Thumbnail Analysis: Thumbnails we’d take back, and we’re proud of
In the digital age, thumbnails play a pivotal role in attracting viewers to your content. They act as the first impression, offering a glimpse into what your video holds. In this blog post, we will delve into nine thumbnails that Stone Creek Media has been involved with, dissecting what went right, what went wrong, and what we could do differently if we were to revisit them. For more on YouTube success, see or previous post here:
1. Celiac Kitchen’s Food-Themed Thumbnails
Let’s kick things off with three food-based thumbnails we created for Celiac Kitchen.
Snoop Dogg Orange Chicken Video Thumbnail
This thumbnail is a standout performer. Why? It perfectly encapsulates the video’s value proposition, featuring a well-known celebrity’s face taking up a significant portion of the image, and the video executes on said value proposition.
Chicken Parmesan Thumbnail
While this thumbnail is solid, it could be improved. The vast expanse of white space on the plate, where the logo resides, goes to waste. It should be zoomed in further to ensure the logo is visible even in small thumbnail sizes.
Branding Blunder
The third thumbnail is one we’d like to revise. Placing branding on the food disrupts the core value, and loyal viewers already know this is a Celiac Kitchen video from the banner. This misstep likely impacted the view count negatively.
2. Gaming Thumbnails for Various Clients
Moving on to the gaming niche, we’ve worked on six thumbnails for an assortment of clients. These thumbnails feature impressive artwork but need some design tweaks.
Detroit Become Human Let’s Play Thumbnail
While the art is fantastic, it’s too dark to stand out in the crowded browse and suggested sections. Removing the subtitle “become human” and enhancing the color and choosing a more emotive character’s face can make it more appealing without compromising the artwork’s integrity.
Renekton (League of Legends) Gaming Thumbnail
This one suffers from text clutter and a lack of clarity regarding the value proposition. Enlarging Renekton, removing excessive text, and adding a more expressive face would greatly improve viewer engagement.
Napoleon Total War Let’s Play Thumbnail
This thumbnail effectively uses an emotive face but could benefit from making Napoleon larger and adding an outline or drop shadow for better contrast. Removing the needless Bear Icon would declutter the image.
3. Gaming Thumbnails for Various Clients Continued
Legends of Runeterra Thumbnail
This thumbnail, designed for Legends of Runeterra, has great potential. By removing redundant text and enlarging the cards, it can convey its message more effectively, attracting potential viewers.
Red Dead Redemption Live Stream Thumbnail
This thumbnail is solid but lacks a strong attention-grabbing element. Adding a red dot and an expression that hints at the video’s content could make it more engaging.
“The Tyrant” Live Stream Thumbnail
This thumbnail falls short, lacking any compelling elements.
In Conclusion:
In conclusion, thumbnails are crucial in capturing your audience’s attention. They should convey your video’s value proposition clearly and creatively. By analyzing what works and what doesn’t, you can craft thumbnails that stand out in the digital landscape and draw viewers to your content. For more insights on thumbnail dos and don’ts, check out our recent video here: