Michelle Khare’s thumbnails are some of the best around.
She thinks of great ideas and perfectly captures them in a thumbnail.
Let me explain…
Situation-building
This thumbnail creates a situation that perfectly captures the video idea.
The environment, the uniform, Michelle's expression and actions all make it very clear what is going on.
The situation itself isn’t actually from the video - but it finds the balance between showing an exaggeration of what happened, and not showing a misrepresentation of it.
And that’s the secret, particularly for this niche - exaggerating a particular situation within your video can be a great way to create more tension and get the click.
As long as you don't misrepresent your idea which might get the click, but just cause retention issues.
Get creative with the best way to clearly visually represent your idea.
Colours
The colours don’t seem much in this thumbnail but the simplicity of them is what makes them work.
It’s really only made up of two main colours - blue and red.
The blue acts as the main colour, making up most of the thumbnail and the red really cuts through, getting your attention and helping create more tension.
They are also very related to the idea, adding to the wider situation Michelle is trying to build.
Be selective and intentional with your colours.
Tension
This thumbnail is also another great example of a mid-action shot that creates loads of tension.
The ‘Alert’ on screen, the flashing light in the background, and Michelle’s expression all create this moment of tension that you want to see play out.
What’s happening?
What’s the alert?
What happens next?
You’re left with questions that need answering.
And to answer them, you need to click.
The more tension, the more curiosity.
Want more?
These techniques (along with plenty more) are all explained in the Digital Bundle.
The Bundle is everything you need to make effective thumbnails and includes:
1. Digital Book
82 pages explaining exactly how to make effective thumbnails.
2. Thumbnail Worksheet
Outlines how to turn your ideas into clickable concepts.
3. Thumbnail Checklist
Check every title and thumbnail do what they need to do.
Interested? Check it out.