What is a thumbnail on YouTube?
A video thumbnail is the first thing that viewers see when browsing through YouTube. It’s a small, clickable image that either grabs their attention – or lets them scroll on by.
YouTube will offer you a choice of frames from your uploaded video to serve as this preview image, but rarely will this freeze-frame serve you well.
You need something that grabs the eye and communicates what your video is about at a glance. You want it to grab your target audience and make them think, I need to watch this!
The thumbnail is typically the first impression of your video, and essentially determines whether or not people will click through.
Designing a professional YouTube thumbnail not only helps improve your channel’s brand, but it also attracts visitors and more eyes to your content.