A great custom thumbnail can make all the difference when it comes to a viewer clicking through to your video, or deciding to watch another. The thumbnail is often the first introduction to your content, but so many creators fail to take full advantage of this optimization feature.
YouTube itself has been hard at work on behalf of creators, and just announced a new thumbnail algorithm which should soon help you to pick out the best image to choose from. Based on deep neural network technology, the new model can compare the quality of each frame of a video, and select which still images best represents the footage. This is a fantastic development but nothing quite beats a custom thumbnail image that ties back in with your channel message and brand. Let's take a look at how the most successful video creators follow best practice when it comes to producing these vital images.
Custom Thumbnails: Best Practices from the Pros
Apart from making content that viewers and fans want to watch, video creators should follow some guiding principles when it comes to making great thumbnails, such as:
Conveying the subject of the video content
Compelling the viewer to click-through to the video
Differentiating their brand
Making sure they are optimized for any device
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