YouTube for Writers, Part 8: Crafting Titles and Thumbnails That Work Together
by Samantha Tschritter @SETschritter
Double your clicks with clear, curiosity-driven headlines and visuals
What do Youtube thumbnails and titles and online dating have in common?
Interested, not interested. Swipe left, scroll past.
In case you’ve never dated online, I’ll explain how the process works and then use that analogy to explain how on Youtube the thumbnail and title work together and compliment one another.
A couple years after my late husband passed, I ventured into online dating, a world I never dreamed I would enter. Curious one night, my three grade school-aged daughters snuggled around me to look over my shoulder. With nothing to lose, I turned the moment it into a teaching opportunity. First, I assured them, “this doesn’t mean any of these men will become part of our family.”
Part of the set up process is putting filters in place for search parameters such as:
- Age Range
- Distance
- Gender
- Intent
- Education
- Religion
- Smoking/ Drinking
- Children
- Height
When I set up an account, I also filled in this data about myself. These details, along with my profile picture, became my profile.
The profile picture is the first thing someone sees.
Have you heard the phrase “swipe left, swipe right?”
People are referring to looking at a person’s profile. “Swipe right” is “I’m interested to learn more.” Swipe left” is “no thank you, ma’am.”
“He has to at least say he’s Christian,” I told my girls. “If he’s not even trying, that’s a no. Then I have to meet him in person to know how serious he is about his faith.
“If his profile picture is him holding a huge glass of beer, that tells me what his priorities are, and that’s a no.”
That first night, my girls joined in on the swiping fun.
What on earth does online dating have to do with Youtube Titles and Thumbnails?
How Youtube Thumbnails and Titles Work Together:
Thumbnails are the profile viewers see that determines whether or not they will swipe left/ swipe right. Title is primarily for the Youtube algorithm and secondarily for the audience.
Think about when you are searching for content on Youtube. First, your eyes are drawn to the thumbnail. Then you glance at the title. “To click or not to click?” If you’re still interested, you glance at the description below the title.
Your viewers, readers, and fans decide whether or not to watch content in the exact same way.
Watch the correlating video entitled: Maximizing Thumbnails and Titles to Reach Your Audience.
Digging Deeper into Thumbnail Creation:
If you want to go more in depth with thumbnail creation, watch this Thumbnail Tricks to Get More Clicks.
Otherwise, here’s a quick recap:
Thumbnail Hints:
- Study thumbnails. How many words? Photo elements?
- Be honest with your thumbnail (and title) about what your video offers.
- Place text on the left or the top (video length posts on the bottom right corner)
- Use a photo of yourself. This is not mandatory, but it builds trust with the audience.
- Hook 0-9 words (9-word Max)
- The HOOK (thumbnail text) and the video TITLE are different but work together
Video Title:
- Target Niche with first words, first 34 characters
- Instead of “How can I help my friend who experienced pregnancy loss?” use, “Pregnancy Loss: How to Support a Loved One”
- Youtube picks up keywords either way, but you need to catch a viewer’s attention within a glance.
A Common Mistake:
A common mistake people make regarding title and thumbnail is putting their video title on their thumbnail. For instance, the title of your video is “Crafting Titles and Thumbnails That Work Together” and on the thumbnail you type the words “Crafting Titles and Thumbnails That Work Together.”
First, if you’re doing this, don’t panic, and don’t feel like you need to go back and change all 142 of your thumbnails.
(While writing this blog, I’ve decided I don’t like typing the word ‘thumbnail.’ The key placement of m-b-n keeps throwing me off.)
Second, I’m going to remind you that you are a writer. No matter where you are on your writing journey, hopefully by now you’ve heard the term “book hook.” “What’s your hook?” This is one of the first questions agents and publishers ask.
Videos have hooks too. The first words of the video are your attempt to hook the reader, as well as a visually-appealing-easy-to-read thumbnail. I don’t know about you, but when I compared the thumbnail to a book-hook, creating the thumbnail became much easier for me.
You don’t to put the title of the video on the thumbnail because the title of the video is already in the title of the video. Maximize the space you have with beautiful, creative diversity.
I encourage you to go on Youtube and look at other thumbnails. Note that many high-performing videos have completely different text in the title and thumbnail.
Give yourself room to be imperfect. Give yourself grace. I am still learning, still growing. And some of the people I’ve shared my knowledge with have surpassed me in “successful numbers” because their time investment is less diversified than mine. I’ve written 34,000 words of a novel in the last ten days because the story is in my head and the words are at the tips of my fingertips. Guess how much social media posting and video creation I’ve done in the past ten days. Just one. This one. Because the honor of being a Write Conversation contributor is not something I take lightly.
You have a list of priorities too, and I am sure it’s as long as mine.
You do not have to be perfect at creating thumbnails. You only need to be intentional.
Conclusion:
I still remember the very worst dating profile my girls and I came across. In fact, five years later we still joke about it from time to time. We were living in Minnesota at the time, so “SKOL Vikings.” I swiped a profile picture that was so bad, all four of our jaws dropped and we stared, dumbfounded. The man wore Untied States flag shorts—one leg blue-and-white, star-spangled, the other leg red and white stripes. He wore no shirt, and his hairy, round belly would give Santa a run for his money. On his head he wore plastic Vikings horns and in his hand he held a sloshing flask of beer. The photo had been taken when he was screaming, hopefully cheering, so his face was gnarled with emotion.
I would wager that man did not have his audience in mind when he posted his photo.
Who is your audience? What are the felt needs that would lead them to watching your video? What is the message you are trying to convey?
You do not have to be perfect at creating thumbnails. You only need to be intentional.
Blessings,
S. E. Tschritter
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Don't miss the rest of this YouTube for Writers Series!
Tschritter currently resides in Simpsonville, South Carolina with her husband, their three teen and preteen daughters, cats named Pitter and Patter, and their Siberian husky whom she lost the vote to name Onomatopoeia. Nothing refreshes Tschritter’s soul like gardening. She gardens to work through plot holes, writer’s block, character development, and book ideas. Tschritter spends a great deal of time gardening. You can find her on social media at Linktr.ee/LoveSamEvans.
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