you can check out these free thumbnail makers.
Here are some examples of popular thumbnail styles.
1. The Classic Thumbnail (Photo or Screenshot)
A photo that shows what happens in your video – whether that means the finished ‘look’ from your makeup tutorial or you posing in front of the landmark you shot your travel vlog in front of – is a great way to let viewers know what to expect. While curiosity can be a big motive behind clicking on a video thumbnail (or anything online), when people have searched for a specific topic they want to be convinced that your video has what they’re looking for.
#1. Choose Your Photo
To start off, either choose a still frame from your video or take a photograph while you’re still set up from your video. A separate photograph is usually a better idea because your video editor might not be able to export a high-quality snapshot, and also because you’re able to choose your facial expression.
Aim to make this shot a close-up or medium close-up and make sure you’re either in the center of the screen or off to one side, as per the ‘rule of thirds’. Many cameras allow you to bring an optional grid up onto your viewfinder. This will divide your screen into three equal segments both vertically and horizontally. Try to make sure your eyes line up with the top line, and if you’re going to be off to one side then make sure you’re on one of the vertical lines. This will ensure your image is visually appealing.
If you want to add text later, it’s a good idea to be off to one side.
Including your face is important for most types of YouTube videos. People are attracted to eye contact and are more likely to click on thumbnails that feature a face. Gamers might choose to use a picture of a video game character instead and it will have the same effect.
Some situations where it isn’t essential to include your face include tech reviews, where viewers will be more interested in seeing the product, and cooking videos where people are looking to be tempted by a yummy food pic.
#2. Add Text and/or Images
This part isn’t essential – in some cases, a photo is enough – but a lot of the thumbnails for the videos ranked highest in YouTube’s search results include either a couple of words of text, a simple graphic (i.e. an emoji), or both.
In some cases you might use text to make it clear what type of video you’ve made, i.e. ‘review’ or ‘tutorial’. It’s best to keep any text you use brief, but you could get a bit more descriptive and write something like ‘fall makeup tutorial’. Three words is probably the most you can get away with. Remember that your text will be shrunk down with the rest of your image; you need to make it big enough to read easily once it’s shrunk, and that means you don’t have a ton of room for text.
You should also avoid fonts that are harder to read. Fonts with a lot of curves can be harder to read, and you want to make sure you choose a color that stands out from your background. Yellow might work against black, but it probably won’t work against the beige wall of your sunny bedroom. Sans serif fonts tend to be best.
Another tactic used in successful thumbnails is to add small graphics, like emojis or small images (i.e. pumpkins for a Halloween video), which are related to your video’s content. As with text, you don’t want to overload your thumbnail with images, but they’re a great way to add something eye-catching that’s a bit different from competing thumbnails.
2. The Emotional Laser (Background + Face Reacting)
One increasingly popular style of YouTube thumbnail is what we’re going to call the ‘Emotional Laser’. It’s bright (like, blindingly bright), it communicates a clear feeling, and it creates high expectations for how exciting the video’s content is going to be.
The three main elements of the Emotional Laser thumbnail are a background (usually bright), your face on the right wearing an over-pronounced expression, and either the thing your expression is in reaction to (i.e. food, a product, the topic of your video in text) or reinforcement of your emotion (i.e an emoji or question marks) on the left.
#1. Ham It Up (Take Your Reaction Photo)
Take a high-quality photograph of yourself conveying strong emotion. Generally, you want to look extremely excited, disgusted, angry, or shocked depending on the theme of the video.
If there’s an object you want to include in your thumbnail, like a product you’ll be talking about, then it’s a good idea to hold it for this photo. Hold it to one side of your head, turn towards it slightly (but not so much that the camera can only see the side of your face) and put on the expression that’s supposed to be a reaction to the object.
It can be a good idea to take this photo in front of a solid color so you can remove the background easily with chroma key.
#2. Choose Your Background
Your background might be scenery, a solid color, or even the room you filmed the video in. Light or bright colors are popular. Make sure there’s nothing that will distract from your expression. If your background is a room, or anything else where there could be things like pictures hanging, you may want to add a blur effect in the next step.
#3. Put It Together
In your thumbnail maker or a program like Photoshop, you’ll need to put your photo and your background together. This will work differently depending on what program you use. If your program has a chroma key tool and your reaction photo was taken against a solid color then you can make that solid color transparent.
What if I don’t have a separate background? If you don’t have a background you want to use, but you still want your reaction to stand out the same way it would if you did, then you can use your photo editor’s blur tool to turn the normal background of your photo into something you can pop-out from.
#4. Add Extras (Text, Emojis, etc.)
If instead of an object you plan to fill the other side of your thumbnail with text, question marks, emojis, or some other graphic element then now is the time to add it.
Part 2: How to Upload a YouTube Thumbnail
When you upload a new video to YouTube, you will see a Custom thumbnail option under Video thumbnails after your upload is complete.
If you want to add a custom thumbnail to a video that’s already up, that’s easy too.
- Go to your Video Manager in the Creator Studio.
- Find the video you want to change the thumbnail for and click Edit next to it.
- Click Custom thumbnail on the right of the preview screen.
- Upload your thumbnail and click Save changes.
Remember when you’re uploading custom thumbnails that you need to use a .JPG, .GIF, .BMP, or .PNG image with an aspect ratio of 16:9 and that your file size has to be under 2MB.
YouTube recommends that thumbnail images have a resolution of 1280x720px, and you cannot upload an image with a width of less than 640 pixels.
Make sure that all of your thumbnails adhere to YouTube’s Community guidelines. Anything sexually suggestive, violent, or otherwise graphic could result in your video being age-restricted.
Part 3: YouTube Thumbnail Makers
You don’t have to go out and buy a photo editor like Photoshop to make custom video thumbnails (although it’s a good thing to use if you already have it). Here are two free online programs you can use instead:
Canva is an intuitive option with templates for Thumbnails, Channel Art, and other social media graphics. There are stock photos and graphics provided, but not all of them are free (paid options cost $1 each). Canva’s templates do tend to include paid resources, so you may want to use them mostly for their layouts or as inspiration and replace everything they provide with your own images.
Generally, using Canva is as easy as dragging and dropping things where you want them. You’ll be able to set the dimensions for your project so the image you export is a perfect size. Adding text and changing the size, font, or color is easy too.
Adobe Spark also has templates for channel art, and it’s also very easy to use. The first time you use it helpful notes will pop up to guide you through the process. Using templates is especially simple because you just click on the elements in the pre-made thumbnail and replace them with your own photos/text.
You can make changes to the colors in your Spark thumbnail easily by selecting a new color scheme or filter. You can even toggle through layouts easily. When you choose a new layout, Spark will rearrange all the pieces of your current thumbnail to align with the new layout so you can quickly see what it looks like instead of having to rebuild.
Click to check more YouTube thumbnail makers
Part 4: How to Make Thumbnails That Get Clicks (Without Clickbait!)
Here are the top 10 best practices for creating effective YouTube thumbnails:
#1. Show What Your Video Is About
Being mysterious and clickbaity can get you views, if you’re already big. For small YouTubers, it pays off to be clear about your video’s topic. You want people to click who want to watch the actual content of your video. Even if you manage to get some clicks by being mysterious, you’ll probably end up with low viewer retention because people are clicking away when they realize your video isn’t what they were looking for. That will make YouTube’s algorithm rank your video lower, and then even fewer people will find it.
If your video is a product review, show the product in the thumbnail and maybe even write ‘review’ on it. If your video is a makeup tutorial, show your face with the finished makeup and maybe even include pictures of the products you used. People want to know what they’re clicking on before they click.
#2. Use a Consistent Layout
As you grow, you’ll want people to be able to see one of your thumbnails and instantly know it’s yours. Building a recognizable brand is about consistency. Try to stick with one basic layout for all of your videos. You can still customize every individual thumbnail by using different facial expressions and different graphics, but try to use similar backgrounds, fonts, and general layouts (i.e. you to the right of the thumbnails, text to the left) over and over.
#3. Use Your Face
Why should people want to watch your videos? If the answer is ‘because I can teach them to create delicious food’ or ‘because they want to learn about the latest iPhone’ then your thumbnail should include that food or that iPhone.
If part of the reason people want to watch your videos is you – your personality and your sense of humor – then you should be in your thumbnail.
Viewers who are on YouTube because they like seeing a creator’s personality like to feel the presence of that personality in the video thumbnail, and eye contact naturally draws attention and clicks.
#4. Add Small Graphics
Adding small graphics, like emojis or hearts, to your thumbnail can help you stand out in a couple different ways. First, if they’re being compared to thumbnails that are just screenshots from the video, your thumbnails will look a lot more polished. Second, they’ll add a splash of color which can draw eyes to your video in a search where other thumbnails are not using those same colors.
#5. Your Text Should Be Huge
Your thumbnail will end up being a fraction of the size it is while you’re creating it in your thumbnail maker, and that means that any text you use will end up being shrunk down. You could probably type a six-word sentence in a size 18 font and have it look fine while you’re making your thumbnail, but after you upload it there’s no way people will be able to read it at a glance.
Aim for a huge font size, and 3 words or less (so your thumbnail doesn’t end up looking crowded).
#6. Check Out The Competition
Type your video’s title or topic into the search engine on YouTube and look at the thumbnails for the videos that come up. These are your competition. You want to make a thumbnail that is similar enough to what comes up that viewers know it’s on the same topic, but different enough that it stands out.
Generally, if most of the thumbnails have the same layout, you’ll want to mimic that layout. Where you can break from the crowd is in the colors, fonts, and graphics you use.
Part 5: Animated YouTube Thumbnails
Whether or not you upload a custom thumbnail to YouTube, YouTube’s A.I will choose what it thinks are the 3 juiciest seconds of your video (you cannot choose for yourself) and play them as a GIF-like animation when people mouseover your video thumbnails.
As of now, this only works in the Google Chrome desktop browser. Videos have to be at least 30 seconds long to get moving thumbnails.
Alright, now that you know everything about YouTube thumbnails, go make one! Tell us in the comments what you’re going to do to make your video thumbnails stand out.
Touch Up YouTube Videos with Effects & Elements in Filmora
As one of the most widely used video editing software in YouTube video editing, Filmora provides lots of templates and effects with an intuitive interface. Download the free trial version and get started now.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
Search for any topic on YouTube and you’ll find thousands of videos. How do you decide which of them to watch? Thumbnails play a major role in what viewers decide to click on. They’re often more important than video titles.
Viewers click on thumbnails that both standout and feel relevant to their search. Your task when it comes to creating YouTube thumbnails is to make something that does both of those things while also maintaining your personal style.
- How to Make a YouTube Thumbnail
- How to Upload a YouTube Thumbnail
- YouTube Thumbnail Makers
- How to Make Thumbnails that Get Clicks (Without Clickbait!)
- Animated YouTube Thumbnails
Part 1: How to Make a YouTube Thumbnail
In order to create a custom video thumbnail, you’ll need a program to put it together in. You can use an image editing program like Photoshop if you have one, but if you don’t you can check out these free thumbnail makers.
Here are some examples of popular thumbnail styles.
1. The Classic Thumbnail (Photo or Screenshot)
A photo that shows what happens in your video – whether that means the finished ‘look’ from your makeup tutorial or you posing in front of the landmark you shot your travel vlog in front of – is a great way to let viewers know what to expect. While curiosity can be a big motive behind clicking on a video thumbnail (or anything online), when people have searched for a specific topic they want to be convinced that your video has what they’re looking for.
#1. Choose Your Photo
To start off, either choose a still frame from your video or take a photograph while you’re still set up from your video. A separate photograph is usually a better idea because your video editor might not be able to export a high-quality snapshot, and also because you’re able to choose your facial expression.
Aim to make this shot a close-up or medium close-up and make sure you’re either in the center of the screen or off to one side, as per the ‘rule of thirds’. Many cameras allow you to bring an optional grid up onto your viewfinder. This will divide your screen into three equal segments both vertically and horizontally. Try to make sure your eyes line up with the top line, and if you’re going to be off to one side then make sure you’re on one of the vertical lines. This will ensure your image is visually appealing.
If you want to add text later, it’s a good idea to be off to one side.
Including your face is important for most types of YouTube videos. People are attracted to eye contact and are more likely to click on thumbnails that feature a face. Gamers might choose to use a picture of a video game character instead and it will have the same effect.
Some situations where it isn’t essential to include your face include tech reviews, where viewers will be more interested in seeing the product, and cooking videos where people are looking to be tempted by a yummy food pic.
#2. Add Text and/or Images
This part isn’t essential – in some cases, a photo is enough – but a lot of the thumbnails for the videos ranked highest in YouTube’s search results include either a couple of words of text, a simple graphic (i.e. an emoji), or both.
In some cases you might use text to make it clear what type of video you’ve made, i.e. ‘review’ or ‘tutorial’. It’s best to keep any text you use brief, but you could get a bit more descriptive and write something like ‘fall makeup tutorial’. Three words is probably the most you can get away with. Remember that your text will be shrunk down with the rest of your image; you need to make it big enough to read easily once it’s shrunk, and that means you don’t have a ton of room for text.
You should also avoid fonts that are harder to read. Fonts with a lot of curves can be harder to read, and you want to make sure you choose a color that stands out from your background. Yellow might work against black, but it probably won’t work against the beige wall of your sunny bedroom. Sans serif fonts tend to be best.
Another tactic used in successful thumbnails is to add small graphics, like emojis or small images (i.e. pumpkins for a Halloween video), which are related to your video’s content. As with text, you don’t want to overload your thumbnail with images, but they’re a great way to add something eye-catching that’s a bit different from competing thumbnails.
2. The Emotional Laser (Background + Face Reacting)
One increasingly popular style of YouTube thumbnail is what we’re going to call the ‘Emotional Laser’. It’s bright (like, blindingly bright), it communicates a clear feeling, and it creates high expectations for how exciting the video’s content is going to be.
The three main elements of the Emotional Laser thumbnail are a background (usually bright), your face on the right wearing an over-pronounced expression, and either the thing your expression is in reaction to (i.e. food, a product, the topic of your video in text) or reinforcement of your emotion (i.e an emoji or question marks) on the left.
#1. Ham It Up (Take Your Reaction Photo)
Take a high-quality photograph of yourself conveying strong emotion. Generally, you want to look extremely excited, disgusted, angry, or shocked depending on the theme of the video.
If there’s an object you want to include in your thumbnail, like a product you’ll be talking about, then it’s a good idea to hold it for this photo. Hold it to one side of your head, turn towards it slightly (but not so much that the camera can only see the side of your face) and put on the expression that’s supposed to be a reaction to the object.
It can be a good idea to take this photo in front of a solid color so you can remove the background easily with chroma key.
#2. Choose Your Background
Your background might be scenery, a solid color, or even the room you filmed the video in. Light or bright colors are popular. Make sure there’s nothing that will distract from your expression. If your background is a room, or anything else where there could be things like pictures hanging, you may want to add a blur effect in the next step.
#3. Put It Together
In your thumbnail maker or a program like Photoshop, you’ll need to put your photo and your background together. This will work differently depending on what program you use. If your program has a chroma key tool and your reaction photo was taken against a solid color then you can make that solid color transparent.
What if I don’t have a separate background? If you don’t have a background you want to use, but you still want your reaction to stand out the same way it would if you did, then you can use your photo editor’s blur tool to turn the normal background of your photo into something you can pop-out from.
#4. Add Extras (Text, Emojis, etc.)
If instead of an object you plan to fill the other side of your thumbnail with text, question marks, emojis, or some other graphic element then now is the time to add it.
Part 2: How to Upload a YouTube Thumbnail
When you upload a new video to YouTube, you will see a Custom thumbnail option under Video thumbnails after your upload is complete.
If you want to add a custom thumbnail to a video that’s already up, that’s easy too.
- Go to your Video Manager in the Creator Studio.
- Find the video you want to change the thumbnail for and click Edit next to it.
- Click Custom thumbnail on the right of the preview screen.
- Upload your thumbnail and click Save changes.
Remember when you’re uploading custom thumbnails that you need to use a .JPG, .GIF, .BMP, or .PNG image with an aspect ratio of 16:9 and that your file size has to be under 2MB.
YouTube recommends that thumbnail images have a resolution of 1280x720px, and you cannot upload an image with a width of less than 640 pixels.
Make sure that all of your thumbnails adhere to YouTube’s Community guidelines. Anything sexually suggestive, violent, or otherwise graphic could result in your video being age-restricted.
Part 3: YouTube Thumbnail Makers
You don’t have to go out and buy a photo editor like Photoshop to make custom video thumbnails (although it’s a good thing to use if you already have it). Here are two free online programs you can use instead:
Canva is an intuitive option with templates for Thumbnails, Channel Art, and other social media graphics. There are stock photos and graphics provided, but not all of them are free (paid options cost $1 each). Canva’s templates do tend to include paid resources, so you may want to use them mostly for their layouts or as inspiration and replace everything they provide with your own images.
Generally, using Canva is as easy as dragging and dropping things where you want them. You’ll be able to set the dimensions for your project so the image you export is a perfect size. Adding text and changing the size, font, or color is easy too.
Adobe Spark also has templates for channel art, and it’s also very easy to use. The first time you use it helpful notes will pop up to guide you through the process. Using templates is especially simple because you just click on the elements in the pre-made thumbnail and replace them with your own photos/text.
You can make changes to the colors in your Spark thumbnail easily by selecting a new color scheme or filter. You can even toggle through layouts easily. When you choose a new layout, Spark will rearrange all the pieces of your current thumbnail to align with the new layout so you can quickly see what it looks like instead of having to rebuild.
Click to check more YouTube thumbnail makers
Part 4: How to Make Thumbnails That Get Clicks (Without Clickbait!)
Here are the top 10 best practices for creating effective YouTube thumbnails:
#1. Show What Your Video Is About
Being mysterious and clickbaity can get you views, if you’re already big. For small YouTubers, it pays off to be clear about your video’s topic. You want people to click who want to watch the actual content of your video. Even if you manage to get some clicks by being mysterious, you’ll probably end up with low viewer retention because people are clicking away when they realize your video isn’t what they were looking for. That will make YouTube’s algorithm rank your video lower, and then even fewer people will find it.
If your video is a product review, show the product in the thumbnail and maybe even write ‘review’ on it. If your video is a makeup tutorial, show your face with the finished makeup and maybe even include pictures of the products you used. People want to know what they’re clicking on before they click.
#2. Use a Consistent Layout
As you grow, you’ll want people to be able to see one of your thumbnails and instantly know it’s yours. Building a recognizable brand is about consistency. Try to stick with one basic layout for all of your videos. You can still customize every individual thumbnail by using different facial expressions and different graphics, but try to use similar backgrounds, fonts, and general layouts (i.e. you to the right of the thumbnails, text to the left) over and over.
#3. Use Your Face
Why should people want to watch your videos? If the answer is ‘because I can teach them to create delicious food’ or ‘because they want to learn about the latest iPhone’ then your thumbnail should include that food or that iPhone.
If part of the reason people want to watch your videos is you – your personality and your sense of humor – then you should be in your thumbnail.
Viewers who are on YouTube because they like seeing a creator’s personality like to feel the presence of that personality in the video thumbnail, and eye contact naturally draws attention and clicks.
#4. Add Small Graphics
Adding small graphics, like emojis or hearts, to your thumbnail can help you stand out in a couple different ways. First, if they’re being compared to thumbnails that are just screenshots from the video, your thumbnails will look a lot more polished. Second, they’ll add a splash of color which can draw eyes to your video in a search where other thumbnails are not using those same colors.
#5. Your Text Should Be Huge
Your thumbnail will end up being a fraction of the size it is while you’re creating it in your thumbnail maker, and that means that any text you use will end up being shrunk down. You could probably type a six-word sentence in a size 18 font and have it look fine while you’re making your thumbnail, but after you upload it there’s no way people will be able to read it at a glance.
Aim for a huge font size, and 3 words or less (so your thumbnail doesn’t end up looking crowded).
#6. Check Out The Competition
Type your video’s title or topic into the search engine on YouTube and look at the thumbnails for the videos that come up. These are your competition. You want to make a thumbnail that is similar enough to what comes up that viewers know it’s on the same topic, but different enough that it stands out.
Generally, if most of the thumbnails have the same layout, you’ll want to mimic that layout. Where you can break from the crowd is in the colors, fonts, and graphics you use.
Part 5: Animated YouTube Thumbnails
Whether or not you upload a custom thumbnail to YouTube, YouTube’s A.I will choose what it thinks are the 3 juiciest seconds of your video (you cannot choose for yourself) and play them as a GIF-like animation when people mouseover your video thumbnails.
As of now, this only works in the Google Chrome desktop browser. Videos have to be at least 30 seconds long to get moving thumbnails.
Alright, now that you know everything about YouTube thumbnails, go make one! Tell us in the comments what you’re going to do to make your video thumbnails stand out.
Touch Up YouTube Videos with Effects & Elements in Filmora
As one of the most widely used video editing software in YouTube video editing, Filmora provides lots of templates and effects with an intuitive interface. Download the free trial version and get started now.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
- Title: "In 2024, Max Views, Max Impact Discover Best Posting Days"
- Author: Joseph
- Created at : 2024-05-31 13:43:30
- Updated at : 2024-06-01 13:43:30
- Link: https://youtube-stream.techidaily.com/in-2024-max-views-max-impact-discover-best-posting-days/
- License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
