At the time of writing, this is Airracks most viewed video. 21M views.
It worked. Like, really worked.
Let me explain…
ME →
Let’s start with the ME →
It’s everywhere, almost to the point of becoming a meme.
But it works really well. Why?
The problem with some ideas, particularly ones that involve scale, is they can be very hard to capture in a thumbnail.
Hard to capture them in a way that clearly emphasises the scale, without being confusing.
The ME → fixes that. It allows you to use a large, busy shot that still has a focus.
It draws the viewer's attention to a specific part of the busy image, providing the context needed to understand it.
In this particular thumbnail, that is Airrack in the middle of a sea of bodyguards and people.
Giving context to the situation and identifying that person as Airrack.
Just look at it without...
Make sure viewers can clearly understand what is going on.
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Contrast
The above does a great job of identifying Airrack but it’s also helped by his colourful clothing.
Both the colour and the contrast it has with the rest of the image are important for this to work.
It's the only bright colour in the thumbnail and really 'pops' against the rest of the thumbnail.
This clearly separates Airrack from the rest of the thumbnail, helping you understand the wider idea and what’s going on.
Use colour to help create separation and create a clearer focus.
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Mid-action
One thing that also makes this thumbnail extremely effective is how it’s a mid-action shot of the video idea playing out.
The shot captures everything remarkable about the video - the idea, the scale, the chaos.
This makes you want to click to see it play out. You need know what actually happened.
Capturing your idea at its most remarkable point in the thumbnail is very effective.
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.