Why Your YouTube Video Needs 3 Thumbnails

I’ve studied some of the top creators on YouTube to save you 20+ hours of work.

This email will show you how to follow those channels growth tactics

— with 1 Strategy, 2 Tips, and 3 Examples.

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The YouTube Thumbnail Meta

If you're not making at least 3 thumbnails for your YouTube videos, then you're not using the YouTube algorithm to its fullest potential.

Have you ever made a video thinking it was one of your best, but it never got the views you were expecting? The solution is usually as simple as changing your title and thumbnail.

Many big YouTubers upload a video and then may change the title or thumbnail a few days later. You may have even thought to yourself "didn't I already watch this?"

They aren't scrambling to change the thumbnail or title after the upload because they thought of a better idea, they're actually using a very specific growth method to maximize reach.

The first thumbnail is focused on drawing in your current subscribers.

The second thumbnail is something more relatable to a wider audience.

The third thumbnail is highly generic that can capture a super wide audience.

Don't worry, it's a common misconception that changing your title and thumbnail after uploading will have a negative effect on your video. But in reality, it actually increases your chances to be found by the right audience.

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Which Thumbnails Work Best

 Tip #1  - The 3-Element Rule

The most clickable thumbnails are simple and focused.

The 3-element rule is using no more than 3 key objects in your thumbnail.

This counts for everything including text and faces. Choose wisely and figure out which combination of elements effectively tell your story.

Using this method, viewers can quickly understand if they're interested in watching and whether they should potentially click your video.

 Tip #2  - Test Your Thumbnails Before Uploading

Check out thumbsup.tv to see what your title and thumbnail will look like to potential viewers before you upload.

Simply add the image file and enter your title to generate various previews of how your video appears in a person's feed on desktop and mobile.

Be sure to toggle between light and dark mode when testing to make sure your thumbnail truly stands out.

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The Easiest Way To Get More Clicks

 Ryan Trahan  

The most clickable thumbnails on YouTube have 3 or less major elements, since thumbnails with a minimal style are much easier to see in a glance.

Netflix and YouTube thumbnails typically get a view time of around 1.8 seconds each. If your thumbnail is tough to read or understand, you unfortunately won't stand a chance at gaining many new viewers.

 The Spiffing Brit  

Increase the brightness on your thumbnail. Save file. Then increase it again.

Here's a comparison of thumbnails from The Spiffing Brit between oldest videos and the most recent videos.

Besides using better illustrations and the 3-element rule, you can quickly see which videos are more visually appealing.

Make this a regular habit with your content and your thumbnails will instantly become much more eye-catching.

Brighter thumbnails will dramatically improve your click-through rate (CTR) and make you stand out in a sea of videos all fighting for watch time.

 Lawler  

Another channel that's improved their thumbnails drastically is Lawler, a Rocket League esports caster.

Here are 3 of his videos from 3 years ago vs 3 of his most recently uploaded:

Which videos do you want to click more?

Not only are his thumbnails brighter and have better color saturation, but they even follow a theme. This helps shorten the time it will take you to think of a new thumbnail as well as helping with your brand consistency.

Sure, it takes 1.8 seconds or less to scan a thumbnail, but now you've built the muscle memory for your viewers to instantly recognize when your new videos hit and quickly increase your CTR.

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Is there a YouTube channel you want to see reviewed?

Reply to this email and let me know!

And if you know a creator trying to grow their channel, please forward this email to them and send them to creatorkeys.gg.

Remember, your next video could be what everyone is looking for.

- Tyler

P.S. Follow me on Twitter for more strategies @TylerShuman

P.P.S. See previous editions here