Matt D’Avella is the king of the single-image thumbnail.
He manages to capture complex video ideas in a single shot every single time.
And this one is a perfect example.
Let me explain…
Minimalist
It’s only fitting that a video about minimalism has a very minimalistic thumbnail.
But I think it’s a very effective style to adopt in general.
The definition of minimalism is: The process of identifying what is essential in your life and having the courage to eliminate the rest.
Let’s reword that: The process of identifying what is essential in your thumbnail and having the courage to eliminate the rest.
Now that’s something a lot of thumbnails would benefit from.
This thumbnail is just an image. No text, no additional elements, nothing but the image.
One that has been cleverly thought through to capture the idea extremely well.
Work out what's important in your thumbnail and remove all distractions.
Idea → Thumbnail
What’s really great about this thumbnail is how it translates the idea into a thumbnail.
The video is about minimalism.
What’s the best way to visually represent minimalism? Well, a room with nothing in it.
It just shows a guy going about his normal life (eating cereal) in a completely empty room.
Look for inspiration when trying to work out how to visually represent your idea.
Remarkable
This thumbnail also perfectly captures what is remarkable about the idea.
Minimalism as a concept is pretty remarkable and at the time of upload, extremely popular.
Just getting a shot that captures the essence of minimalism is incredibly interesting.
Even if you don’t know what minimalism is, the situation the thumbnail creates is still intriguing.
You want to know more.
Pair that with a title that directly plays into that curiosity (day in the life) and the combination creates a clear reason to click.
What's remarkable about your idea? Show it.
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.