Hammad @HammadCustoms

@chrxskondylis Clean work

Some of the biggest gains come from doing more of what's already working and not chasing something new every upload. Once you find a visual pattern that works and viewers instantly recognize, don't be afraid to double down on it On this channel, "THIS EXPLAINS EVERYTHING." became a repeatable thumbnail format. It creates familiarity while leaving enough room for the actual story to change through the subject and imagery. The results speak for themselves. Many of the channel's biggest videos use the same format A lot of creators abandon a winning style too early because they're worried it's "too repetitive." In reality, consistency is often what builds recognition. If a concept is working, squeeze everything you can out of it before moving on

Your first thumbnail concept is rarely your best. Most designers/creators speedrun conceptualization/ideation. They get one concept, sketch it out, and immediately jump into Photoshop. The problem is they never give themselves the chance to explore other directions. Instead, they commit to the first idea that comes to mind rather than taking the time to find the strongest one Here's what I do: Whenever I'm designing a thumbnail, I come up with multiple concepts. Each concept then gets a few (2-3) quick sketches before I decide which direction is worth designing. A different concept can completely change the way a video is perceived, and even within the same concept, one sketch is often much stronger than another This is why I separate conceptualization/ideation from designing. A thumbnail can have a good face retouch, simple background, nice text styling and perfect composition, but if the underlying concept isn't compelling, none of that really matters... To be honest, some of the best thumbnails I've designed weren't my first idea. They came after asking myself, "What's another way I could communicate this?"* or Is there a more interesting angle?" Before opening Photoshop, try forcing yourself to come up with three completely different concepts. Then sketch a few variations of each. Spend more time on conceptualization than the time you spend in Photoshop. Doing this will dramatically increase your chances of finding the strongest idea, which of course leads to better results

Originality is important. But on Youtube, familiarity often wins I see a lot of creators trying so hard to be different that they end up creating thumbnails that potential viewers don’t immediately understand. The concept might be clever, but if it takes too long to process, people will often scroll past. The best thumbnails usually feel familiar in some way. I am not saying to copy another creator outright (obviously). I mean, use visual patterns that viewers already recognize Before and after style, marker and chart style, 3 way split vlog style, holding laptop screen style, bunch of products on desk style, etc... These ideas have been used many, many times because they communicate quickly Those scrolling on Youtube aren’t looking for the most original thumbnail. Instead, they’re looking for the thumbnail that’s easiest to understand and promises something interesting That’s why I always recommend studying successful thumbnails so that you can understand why they work. More often than not, you’ll notice the same visual patterns appearing again and again across completely different niches. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Originality should come from your personality and your content, while your thumbnail’s and even title's job is simply to make that idea instantly recognizable

@ricardo1ma @tomlulofs Wow this is really good man 🔥

🇨🇦

@antxoch @goharsguide Clean work

@manav_madeit Didn’t redesign anything here lol

An easy way to improve your CTR is to stop making your thumbnail and title say the same thing. A common mistake I see is creators writing a title, then repeating the exact same words on the thumbnail. At that point, you're using the two most valuable pieces of real estate on Youtube to communicate the same information twice The example on the left is a perfect illustration of this - The title tells you it's about creating an AI hotel app in 2 minutes using Python, and then the thumbnail repeats "AI HOTEL APP," "IN 2 MIN," and "USING PYTHON." - By the time you've looked at both, you haven't learned anything new. The thumbnail isn't adding any new information, it's simply repeating what the title already says. Now compare that to the example on the right - The title explains the premise "I Produced a Song Entirely on MacBook Neo." - The thumbnail doesn't repeat those words. Instead, it introduces a new piece of information "48HRS" - That instantly creates another question in the viewer's mind. "Why did it take 48 hours?" "Was it possible in 48 hours on such a device?" etc - The title gives you the context, while the thumbnail adds intrigue. Together, they tell a much stronger story than either could alone This is how I think about every thumbnail I design. The thumbnail should capture attention and create curiosity, while the title fills in the missing context. When both communicate something different, the viewer has a much clearer understanding of the video's value without everything being explained upfront Before publishing your next video, compare your thumbnail and title side by side Ask yourself, "If I removed one of these, would the other still provide unique information?" The best thumbnail and title combinations complement each other

@ShahgulCreates Thanks for the feedback

One of the biggest mistakes I see in thumbnails is trying to communicate too many ideas at once. Creators often think adding more elements will make the thumbnail more interesting. Another arrow. Another circle. Another piece of text. But every new element has to compete for the viewer's attention A thumbnail isn't supposed to explain the entire video, that's what the video is for. Its supposed to communicate one clear idea that makes someone curious enough to click A simple question I ask while designing is: "If someone could only remember one thing from this thumbnail, what would it be?" If the answer isn't obvious, the thumbnail probably isn't focused enough. Think about how people actually use Youtube. They aren't stopping to analyze every detail, they're scrolling quickly and making split-second decisions about what deserves their attention. If your main idea isn't immediately clear, it gets lost among everything else The best thumbnails have a strong focal point. Every other element exists to support that focal point, not compete with it. Try asking, "What can I remove while keeping the main idea just as clear?" More often than not, that's where the better thumbnail is like the ones below

@_Juliyan You’re right lol. Thanks for the feedback

@MrCuriosittty Banger 🔥

Proven beats original more often than people want to admit. There’s a difference between copying content and leveraging a proven format

Nate Curtiss @natecurtiss_yt

2 weeks ago

Love it, or hate it, this is how the top 1% of channels in every niche on YouTube operate. This is also the easiest way for small channels to go viral in their niche. Find viral formats, copy/remix them, and pass your CONTENT through the layer of brand. Copying content will

5 6 85 24K 106

One of the simplest thumbnail checks is The Glance Test Before finalizing your thumbnail, show it to someone for 2 seconds Then ask: - What do you think this video is about? - What stood out first? - What do you remember seeing? If they can't answer, your thumbnail probably isn't communicating the idea clearly enough. A common mistake creators make is assuming viewers will spend time studying their thumbnail. The obvious reality is, they won't. Most people are scrolling quickly and making decisions in a fraction of a second The best thumbnails are the ones that communicate a clear message at a glance, because if someone can't understand what they're looking at in 2 seconds... they will scroll past Below are thumbnails that successfully pass the Glance Test

Morning Client Results 📈

Branded Thumbnails >>> Good Thumbnails The goal is to create familiarity because familiar thumbnails get processed faster/build trust over time A few ways creators build thumbnail branding: - Consistent fonts and text styling - Repeating colour palettes - Similar composition/layouts - Recurring visual elements

Recent Video Essay Niche Thumbnail 🔥 Title: "How The Music Industry Controls Artists..."

@yonann Absolutely not

@Vexian So good