Step-by-Step: Adding Custom Images to YouTube Videos

How To Add Custom Thumbnails to Your YouTube Videos

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

YouTube custom thumbnails are a great way to get people’s attention to your YouTube video. It’s a pretty simple process but if you are wondering how to create a thumbnail and add the thumbnail to YouTube video and customize it with the correct size. You have come to the right place. While in this article, I will show you how to create and add a thumbnail to a YouTube video and how to customize the YouTube video thumbnail. Follow these easy steps below and add eyecatching customed thumbnails to your YouTube videos in no time.

• Part 1: Create and Add Custom Thumbnails to YouTube
• Part 2: Tools to Create Custom YouTube Video Thumbnails
• Part 3: How to Change A Thumbnail On YouTube
• Part 4: Things You Need to Know Before Making a YouTube Custom Thumbnail
• Part 5: Tips on How to Make Good YouTube Thumbnails to Get More Clicks
• Part 6: YouTube Thumbnail FAQs

---

How To Add Custom Thumbnails to Your YouTube Videos [Steps, Tools and Tips]

We have just made a video tutorial about how to make a YouTube video thumbnail, check it below to find out the tips and tricks of making customized YouTube thumbnail.

Part 1: How to Make a Thumbnail for YouTube and Add Custom Thumbnails to YouTube

After you’ve verified your account and made your thumbnail, it’s finally time to upload it to your video and make a custom thumbnail. To do this, go to Creator Studio and then Video Manager. You’ll see a button labeled “Edit” next to each video, and an arrow pointing down. Click Thumbnail Editor.

In Thumbnail Editor, you can use the still images in the video as a thumbnail, choose a solid background color for the thumbnail, or add other images from your computer. I will show you the steps of how to customize the video still as a video thumbnail.

1. Preview the video and choose the target video still. You can click the Playback button and check the video and pause it at the desired frame. Or, you can step through each frame by clicking the Preview Frame button and Next Frame icon. Click Next to continue.

2. And now, you can add text, image and shape overlays to the thumbnail. You can change the text font, size, opacity and more.

3. Click Next to save the thumbnail and you will see how the thumbnail displays on different platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Click Save to save the video thumbnail.

In this way, you can add a custom thumbnail to the new videos and change the video thumbnail of the previously uploaded videos.

Part 2: Thumbnail Makers to Create Custom YouTube Thumbnails

Of course, you can use some of the best tools to make a YouTube video thumbnail. In this part, we will show you some of the best tools to create custom YouTube thumbnails.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

1. Create YouTube Thumbnail with Online solution - Canva

Canva is a free, powerful online image editing program with tons of great templates to get you started. One of their templates just happens to be YouTube thumbnails. Open Canva and select the “YouTube Thumbnail” design type. Use your own photo or choose from a huge library, then add text and effects to really make it stand out. Save and share — easy as that.

Check this video tutorial to see how to Make a Youtube Thumbnail using Canva.

You may also like: Best online Photo Editor

2. Design YouTube thumbnail with a Desktop solution - Gimp

Gimp is one of the most popular image editing programs around for one very simple reason: it’s powerful and free! Where Canva uses a lot of templates, Gimp gives you absolute, full control over how you want your image to look. Make a 1280x720 image and start putting together your eye-catching thumbnail exactly how you want to.

Check this video tutorial to see how to make professional Thumbnails for YouTube Videos with Gimp:

Part 3: How to Change A Thumbnail On YouTube

Note: YouTube allows verified YouTube accounts (accounts that provided YouTube with a working phone number) to upload custom thumbnail images and change them accordingly.

In this part, we’ll be going over how to change a thumbnail image on YouTube. There are pictures to make it easy to follow along.

• After signing into YouTube with your Google account, click on your profile on the top right corner. Click on YouTube Studio from the drop-down menu.

• On the left side of the page, click on Videos and then find your video and click on the details button.

• Find the Thumbnail section in the basic video details tab, and then click the Upload thumbnail to select the image that you want to upload.
• Finally, click on the Save button on the right upper corner. And just like that, in seven easy steps, we’re done changing the thumbnail of a YouTube video.

If you don’t have an image to upload but you want to check out some online resources to make your own, check out our Top YouTube Thumbnail Makers .

Part 4: Things You Need to Know Before Making a Custom Thumbnail

• About the proper YouTube video thumbnail size: Your thumbnail should be 1280x720 pixels in size and be less than 2MB. The minimum width of the image is 640 pixels.
• About the YouTube Image thumbnail format: Use .JPG, .PNG, .GIF or .BMP files for your thumbnail image.
• You’ll want your thumbnails to stand out. Bright colored text is a simple, easy way to draw people’s attention. Red, white, yellow, or orange are all popular choices.
• You can even do a little homework to see what colors others are using for similar videos to yours, and then choose different colors to stand out.

One word of warning: your thumbnail should be related to the content of your video. Misleading thumbnail images, if reported, will reflect poorly on your channel. You’ll get a negative rating in the community status part of your channel. This can actually remove your ability to use custom thumbnails, so keep it honest!

You may also like: How to Make YouTube Channel Art

To make a creative YouTube video, you may also need a powerful video editing software. Check how to edit a YouTube video in Filmora video editor and download it to try.

You may also like: Best video editing software for YouTube

Part 5: Tips on How to Make Good YouTube Thumbnails - Get More Clicks

The thumbnails of your videos play a huge role in convincing people to watch them; a good YouTube thumbnail will get you more views and more potential subscribers. This part will give you 6 tips on creating thumbnails that help grow your channel. Now let’s learn how to make thumbnails using Wondershare PixStudio.

1. Stay On Topic

Your thumbnail should tell a story; it should be clear from looking at it what viewers will get out of watching the video, be it knowledge or entertainment. If your thumbnail sets expectations that your video doesn’t deliver on, people will click away quickly. You may get views quickly, but you won’t get much watch time. That will tell YouTube’s search algorithm ‘people aren’t getting what they want from this, rank it lower’. That leads to fewer views over time, and gives the people who do manage to find your video a negative opinion of your channel.

Very few people intentionally use thumbnails that have nothing to do with the content of their videos – i.e, most people understand not to use a picture of a kitten in the thumbnail for their tech review, unless maybe their kitten is the one doing the review (which would be adorable, someone should do that). People who want serious advice won’t click, and people who click to see a kitten will click away fast.

This thumbnail had better be for a kitten’s iPhone review video or people will click away. Fast.

A mistake a lot of creators do make is creating a thumbnail that is meant to evoke an emotion which the video itself does not justify. For example, if you see a picture of a YouTuber looking nervous alongside text that reads ‘My Secret’, you will think they are going to share something deeply personal. You will be curious, and you may even be worried about them. You’ll probably click. Then, if their secret is that they don’t like pineapple on pizza, you’ll probably be angry. This technique gets clicks, but not a lot of watch time and it will lose you subs in the long run.

2. Don’t Be Mysterious

A good thumbnail doesn’t make people guess. Your thumbnail should tell people what’s in your video, not make them wonder about it. People want to know what they’re being asked to spend time watching.

Often, they will be looking for the answer to a specific question and will completely ignore anything that doesn’t show – in the thumbnail – that it has their answer.

Sometimes big channels can get away with stuff like this, because large portions of their audiences are interested in them as people and will already be curious about anything they post. This technique will not bring in new viewers, though.

If this came up in a search for ‘smoky eye tutorial’, would you click it?

When people want answers, they want to feel confident that they video they click on will have those answers. If you have great content, then let people know it!

3. People Like People

Viewers are more likely to click on a thumbnail if they feel a connection when they look at it. One of the best ways to create a feeling of connection is through eye contact, and you can apply that principle to your YouTube thumbnails easily.

Just make sure you’re in them.

You can either compose a photo to use as your thumbnail, or use a screenshot from your video. Ideally, the image of you will convey the emotional tone of the video and tell potential viewers what it is about, besides you.

So, if you want to post a funny video that is also about making brownies, maybe a picture of you smiling while holding up a tray of brownies would be a better direction than just showing the brownies?

4. Check Out The Competition

Before you post your video, type your topic into YouTube’s search engine and see what comes up. This will give you insight into what kinds of thumbnails are performing well for other people, as well as what you can do to stand out in comparison.

Phil starts talking about thumbnails at 6:09, and he has great tips on checking out your competition!

For example, if all five of the top-ranked videos for the search ‘how to build a cabinet’ show images of the YouTuber smiling while holding a power tool, then your thumbnail for a video on the same topic should also be a picture of you smiling and holding a power tool. You know that works, so why not do it?

5. Use Color in Interesting Ways

You want to use colors that will help you stand out from the other search results. While checking out your competition if you notice that all the people in the other thumbnails are wearing black or navy blue, it will be a good idea for you to wear a brighter color for your shoot to grab a bit more attention.

Beyond simply using colors that are different from other people’s colors, you should consider the emotions different colors trigger.

Maybe don’t use a lot of green and yellow in the thumbnail for your angry video rant?

6. Make Your Text Huge

Usually, you’ll want to use a bit of text in your thumbnail. It might be the full title of your video, or just a keyword or phrase. You don’t want to use a full sentence because you won’t have room for it if you’re using huge text.

The reason you should use huge text is so that people can read it. Remember that when people see your thumbnail in their search results, it will be much smaller than it will look while you are creating it. Text that looks big enough while you are creating your thumbnail will be much smaller when people are actually trying to read it, and that goes double for viewers watching on their small smartphone screens.

Frequently Asked Questions about YouTube Thumbnail

1. What is YouTube Thumbnail?

When you upload a video on YouTube, YouTube gives you three images to choose from in the selection of your video’s thumbnail image. These three images are just freeze-frame snapshots from different parts of your video, which may not tell your viewers what your video is really all about.

2. Can You Change YouTube Thumbnail After Publishing?

Yes, you can replace the auto-generated thumbnail with the customized thumbnail you like. But YouTube only allows verified YouTube accounts to upload custom thumbnail images.

3. How Long Does It Take for a Thumbnail to Change on YouTube?

Normally, if you have a good internet connection, you can see the thumbnail is changed within 10 seconds.

4. Why YouTube Thumbnail is Important?

When you get more people watching your video for longer, it increases your watch time and tells YouTube’s search algorithm ‘people like this, rank it higher’. Being ranked higher gets you more views, and even more watch time. It’s a wonderful cycle that all begins with a great thumbnail (paired with a good title and the right tags).

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

YouTube custom thumbnails are a great way to get people’s attention to your YouTube video. It’s a pretty simple process but if you are wondering how to create a thumbnail and add the thumbnail to YouTube video and customize it with the correct size. You have come to the right place. While in this article, I will show you how to create and add a thumbnail to a YouTube video and how to customize the YouTube video thumbnail. Follow these easy steps below and add eyecatching customed thumbnails to your YouTube videos in no time.

• Part 1: Create and Add Custom Thumbnails to YouTube
• Part 2: Tools to Create Custom YouTube Video Thumbnails
• Part 3: How to Change A Thumbnail On YouTube
• Part 4: Things You Need to Know Before Making a YouTube Custom Thumbnail
• Part 5: Tips on How to Make Good YouTube Thumbnails to Get More Clicks
• Part 6: YouTube Thumbnail FAQs

---

How To Add Custom Thumbnails to Your YouTube Videos [Steps, Tools and Tips]

We have just made a video tutorial about how to make a YouTube video thumbnail, check it below to find out the tips and tricks of making customized YouTube thumbnail.

Part 1: How to Make a Thumbnail for YouTube and Add Custom Thumbnails to YouTube

After you’ve verified your account and made your thumbnail, it’s finally time to upload it to your video and make a custom thumbnail. To do this, go to Creator Studio and then Video Manager. You’ll see a button labeled “Edit” next to each video, and an arrow pointing down. Click Thumbnail Editor.

In Thumbnail Editor, you can use the still images in the video as a thumbnail, choose a solid background color for the thumbnail, or add other images from your computer. I will show you the steps of how to customize the video still as a video thumbnail.

1. Preview the video and choose the target video still. You can click the Playback button and check the video and pause it at the desired frame. Or, you can step through each frame by clicking the Preview Frame button and Next Frame icon. Click Next to continue.

2. And now, you can add text, image and shape overlays to the thumbnail. You can change the text font, size, opacity and more.

3. Click Next to save the thumbnail and you will see how the thumbnail displays on different platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Click Save to save the video thumbnail.

In this way, you can add a custom thumbnail to the new videos and change the video thumbnail of the previously uploaded videos.

Part 2: Thumbnail Makers to Create Custom YouTube Thumbnails

Of course, you can use some of the best tools to make a YouTube video thumbnail. In this part, we will show you some of the best tools to create custom YouTube thumbnails.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

1. Create YouTube Thumbnail with Online solution - Canva

Canva is a free, powerful online image editing program with tons of great templates to get you started. One of their templates just happens to be YouTube thumbnails. Open Canva and select the “YouTube Thumbnail” design type. Use your own photo or choose from a huge library, then add text and effects to really make it stand out. Save and share — easy as that.

Check this video tutorial to see how to Make a Youtube Thumbnail using Canva.

You may also like: Best online Photo Editor

2. Design YouTube thumbnail with a Desktop solution - Gimp

Gimp is one of the most popular image editing programs around for one very simple reason: it’s powerful and free! Where Canva uses a lot of templates, Gimp gives you absolute, full control over how you want your image to look. Make a 1280x720 image and start putting together your eye-catching thumbnail exactly how you want to.

Check this video tutorial to see how to make professional Thumbnails for YouTube Videos with Gimp:

Part 3: How to Change A Thumbnail On YouTube

Note: YouTube allows verified YouTube accounts (accounts that provided YouTube with a working phone number) to upload custom thumbnail images and change them accordingly.

In this part, we’ll be going over how to change a thumbnail image on YouTube. There are pictures to make it easy to follow along.

• After signing into YouTube with your Google account, click on your profile on the top right corner. Click on YouTube Studio from the drop-down menu.

• On the left side of the page, click on Videos and then find your video and click on the details button.

• Find the Thumbnail section in the basic video details tab, and then click the Upload thumbnail to select the image that you want to upload.
• Finally, click on the Save button on the right upper corner. And just like that, in seven easy steps, we’re done changing the thumbnail of a YouTube video.

If you don’t have an image to upload but you want to check out some online resources to make your own, check out our Top YouTube Thumbnail Makers .

Part 4: Things You Need to Know Before Making a Custom Thumbnail

• About the proper YouTube video thumbnail size: Your thumbnail should be 1280x720 pixels in size and be less than 2MB. The minimum width of the image is 640 pixels.
• About the YouTube Image thumbnail format: Use .JPG, .PNG, .GIF or .BMP files for your thumbnail image.
• You’ll want your thumbnails to stand out. Bright colored text is a simple, easy way to draw people’s attention. Red, white, yellow, or orange are all popular choices.
• You can even do a little homework to see what colors others are using for similar videos to yours, and then choose different colors to stand out.

One word of warning: your thumbnail should be related to the content of your video. Misleading thumbnail images, if reported, will reflect poorly on your channel. You’ll get a negative rating in the community status part of your channel. This can actually remove your ability to use custom thumbnails, so keep it honest!

You may also like: How to Make YouTube Channel Art

To make a creative YouTube video, you may also need a powerful video editing software. Check how to edit a YouTube video in Filmora video editor and download it to try.

You may also like: Best video editing software for YouTube

Part 5: Tips on How to Make Good YouTube Thumbnails - Get More Clicks

The thumbnails of your videos play a huge role in convincing people to watch them; a good YouTube thumbnail will get you more views and more potential subscribers. This part will give you 6 tips on creating thumbnails that help grow your channel. Now let’s learn how to make thumbnails using Wondershare PixStudio.

1. Stay On Topic

Your thumbnail should tell a story; it should be clear from looking at it what viewers will get out of watching the video, be it knowledge or entertainment. If your thumbnail sets expectations that your video doesn’t deliver on, people will click away quickly. You may get views quickly, but you won’t get much watch time. That will tell YouTube’s search algorithm ‘people aren’t getting what they want from this, rank it lower’. That leads to fewer views over time, and gives the people who do manage to find your video a negative opinion of your channel.

Very few people intentionally use thumbnails that have nothing to do with the content of their videos – i.e, most people understand not to use a picture of a kitten in the thumbnail for their tech review, unless maybe their kitten is the one doing the review (which would be adorable, someone should do that). People who want serious advice won’t click, and people who click to see a kitten will click away fast.

This thumbnail had better be for a kitten’s iPhone review video or people will click away. Fast.

A mistake a lot of creators do make is creating a thumbnail that is meant to evoke an emotion which the video itself does not justify. For example, if you see a picture of a YouTuber looking nervous alongside text that reads ‘My Secret’, you will think they are going to share something deeply personal. You will be curious, and you may even be worried about them. You’ll probably click. Then, if their secret is that they don’t like pineapple on pizza, you’ll probably be angry. This technique gets clicks, but not a lot of watch time and it will lose you subs in the long run.

2. Don’t Be Mysterious

A good thumbnail doesn’t make people guess. Your thumbnail should tell people what’s in your video, not make them wonder about it. People want to know what they’re being asked to spend time watching.

Often, they will be looking for the answer to a specific question and will completely ignore anything that doesn’t show – in the thumbnail – that it has their answer.

Sometimes big channels can get away with stuff like this, because large portions of their audiences are interested in them as people and will already be curious about anything they post. This technique will not bring in new viewers, though.

If this came up in a search for ‘smoky eye tutorial’, would you click it?

When people want answers, they want to feel confident that they video they click on will have those answers. If you have great content, then let people know it!

3. People Like People

Viewers are more likely to click on a thumbnail if they feel a connection when they look at it. One of the best ways to create a feeling of connection is through eye contact, and you can apply that principle to your YouTube thumbnails easily.

Just make sure you’re in them.

You can either compose a photo to use as your thumbnail, or use a screenshot from your video. Ideally, the image of you will convey the emotional tone of the video and tell potential viewers what it is about, besides you.

So, if you want to post a funny video that is also about making brownies, maybe a picture of you smiling while holding up a tray of brownies would be a better direction than just showing the brownies?

4. Check Out The Competition

Before you post your video, type your topic into YouTube’s search engine and see what comes up. This will give you insight into what kinds of thumbnails are performing well for other people, as well as what you can do to stand out in comparison.

Phil starts talking about thumbnails at 6:09, and he has great tips on checking out your competition!

For example, if all five of the top-ranked videos for the search ‘how to build a cabinet’ show images of the YouTuber smiling while holding a power tool, then your thumbnail for a video on the same topic should also be a picture of you smiling and holding a power tool. You know that works, so why not do it?

5. Use Color in Interesting Ways

You want to use colors that will help you stand out from the other search results. While checking out your competition if you notice that all the people in the other thumbnails are wearing black or navy blue, it will be a good idea for you to wear a brighter color for your shoot to grab a bit more attention.

Beyond simply using colors that are different from other people’s colors, you should consider the emotions different colors trigger.

Maybe don’t use a lot of green and yellow in the thumbnail for your angry video rant?

6. Make Your Text Huge

Usually, you’ll want to use a bit of text in your thumbnail. It might be the full title of your video, or just a keyword or phrase. You don’t want to use a full sentence because you won’t have room for it if you’re using huge text.

The reason you should use huge text is so that people can read it. Remember that when people see your thumbnail in their search results, it will be much smaller than it will look while you are creating it. Text that looks big enough while you are creating your thumbnail will be much smaller when people are actually trying to read it, and that goes double for viewers watching on their small smartphone screens.

Frequently Asked Questions about YouTube Thumbnail

1. What is YouTube Thumbnail?

When you upload a video on YouTube, YouTube gives you three images to choose from in the selection of your video’s thumbnail image. These three images are just freeze-frame snapshots from different parts of your video, which may not tell your viewers what your video is really all about.

2. Can You Change YouTube Thumbnail After Publishing?

Yes, you can replace the auto-generated thumbnail with the customized thumbnail you like. But YouTube only allows verified YouTube accounts to upload custom thumbnail images.

3. How Long Does It Take for a Thumbnail to Change on YouTube?

Normally, if you have a good internet connection, you can see the thumbnail is changed within 10 seconds.

4. Why YouTube Thumbnail is Important?

When you get more people watching your video for longer, it increases your watch time and tells YouTube’s search algorithm ‘people like this, rank it higher’. Being ranked higher gets you more views, and even more watch time. It’s a wonderful cycle that all begins with a great thumbnail (paired with a good title and the right tags).

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

YouTube custom thumbnails are a great way to get people’s attention to your YouTube video. It’s a pretty simple process but if you are wondering how to create a thumbnail and add the thumbnail to YouTube video and customize it with the correct size. You have come to the right place. While in this article, I will show you how to create and add a thumbnail to a YouTube video and how to customize the YouTube video thumbnail. Follow these easy steps below and add eyecatching customed thumbnails to your YouTube videos in no time.

• Part 1: Create and Add Custom Thumbnails to YouTube
• Part 2: Tools to Create Custom YouTube Video Thumbnails
• Part 3: How to Change A Thumbnail On YouTube
• Part 4: Things You Need to Know Before Making a YouTube Custom Thumbnail
• Part 5: Tips on How to Make Good YouTube Thumbnails to Get More Clicks
• Part 6: YouTube Thumbnail FAQs

---

How To Add Custom Thumbnails to Your YouTube Videos [Steps, Tools and Tips]

We have just made a video tutorial about how to make a YouTube video thumbnail, check it below to find out the tips and tricks of making customized YouTube thumbnail.

Part 1: How to Make a Thumbnail for YouTube and Add Custom Thumbnails to YouTube

After you’ve verified your account and made your thumbnail, it’s finally time to upload it to your video and make a custom thumbnail. To do this, go to Creator Studio and then Video Manager. You’ll see a button labeled “Edit” next to each video, and an arrow pointing down. Click Thumbnail Editor.

In Thumbnail Editor, you can use the still images in the video as a thumbnail, choose a solid background color for the thumbnail, or add other images from your computer. I will show you the steps of how to customize the video still as a video thumbnail.

1. Preview the video and choose the target video still. You can click the Playback button and check the video and pause it at the desired frame. Or, you can step through each frame by clicking the Preview Frame button and Next Frame icon. Click Next to continue.

2. And now, you can add text, image and shape overlays to the thumbnail. You can change the text font, size, opacity and more.

3. Click Next to save the thumbnail and you will see how the thumbnail displays on different platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Click Save to save the video thumbnail.

In this way, you can add a custom thumbnail to the new videos and change the video thumbnail of the previously uploaded videos.

Part 2: Thumbnail Makers to Create Custom YouTube Thumbnails

Of course, you can use some of the best tools to make a YouTube video thumbnail. In this part, we will show you some of the best tools to create custom YouTube thumbnails.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

1. Create YouTube Thumbnail with Online solution - Canva

Canva is a free, powerful online image editing program with tons of great templates to get you started. One of their templates just happens to be YouTube thumbnails. Open Canva and select the “YouTube Thumbnail” design type. Use your own photo or choose from a huge library, then add text and effects to really make it stand out. Save and share — easy as that.

Check this video tutorial to see how to Make a Youtube Thumbnail using Canva.

You may also like: Best online Photo Editor

2. Design YouTube thumbnail with a Desktop solution - Gimp

Gimp is one of the most popular image editing programs around for one very simple reason: it’s powerful and free! Where Canva uses a lot of templates, Gimp gives you absolute, full control over how you want your image to look. Make a 1280x720 image and start putting together your eye-catching thumbnail exactly how you want to.

Check this video tutorial to see how to make professional Thumbnails for YouTube Videos with Gimp:

Part 3: How to Change A Thumbnail On YouTube

Note: YouTube allows verified YouTube accounts (accounts that provided YouTube with a working phone number) to upload custom thumbnail images and change them accordingly.

In this part, we’ll be going over how to change a thumbnail image on YouTube. There are pictures to make it easy to follow along.

• After signing into YouTube with your Google account, click on your profile on the top right corner. Click on YouTube Studio from the drop-down menu.

• On the left side of the page, click on Videos and then find your video and click on the details button.

• Find the Thumbnail section in the basic video details tab, and then click the Upload thumbnail to select the image that you want to upload.
• Finally, click on the Save button on the right upper corner. And just like that, in seven easy steps, we’re done changing the thumbnail of a YouTube video.

If you don’t have an image to upload but you want to check out some online resources to make your own, check out our Top YouTube Thumbnail Makers .

Part 4: Things You Need to Know Before Making a Custom Thumbnail

• About the proper YouTube video thumbnail size: Your thumbnail should be 1280x720 pixels in size and be less than 2MB. The minimum width of the image is 640 pixels.
• About the YouTube Image thumbnail format: Use .JPG, .PNG, .GIF or .BMP files for your thumbnail image.
• You’ll want your thumbnails to stand out. Bright colored text is a simple, easy way to draw people’s attention. Red, white, yellow, or orange are all popular choices.
• You can even do a little homework to see what colors others are using for similar videos to yours, and then choose different colors to stand out.

One word of warning: your thumbnail should be related to the content of your video. Misleading thumbnail images, if reported, will reflect poorly on your channel. You’ll get a negative rating in the community status part of your channel. This can actually remove your ability to use custom thumbnails, so keep it honest!

You may also like: How to Make YouTube Channel Art

To make a creative YouTube video, you may also need a powerful video editing software. Check how to edit a YouTube video in Filmora video editor and download it to try.

You may also like: Best video editing software for YouTube

Part 5: Tips on How to Make Good YouTube Thumbnails - Get More Clicks

The thumbnails of your videos play a huge role in convincing people to watch them; a good YouTube thumbnail will get you more views and more potential subscribers. This part will give you 6 tips on creating thumbnails that help grow your channel. Now let’s learn how to make thumbnails using Wondershare PixStudio.

1. Stay On Topic

Your thumbnail should tell a story; it should be clear from looking at it what viewers will get out of watching the video, be it knowledge or entertainment. If your thumbnail sets expectations that your video doesn’t deliver on, people will click away quickly. You may get views quickly, but you won’t get much watch time. That will tell YouTube’s search algorithm ‘people aren’t getting what they want from this, rank it lower’. That leads to fewer views over time, and gives the people who do manage to find your video a negative opinion of your channel.

Very few people intentionally use thumbnails that have nothing to do with the content of their videos – i.e, most people understand not to use a picture of a kitten in the thumbnail for their tech review, unless maybe their kitten is the one doing the review (which would be adorable, someone should do that). People who want serious advice won’t click, and people who click to see a kitten will click away fast.

This thumbnail had better be for a kitten’s iPhone review video or people will click away. Fast.

A mistake a lot of creators do make is creating a thumbnail that is meant to evoke an emotion which the video itself does not justify. For example, if you see a picture of a YouTuber looking nervous alongside text that reads ‘My Secret’, you will think they are going to share something deeply personal. You will be curious, and you may even be worried about them. You’ll probably click. Then, if their secret is that they don’t like pineapple on pizza, you’ll probably be angry. This technique gets clicks, but not a lot of watch time and it will lose you subs in the long run.

2. Don’t Be Mysterious

A good thumbnail doesn’t make people guess. Your thumbnail should tell people what’s in your video, not make them wonder about it. People want to know what they’re being asked to spend time watching.

Often, they will be looking for the answer to a specific question and will completely ignore anything that doesn’t show – in the thumbnail – that it has their answer.

Sometimes big channels can get away with stuff like this, because large portions of their audiences are interested in them as people and will already be curious about anything they post. This technique will not bring in new viewers, though.

If this came up in a search for ‘smoky eye tutorial’, would you click it?

When people want answers, they want to feel confident that they video they click on will have those answers. If you have great content, then let people know it!

3. People Like People

Viewers are more likely to click on a thumbnail if they feel a connection when they look at it. One of the best ways to create a feeling of connection is through eye contact, and you can apply that principle to your YouTube thumbnails easily.

Just make sure you’re in them.

You can either compose a photo to use as your thumbnail, or use a screenshot from your video. Ideally, the image of you will convey the emotional tone of the video and tell potential viewers what it is about, besides you.

So, if you want to post a funny video that is also about making brownies, maybe a picture of you smiling while holding up a tray of brownies would be a better direction than just showing the brownies?

4. Check Out The Competition

Before you post your video, type your topic into YouTube’s search engine and see what comes up. This will give you insight into what kinds of thumbnails are performing well for other people, as well as what you can do to stand out in comparison.

Phil starts talking about thumbnails at 6:09, and he has great tips on checking out your competition!

For example, if all five of the top-ranked videos for the search ‘how to build a cabinet’ show images of the YouTuber smiling while holding a power tool, then your thumbnail for a video on the same topic should also be a picture of you smiling and holding a power tool. You know that works, so why not do it?

5. Use Color in Interesting Ways

You want to use colors that will help you stand out from the other search results. While checking out your competition if you notice that all the people in the other thumbnails are wearing black or navy blue, it will be a good idea for you to wear a brighter color for your shoot to grab a bit more attention.

Beyond simply using colors that are different from other people’s colors, you should consider the emotions different colors trigger.

Maybe don’t use a lot of green and yellow in the thumbnail for your angry video rant?

6. Make Your Text Huge

Usually, you’ll want to use a bit of text in your thumbnail. It might be the full title of your video, or just a keyword or phrase. You don’t want to use a full sentence because you won’t have room for it if you’re using huge text.

The reason you should use huge text is so that people can read it. Remember that when people see your thumbnail in their search results, it will be much smaller than it will look while you are creating it. Text that looks big enough while you are creating your thumbnail will be much smaller when people are actually trying to read it, and that goes double for viewers watching on their small smartphone screens.

Frequently Asked Questions about YouTube Thumbnail

1. What is YouTube Thumbnail?

When you upload a video on YouTube, YouTube gives you three images to choose from in the selection of your video’s thumbnail image. These three images are just freeze-frame snapshots from different parts of your video, which may not tell your viewers what your video is really all about.

2. Can You Change YouTube Thumbnail After Publishing?

Yes, you can replace the auto-generated thumbnail with the customized thumbnail you like. But YouTube only allows verified YouTube accounts to upload custom thumbnail images.

3. How Long Does It Take for a Thumbnail to Change on YouTube?

Normally, if you have a good internet connection, you can see the thumbnail is changed within 10 seconds.

4. Why YouTube Thumbnail is Important?

When you get more people watching your video for longer, it increases your watch time and tells YouTube’s search algorithm ‘people like this, rank it higher’. Being ranked higher gets you more views, and even more watch time. It’s a wonderful cycle that all begins with a great thumbnail (paired with a good title and the right tags).

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

YouTube custom thumbnails are a great way to get people’s attention to your YouTube video. It’s a pretty simple process but if you are wondering how to create a thumbnail and add the thumbnail to YouTube video and customize it with the correct size. You have come to the right place. While in this article, I will show you how to create and add a thumbnail to a YouTube video and how to customize the YouTube video thumbnail. Follow these easy steps below and add eyecatching customed thumbnails to your YouTube videos in no time.

• Part 1: Create and Add Custom Thumbnails to YouTube
• Part 2: Tools to Create Custom YouTube Video Thumbnails
• Part 3: How to Change A Thumbnail On YouTube
• Part 4: Things You Need to Know Before Making a YouTube Custom Thumbnail
• Part 5: Tips on How to Make Good YouTube Thumbnails to Get More Clicks
• Part 6: YouTube Thumbnail FAQs

---

How To Add Custom Thumbnails to Your YouTube Videos [Steps, Tools and Tips]

We have just made a video tutorial about how to make a YouTube video thumbnail, check it below to find out the tips and tricks of making customized YouTube thumbnail.

Part 1: How to Make a Thumbnail for YouTube and Add Custom Thumbnails to YouTube

After you’ve verified your account and made your thumbnail, it’s finally time to upload it to your video and make a custom thumbnail. To do this, go to Creator Studio and then Video Manager. You’ll see a button labeled “Edit” next to each video, and an arrow pointing down. Click Thumbnail Editor.

In Thumbnail Editor, you can use the still images in the video as a thumbnail, choose a solid background color for the thumbnail, or add other images from your computer. I will show you the steps of how to customize the video still as a video thumbnail.

1. Preview the video and choose the target video still. You can click the Playback button and check the video and pause it at the desired frame. Or, you can step through each frame by clicking the Preview Frame button and Next Frame icon. Click Next to continue.

2. And now, you can add text, image and shape overlays to the thumbnail. You can change the text font, size, opacity and more.

3. Click Next to save the thumbnail and you will see how the thumbnail displays on different platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Click Save to save the video thumbnail.

In this way, you can add a custom thumbnail to the new videos and change the video thumbnail of the previously uploaded videos.

Part 2: Thumbnail Makers to Create Custom YouTube Thumbnails

Of course, you can use some of the best tools to make a YouTube video thumbnail. In this part, we will show you some of the best tools to create custom YouTube thumbnails.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

1. Create YouTube Thumbnail with Online solution - Canva

Canva is a free, powerful online image editing program with tons of great templates to get you started. One of their templates just happens to be YouTube thumbnails. Open Canva and select the “YouTube Thumbnail” design type. Use your own photo or choose from a huge library, then add text and effects to really make it stand out. Save and share — easy as that.

Check this video tutorial to see how to Make a Youtube Thumbnail using Canva.

You may also like: Best online Photo Editor

2. Design YouTube thumbnail with a Desktop solution - Gimp

Gimp is one of the most popular image editing programs around for one very simple reason: it’s powerful and free! Where Canva uses a lot of templates, Gimp gives you absolute, full control over how you want your image to look. Make a 1280x720 image and start putting together your eye-catching thumbnail exactly how you want to.

Check this video tutorial to see how to make professional Thumbnails for YouTube Videos with Gimp:

Part 3: How to Change A Thumbnail On YouTube

Note: YouTube allows verified YouTube accounts (accounts that provided YouTube with a working phone number) to upload custom thumbnail images and change them accordingly.

In this part, we’ll be going over how to change a thumbnail image on YouTube. There are pictures to make it easy to follow along.

• After signing into YouTube with your Google account, click on your profile on the top right corner. Click on YouTube Studio from the drop-down menu.

• On the left side of the page, click on Videos and then find your video and click on the details button.

• Find the Thumbnail section in the basic video details tab, and then click the Upload thumbnail to select the image that you want to upload.
• Finally, click on the Save button on the right upper corner. And just like that, in seven easy steps, we’re done changing the thumbnail of a YouTube video.

If you don’t have an image to upload but you want to check out some online resources to make your own, check out our Top YouTube Thumbnail Makers .

Part 4: Things You Need to Know Before Making a Custom Thumbnail

• About the proper YouTube video thumbnail size: Your thumbnail should be 1280x720 pixels in size and be less than 2MB. The minimum width of the image is 640 pixels.
• About the YouTube Image thumbnail format: Use .JPG, .PNG, .GIF or .BMP files for your thumbnail image.
• You’ll want your thumbnails to stand out. Bright colored text is a simple, easy way to draw people’s attention. Red, white, yellow, or orange are all popular choices.
• You can even do a little homework to see what colors others are using for similar videos to yours, and then choose different colors to stand out.

One word of warning: your thumbnail should be related to the content of your video. Misleading thumbnail images, if reported, will reflect poorly on your channel. You’ll get a negative rating in the community status part of your channel. This can actually remove your ability to use custom thumbnails, so keep it honest!

You may also like: How to Make YouTube Channel Art

To make a creative YouTube video, you may also need a powerful video editing software. Check how to edit a YouTube video in Filmora video editor and download it to try.

You may also like: Best video editing software for YouTube

Part 5: Tips on How to Make Good YouTube Thumbnails - Get More Clicks

The thumbnails of your videos play a huge role in convincing people to watch them; a good YouTube thumbnail will get you more views and more potential subscribers. This part will give you 6 tips on creating thumbnails that help grow your channel. Now let’s learn how to make thumbnails using Wondershare PixStudio.

1. Stay On Topic

Your thumbnail should tell a story; it should be clear from looking at it what viewers will get out of watching the video, be it knowledge or entertainment. If your thumbnail sets expectations that your video doesn’t deliver on, people will click away quickly. You may get views quickly, but you won’t get much watch time. That will tell YouTube’s search algorithm ‘people aren’t getting what they want from this, rank it lower’. That leads to fewer views over time, and gives the people who do manage to find your video a negative opinion of your channel.

Very few people intentionally use thumbnails that have nothing to do with the content of their videos – i.e, most people understand not to use a picture of a kitten in the thumbnail for their tech review, unless maybe their kitten is the one doing the review (which would be adorable, someone should do that). People who want serious advice won’t click, and people who click to see a kitten will click away fast.

This thumbnail had better be for a kitten’s iPhone review video or people will click away. Fast.

A mistake a lot of creators do make is creating a thumbnail that is meant to evoke an emotion which the video itself does not justify. For example, if you see a picture of a YouTuber looking nervous alongside text that reads ‘My Secret’, you will think they are going to share something deeply personal. You will be curious, and you may even be worried about them. You’ll probably click. Then, if their secret is that they don’t like pineapple on pizza, you’ll probably be angry. This technique gets clicks, but not a lot of watch time and it will lose you subs in the long run.

2. Don’t Be Mysterious

A good thumbnail doesn’t make people guess. Your thumbnail should tell people what’s in your video, not make them wonder about it. People want to know what they’re being asked to spend time watching.

Often, they will be looking for the answer to a specific question and will completely ignore anything that doesn’t show – in the thumbnail – that it has their answer.

Sometimes big channels can get away with stuff like this, because large portions of their audiences are interested in them as people and will already be curious about anything they post. This technique will not bring in new viewers, though.

If this came up in a search for ‘smoky eye tutorial’, would you click it?

When people want answers, they want to feel confident that they video they click on will have those answers. If you have great content, then let people know it!

3. People Like People

Viewers are more likely to click on a thumbnail if they feel a connection when they look at it. One of the best ways to create a feeling of connection is through eye contact, and you can apply that principle to your YouTube thumbnails easily.

Just make sure you’re in them.

You can either compose a photo to use as your thumbnail, or use a screenshot from your video. Ideally, the image of you will convey the emotional tone of the video and tell potential viewers what it is about, besides you.

So, if you want to post a funny video that is also about making brownies, maybe a picture of you smiling while holding up a tray of brownies would be a better direction than just showing the brownies?

4. Check Out The Competition

Before you post your video, type your topic into YouTube’s search engine and see what comes up. This will give you insight into what kinds of thumbnails are performing well for other people, as well as what you can do to stand out in comparison.

Phil starts talking about thumbnails at 6:09, and he has great tips on checking out your competition!

For example, if all five of the top-ranked videos for the search ‘how to build a cabinet’ show images of the YouTuber smiling while holding a power tool, then your thumbnail for a video on the same topic should also be a picture of you smiling and holding a power tool. You know that works, so why not do it?

5. Use Color in Interesting Ways

You want to use colors that will help you stand out from the other search results. While checking out your competition if you notice that all the people in the other thumbnails are wearing black or navy blue, it will be a good idea for you to wear a brighter color for your shoot to grab a bit more attention.

Beyond simply using colors that are different from other people’s colors, you should consider the emotions different colors trigger.

Maybe don’t use a lot of green and yellow in the thumbnail for your angry video rant?

6. Make Your Text Huge

Usually, you’ll want to use a bit of text in your thumbnail. It might be the full title of your video, or just a keyword or phrase. You don’t want to use a full sentence because you won’t have room for it if you’re using huge text.

The reason you should use huge text is so that people can read it. Remember that when people see your thumbnail in their search results, it will be much smaller than it will look while you are creating it. Text that looks big enough while you are creating your thumbnail will be much smaller when people are actually trying to read it, and that goes double for viewers watching on their small smartphone screens.

Frequently Asked Questions about YouTube Thumbnail

1. What is YouTube Thumbnail?

When you upload a video on YouTube, YouTube gives you three images to choose from in the selection of your video’s thumbnail image. These three images are just freeze-frame snapshots from different parts of your video, which may not tell your viewers what your video is really all about.

2. Can You Change YouTube Thumbnail After Publishing?

Yes, you can replace the auto-generated thumbnail with the customized thumbnail you like. But YouTube only allows verified YouTube accounts to upload custom thumbnail images.

3. How Long Does It Take for a Thumbnail to Change on YouTube?

Normally, if you have a good internet connection, you can see the thumbnail is changed within 10 seconds.

4. Why YouTube Thumbnail is Important?

When you get more people watching your video for longer, it increases your watch time and tells YouTube’s search algorithm ‘people like this, rank it higher’. Being ranked higher gets you more views, and even more watch time. It’s a wonderful cycle that all begins with a great thumbnail (paired with a good title and the right tags).

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Design Principles for Orderly YouTube Broadcasts

How to structure YouTube videos

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Creating a YouTube channel and uploading video content is only one part of the key to your success. With so much competition on the platform, it’s crucial that you stand out from the crowd with efficient, professional videos that are a pleasure to watch.

Without some planning and structure in mind before you begin filming, it’s all too easy to get a bit lost and start to ramble or fumble your words. Video’s filled with ‘umm’ and ‘err’ are neither pleasant to watch nor engaging.

If you’re serious about making a great YouTube channel and developing a loyal fan base, you’re going to need a workable structure for every video to help you stay on track. Here’s what you need to know:

Quick Jump Menu

• Why is structuring your video important?
• How should you structure YouTube Video Content?
• Ready to go out and make amazing videos?

Why is structuring your video important?

The structure of your video can make all the difference between a successful YouTube channel and a big waste of time. Your objective is to get people watching more and watching all the way to the end. A great structure can:

• Build interest and engagement: By keeping something in reserve and naturally building interest as you go along, people will be compelled to watch longer and interact more with your channel.
• Helps you rank higher: Longer and higher numbers of views will demonstrate your position as an authority well. The YouTube algorithm uses these metrics as part of their ranking factor, so the more and longer views you get, the higher you’ll rank in search.
• Builds consistency and familiarity: If all your videos follow a typical structure, your fans will come to be familiar with your format. They’ll know what to expect from your content and will watch more regularly as a result.

So, now you understand why structure is so important to your channel, let’s take a look at ways in which you can create an amazing structure for every video you produce.

How should you structure YouTube video content?

There are some key elements of a YouTube video’s structure which can make it more natural, more engaging and more fun to watch. When you’re planning your structure, you should follow a logical timeline to take the viewer from start to finish easily, and to ensure you get the actions you want at the end.

Intro

People love to be told what’s about to happen, and an intro can be a crucial step in ensuring they are going to continue watching your content. By explaining clearly what they are about to see, why it’s important to them and what problems you’re aiming to solve, you’ll keep them hooked and prevent them from browsing away to the next search result.

An introduction doesn’t need to be long or particularly involved. Remember, you don’t want to give away all your information here, as what you want is to encourage them to watch until the end. Something like “I’m going to show you … which will help you to …” is fine.

Your idea and purpose need to be conveyed fast and effectively if you’re keen to get their interest. Most viewers will decide within the first three to five seconds of a video if they want to invest their time in watching, so it’s crucial you capture their interest and engage them fast to stop them drifting away.

Main content

Once you’ve introduced your video, it’s time to start working through your content. This should be done by:

1. Framing the problem

What are the types of problems that your viewers will have encountered which your video can solve? How is the problem affecting you and your viewers? Take around two to three minutes to describe the problems that you hope your video will solve, and work on being empathetic so people can relate to you and the issue you’re discussing.

1. Offer solutions with examples

Move on to your solution to the problem. How did you find this solution? Is it easy to implement? Take around four to five minutes to address your solution and give examples of how it works in practice.

Now you’ve addressed the issue that your video content will solve, you’re almost ready to ask them to take the next step. Almost. There’s one more key element in your structure that you need to remember to include.

Hook

The hook can be placed anywhere in your content, although it’s most successful when placed either in the introduction or while you are framing the problem. The hook is a tidbit that aims to encourage a full viewing of your video, so don’t give away your solutions but do give them a reason to carry on watching.

If there’s a particular point where you think they might become bored or distracted, this is a great time to insert your hook. Come up with a powerful hook, for instance ‘with my solution I managed to go from ten views to two hundred in an hour’ or ‘when you hear this solution you’ll understand how I tripled my profits overnight’. Give them a reason to want to stay to the end.

Outro

Your outro shouldn’t just be about signing off in your unique way with some lovely music and visuals. This is the point at which you can ask something back from your audience, whatever that may be. We call this a ‘call to action’, and it could eb something as simple as subscribing through to something more involved like visiting your website.

Think about what you want from your audience; what should they do next? Remember to ask via a strong call to action, otherwise you’ve simply given them some free advice with very little in the way of a return for you.

Script or no script?

Many YouTubers shy away from using any sort of script, feeling that this will make them less relatable and natural. Choosing whether or not to script is entirely up to you; some people feel more comfortable with a script to hand, whereas others prefer to just wing it as they go.

If you don’t feel a script would work for you, do consider having a very rough outline of your structure and the points you want to make readily available while filming. It will help you regain control if you do happen to lose your place and will ensure you get all the information across that you’d planned to.

If you do think a full script would work better for you, make sure you are able to come across as naturally as possible while reading it. Write your script the same way you speak and run through a few times so you’re not squinting at words while you’re on camera. If you regularly wander off script, this could be a sign that a freer flowing style is more your thing.

Read More to Get : How to Loop a YouTube Video >>

Ready to go out and make amazing videos?

Having a structure to your videos might seem a little unnatural at first, but there’s plenty of evidence to show that people who take the time to plan their content get far better results than those who just improvise. If you’re unsure of the best structure for your content, watch videos made by others in your niche to see how they organize theirs.

That’s not to say you have to copy the leaders to be a success; indeed, you’ll be far more successful on YouTube if you continue to be unique. But there’s always room to learn from the best and to take inspiration from those who’ve been getting the very best results.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Creating a YouTube channel and uploading video content is only one part of the key to your success. With so much competition on the platform, it’s crucial that you stand out from the crowd with efficient, professional videos that are a pleasure to watch.

Without some planning and structure in mind before you begin filming, it’s all too easy to get a bit lost and start to ramble or fumble your words. Video’s filled with ‘umm’ and ‘err’ are neither pleasant to watch nor engaging.

If you’re serious about making a great YouTube channel and developing a loyal fan base, you’re going to need a workable structure for every video to help you stay on track. Here’s what you need to know:

Quick Jump Menu

• Why is structuring your video important?
• How should you structure YouTube Video Content?
• Ready to go out and make amazing videos?

Why is structuring your video important?

The structure of your video can make all the difference between a successful YouTube channel and a big waste of time. Your objective is to get people watching more and watching all the way to the end. A great structure can:

• Build interest and engagement: By keeping something in reserve and naturally building interest as you go along, people will be compelled to watch longer and interact more with your channel.
• Helps you rank higher: Longer and higher numbers of views will demonstrate your position as an authority well. The YouTube algorithm uses these metrics as part of their ranking factor, so the more and longer views you get, the higher you’ll rank in search.
• Builds consistency and familiarity: If all your videos follow a typical structure, your fans will come to be familiar with your format. They’ll know what to expect from your content and will watch more regularly as a result.

So, now you understand why structure is so important to your channel, let’s take a look at ways in which you can create an amazing structure for every video you produce.

How should you structure YouTube video content?

There are some key elements of a YouTube video’s structure which can make it more natural, more engaging and more fun to watch. When you’re planning your structure, you should follow a logical timeline to take the viewer from start to finish easily, and to ensure you get the actions you want at the end.

Intro

People love to be told what’s about to happen, and an intro can be a crucial step in ensuring they are going to continue watching your content. By explaining clearly what they are about to see, why it’s important to them and what problems you’re aiming to solve, you’ll keep them hooked and prevent them from browsing away to the next search result.

An introduction doesn’t need to be long or particularly involved. Remember, you don’t want to give away all your information here, as what you want is to encourage them to watch until the end. Something like “I’m going to show you … which will help you to …” is fine.

Your idea and purpose need to be conveyed fast and effectively if you’re keen to get their interest. Most viewers will decide within the first three to five seconds of a video if they want to invest their time in watching, so it’s crucial you capture their interest and engage them fast to stop them drifting away.

Main content

Once you’ve introduced your video, it’s time to start working through your content. This should be done by:

1. Framing the problem

What are the types of problems that your viewers will have encountered which your video can solve? How is the problem affecting you and your viewers? Take around two to three minutes to describe the problems that you hope your video will solve, and work on being empathetic so people can relate to you and the issue you’re discussing.

1. Offer solutions with examples

Move on to your solution to the problem. How did you find this solution? Is it easy to implement? Take around four to five minutes to address your solution and give examples of how it works in practice.

Now you’ve addressed the issue that your video content will solve, you’re almost ready to ask them to take the next step. Almost. There’s one more key element in your structure that you need to remember to include.

Hook

The hook can be placed anywhere in your content, although it’s most successful when placed either in the introduction or while you are framing the problem. The hook is a tidbit that aims to encourage a full viewing of your video, so don’t give away your solutions but do give them a reason to carry on watching.

If there’s a particular point where you think they might become bored or distracted, this is a great time to insert your hook. Come up with a powerful hook, for instance ‘with my solution I managed to go from ten views to two hundred in an hour’ or ‘when you hear this solution you’ll understand how I tripled my profits overnight’. Give them a reason to want to stay to the end.

Outro

Your outro shouldn’t just be about signing off in your unique way with some lovely music and visuals. This is the point at which you can ask something back from your audience, whatever that may be. We call this a ‘call to action’, and it could eb something as simple as subscribing through to something more involved like visiting your website.

Think about what you want from your audience; what should they do next? Remember to ask via a strong call to action, otherwise you’ve simply given them some free advice with very little in the way of a return for you.

Script or no script?

Many YouTubers shy away from using any sort of script, feeling that this will make them less relatable and natural. Choosing whether or not to script is entirely up to you; some people feel more comfortable with a script to hand, whereas others prefer to just wing it as they go.

If you don’t feel a script would work for you, do consider having a very rough outline of your structure and the points you want to make readily available while filming. It will help you regain control if you do happen to lose your place and will ensure you get all the information across that you’d planned to.

If you do think a full script would work better for you, make sure you are able to come across as naturally as possible while reading it. Write your script the same way you speak and run through a few times so you’re not squinting at words while you’re on camera. If you regularly wander off script, this could be a sign that a freer flowing style is more your thing.

Read More to Get : How to Loop a YouTube Video >>

Ready to go out and make amazing videos?

Having a structure to your videos might seem a little unnatural at first, but there’s plenty of evidence to show that people who take the time to plan their content get far better results than those who just improvise. If you’re unsure of the best structure for your content, watch videos made by others in your niche to see how they organize theirs.

That’s not to say you have to copy the leaders to be a success; indeed, you’ll be far more successful on YouTube if you continue to be unique. But there’s always room to learn from the best and to take inspiration from those who’ve been getting the very best results.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Creating a YouTube channel and uploading video content is only one part of the key to your success. With so much competition on the platform, it’s crucial that you stand out from the crowd with efficient, professional videos that are a pleasure to watch.

Without some planning and structure in mind before you begin filming, it’s all too easy to get a bit lost and start to ramble or fumble your words. Video’s filled with ‘umm’ and ‘err’ are neither pleasant to watch nor engaging.

If you’re serious about making a great YouTube channel and developing a loyal fan base, you’re going to need a workable structure for every video to help you stay on track. Here’s what you need to know:

Quick Jump Menu

• Why is structuring your video important?
• How should you structure YouTube Video Content?
• Ready to go out and make amazing videos?

Why is structuring your video important?

The structure of your video can make all the difference between a successful YouTube channel and a big waste of time. Your objective is to get people watching more and watching all the way to the end. A great structure can:

• Build interest and engagement: By keeping something in reserve and naturally building interest as you go along, people will be compelled to watch longer and interact more with your channel.
• Helps you rank higher: Longer and higher numbers of views will demonstrate your position as an authority well. The YouTube algorithm uses these metrics as part of their ranking factor, so the more and longer views you get, the higher you’ll rank in search.
• Builds consistency and familiarity: If all your videos follow a typical structure, your fans will come to be familiar with your format. They’ll know what to expect from your content and will watch more regularly as a result.

So, now you understand why structure is so important to your channel, let’s take a look at ways in which you can create an amazing structure for every video you produce.

How should you structure YouTube video content?

There are some key elements of a YouTube video’s structure which can make it more natural, more engaging and more fun to watch. When you’re planning your structure, you should follow a logical timeline to take the viewer from start to finish easily, and to ensure you get the actions you want at the end.

Intro

People love to be told what’s about to happen, and an intro can be a crucial step in ensuring they are going to continue watching your content. By explaining clearly what they are about to see, why it’s important to them and what problems you’re aiming to solve, you’ll keep them hooked and prevent them from browsing away to the next search result.

An introduction doesn’t need to be long or particularly involved. Remember, you don’t want to give away all your information here, as what you want is to encourage them to watch until the end. Something like “I’m going to show you … which will help you to …” is fine.

Your idea and purpose need to be conveyed fast and effectively if you’re keen to get their interest. Most viewers will decide within the first three to five seconds of a video if they want to invest their time in watching, so it’s crucial you capture their interest and engage them fast to stop them drifting away.

Main content

Once you’ve introduced your video, it’s time to start working through your content. This should be done by:

1. Framing the problem

What are the types of problems that your viewers will have encountered which your video can solve? How is the problem affecting you and your viewers? Take around two to three minutes to describe the problems that you hope your video will solve, and work on being empathetic so people can relate to you and the issue you’re discussing.

1. Offer solutions with examples

Move on to your solution to the problem. How did you find this solution? Is it easy to implement? Take around four to five minutes to address your solution and give examples of how it works in practice.

Now you’ve addressed the issue that your video content will solve, you’re almost ready to ask them to take the next step. Almost. There’s one more key element in your structure that you need to remember to include.

Hook

The hook can be placed anywhere in your content, although it’s most successful when placed either in the introduction or while you are framing the problem. The hook is a tidbit that aims to encourage a full viewing of your video, so don’t give away your solutions but do give them a reason to carry on watching.

If there’s a particular point where you think they might become bored or distracted, this is a great time to insert your hook. Come up with a powerful hook, for instance ‘with my solution I managed to go from ten views to two hundred in an hour’ or ‘when you hear this solution you’ll understand how I tripled my profits overnight’. Give them a reason to want to stay to the end.

Outro

Your outro shouldn’t just be about signing off in your unique way with some lovely music and visuals. This is the point at which you can ask something back from your audience, whatever that may be. We call this a ‘call to action’, and it could eb something as simple as subscribing through to something more involved like visiting your website.

Think about what you want from your audience; what should they do next? Remember to ask via a strong call to action, otherwise you’ve simply given them some free advice with very little in the way of a return for you.

Script or no script?

Many YouTubers shy away from using any sort of script, feeling that this will make them less relatable and natural. Choosing whether or not to script is entirely up to you; some people feel more comfortable with a script to hand, whereas others prefer to just wing it as they go.

If you don’t feel a script would work for you, do consider having a very rough outline of your structure and the points you want to make readily available while filming. It will help you regain control if you do happen to lose your place and will ensure you get all the information across that you’d planned to.

If you do think a full script would work better for you, make sure you are able to come across as naturally as possible while reading it. Write your script the same way you speak and run through a few times so you’re not squinting at words while you’re on camera. If you regularly wander off script, this could be a sign that a freer flowing style is more your thing.

Read More to Get : How to Loop a YouTube Video >>

Ready to go out and make amazing videos?

Having a structure to your videos might seem a little unnatural at first, but there’s plenty of evidence to show that people who take the time to plan their content get far better results than those who just improvise. If you’re unsure of the best structure for your content, watch videos made by others in your niche to see how they organize theirs.

That’s not to say you have to copy the leaders to be a success; indeed, you’ll be far more successful on YouTube if you continue to be unique. But there’s always room to learn from the best and to take inspiration from those who’ve been getting the very best results.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Creating a YouTube channel and uploading video content is only one part of the key to your success. With so much competition on the platform, it’s crucial that you stand out from the crowd with efficient, professional videos that are a pleasure to watch.

Without some planning and structure in mind before you begin filming, it’s all too easy to get a bit lost and start to ramble or fumble your words. Video’s filled with ‘umm’ and ‘err’ are neither pleasant to watch nor engaging.

If you’re serious about making a great YouTube channel and developing a loyal fan base, you’re going to need a workable structure for every video to help you stay on track. Here’s what you need to know:

Quick Jump Menu

• Why is structuring your video important?
• How should you structure YouTube Video Content?
• Ready to go out and make amazing videos?

Why is structuring your video important?

The structure of your video can make all the difference between a successful YouTube channel and a big waste of time. Your objective is to get people watching more and watching all the way to the end. A great structure can:

• Build interest and engagement: By keeping something in reserve and naturally building interest as you go along, people will be compelled to watch longer and interact more with your channel.
• Helps you rank higher: Longer and higher numbers of views will demonstrate your position as an authority well. The YouTube algorithm uses these metrics as part of their ranking factor, so the more and longer views you get, the higher you’ll rank in search.
• Builds consistency and familiarity: If all your videos follow a typical structure, your fans will come to be familiar with your format. They’ll know what to expect from your content and will watch more regularly as a result.

So, now you understand why structure is so important to your channel, let’s take a look at ways in which you can create an amazing structure for every video you produce.

How should you structure YouTube video content?

There are some key elements of a YouTube video’s structure which can make it more natural, more engaging and more fun to watch. When you’re planning your structure, you should follow a logical timeline to take the viewer from start to finish easily, and to ensure you get the actions you want at the end.

Intro

People love to be told what’s about to happen, and an intro can be a crucial step in ensuring they are going to continue watching your content. By explaining clearly what they are about to see, why it’s important to them and what problems you’re aiming to solve, you’ll keep them hooked and prevent them from browsing away to the next search result.

An introduction doesn’t need to be long or particularly involved. Remember, you don’t want to give away all your information here, as what you want is to encourage them to watch until the end. Something like “I’m going to show you … which will help you to …” is fine.

Your idea and purpose need to be conveyed fast and effectively if you’re keen to get their interest. Most viewers will decide within the first three to five seconds of a video if they want to invest their time in watching, so it’s crucial you capture their interest and engage them fast to stop them drifting away.

Main content

Once you’ve introduced your video, it’s time to start working through your content. This should be done by:

1. Framing the problem

What are the types of problems that your viewers will have encountered which your video can solve? How is the problem affecting you and your viewers? Take around two to three minutes to describe the problems that you hope your video will solve, and work on being empathetic so people can relate to you and the issue you’re discussing.

1. Offer solutions with examples

Move on to your solution to the problem. How did you find this solution? Is it easy to implement? Take around four to five minutes to address your solution and give examples of how it works in practice.

Now you’ve addressed the issue that your video content will solve, you’re almost ready to ask them to take the next step. Almost. There’s one more key element in your structure that you need to remember to include.

Hook

The hook can be placed anywhere in your content, although it’s most successful when placed either in the introduction or while you are framing the problem. The hook is a tidbit that aims to encourage a full viewing of your video, so don’t give away your solutions but do give them a reason to carry on watching.

If there’s a particular point where you think they might become bored or distracted, this is a great time to insert your hook. Come up with a powerful hook, for instance ‘with my solution I managed to go from ten views to two hundred in an hour’ or ‘when you hear this solution you’ll understand how I tripled my profits overnight’. Give them a reason to want to stay to the end.

Outro

Your outro shouldn’t just be about signing off in your unique way with some lovely music and visuals. This is the point at which you can ask something back from your audience, whatever that may be. We call this a ‘call to action’, and it could eb something as simple as subscribing through to something more involved like visiting your website.

Think about what you want from your audience; what should they do next? Remember to ask via a strong call to action, otherwise you’ve simply given them some free advice with very little in the way of a return for you.

Script or no script?

Many YouTubers shy away from using any sort of script, feeling that this will make them less relatable and natural. Choosing whether or not to script is entirely up to you; some people feel more comfortable with a script to hand, whereas others prefer to just wing it as they go.

If you don’t feel a script would work for you, do consider having a very rough outline of your structure and the points you want to make readily available while filming. It will help you regain control if you do happen to lose your place and will ensure you get all the information across that you’d planned to.

If you do think a full script would work better for you, make sure you are able to come across as naturally as possible while reading it. Write your script the same way you speak and run through a few times so you’re not squinting at words while you’re on camera. If you regularly wander off script, this could be a sign that a freer flowing style is more your thing.

Read More to Get : How to Loop a YouTube Video >>

Ready to go out and make amazing videos?

Having a structure to your videos might seem a little unnatural at first, but there’s plenty of evidence to show that people who take the time to plan their content get far better results than those who just improvise. If you’re unsure of the best structure for your content, watch videos made by others in your niche to see how they organize theirs.

That’s not to say you have to copy the leaders to be a success; indeed, you’ll be far more successful on YouTube if you continue to be unique. But there’s always room to learn from the best and to take inspiration from those who’ve been getting the very best results.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

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