In this article, we are going to discuss Youtube Thumbnails size, their use and importance. Before exploring these topics, first, let's know about YouTube Thumbnail.
What is YouTube Thumbnail?
YouTube Thumbnail is a reduced size image which is actually a cover image for a video that helps you drive more traffic. It is called Thumbnail as it appears as a small version of graphics in the recommended videos and other search areas of YouTube.
YouTube automatically provides three frames from your video that can be used as Thumbnail but most of the YouTuber prefer custom Thumbnail. It is because the addition of some text and creative graphics on Thumbnail attracts visitors and convince to click your content.
YouTube Thumbnail size
As stated earlier along with great title and description, YouTube Thumbnail also cannot be underestimated. The image has the power of emotional appeal, providing the impact. Now, let's explore what actually YouTube Thumbnail size and image requirements mean.
The perfect size of YouTube Thumbnail is 1280 X 720 with a minimum width of 640 pixels. It is 16: 9 speaking in terms of ratio. Your image should not exceed the maximum size of 2 MB otherwise YouTube doesn't let you upload your Custom Thumbnail. It supports file formats like. JPEG, GIF. BMP and.PNG.
These pieces of information are accurate as it is directly provided by YouTube. Follow these dimension on YouTube Thumbnail to get the desired image as you intend.
Resolution for YouTube Thumbnail
The resolution should not be too low as they will look pixelated especially in case of a 72-inch flat television screen. It should be minimum of 1280 X 720.
Minimum width for YouTube Thumbnail
The minimum width for YouTube Thumbnail is 640 pixels. This is the smallest canvas width that you can use in Photoshop or other design platforms. Try making larger at 1280 pixels wide.
Maximum size for YouTube Thumbnail
Your Thumbnail size should be below 2MB, otherwise, you cannot upload it as a YouTube Thumbnail.
Formats requirements for YouTube Thumbnail
The formats should be image file including file types like. JPG, . GIF, . BMP, or.PNG.
The ratio for YouTube Thumbnail
The ratio of the image should be 16:9. You will have this correct ratio if you create a pixel-perfect canvas for your YouTube Thumbnails ( 1280 X 720 ). The ratio 16:9 is the usual formats for most of the movies and television shows.
These are the necessary dimension to be considered for perfect YouTube Thumbnail.
Uses of YouTube Thumbnail
YouTube Thumbnails are small preview images that represent then entire video content. They help to attract visitor and convince them to watch your content.
YouTube Thumbnail can be compared to a cover of the book. As we know that most of the people will literally judge a book by its cover and decides whether to buy or not. We recommend you to use custom Thumbnail as it makes easier for a viewer to control what they want to view and provide them with a quick overview of your video content.
Why is YouTube Thumbnail so important?
You might have heard from most of the people that it is not good practice to judge a book by its cover. But in reality, almost all people do and same holds for YouTube Thumbnails. YouTube Thumbnails holds power either to make or break your video content.
Perfect and catchy Thumbnails can help you rack up tons of views but bad one leaves your content unseen.
We are Lucky, YouTube allows us to create custom Thumbnails.
YouTube itself provides three frames for Thumbnails but custom Thumbnail is always appreciated. Custom Thumbnail not only attracts visitors but also help in building your brand aesthetic. Plus you don't have to spend more time creating your custom Thumbnail. It is just a small fraction of time as compared to time take for you to film and edit your video content.
Some tips for creating good custom YouTube Thumbnail
1. Use still image for your content
Still, image is the most basic form of YouTube Thumbnail. You are lucky if you get a perfectly still image from the frame selected by YouTube to use as a Thumbnail. If not you can import them from video editing software.
You can also play the video in full screen, pause the video and take a screenshot as there are a lot of ideas to do this. Now, you can add some text or some logo as per your wish.
2. Create a custom graphic
Many brands create an effective YouTube Thumbnail that perfectly represents their video content. This will include a short time summing up the video's key benefit. They include their brand name or logo which makes a video more authentic and appealing.
3. Combine still images and graphics
You can combine still image from your video with graphics to create attention-grabbing TouTube Thumbnail. It is one of the popular options for the people with video content like Vlog, tutorials or talk shows.
4. Catchy titles
Including your video's title in your Thumbnail is also very important. It helps people to know about the content and catch their focus through carefully crafted titles.
5. Test different Thumbnail design
Do not be afraid to test different Thumbnail design. First of all, identify the design you like and apply to your video content. Now, study the analytics and views generated from this Thumbnail. If you obtain good views you can leave it but can change your Thumbnail in case of low CTR and test if new catchy Thumbnail works better.
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