[FAQ]

Hi everyone!

I feel like I’m working so hard on my YouTube videos, but my thumbnails are not getting very many clicks, you know? I think maybe I’m making some common mistakes, but I’m not sure what they are.

Can you please share what are the usual mistakes people make when they design their YouTube thumbnails in 2025? Like, maybe I am using too much text, or the wrong font? Or maybe my images are too cluttered? I just want to make them look more professional and clickable, actually.

Any tips would be a big help. Thanks so much!

[Jeff Bullas]

A YouTube thumbnail is incredibly important for a video’s success, as it is a primary driver of a viewer’s decision to click. Avoiding a few common mistakes can significantly improve your click-through rate.

First, one of the most frequent errors is creating a cluttered or overly busy design. A thumbnail needs to be easily understood in a fraction of a second, often when viewed at a very small size on a mobile device. Too many visual elements, conflicting colours, or objects can make it confusing and cause viewers to scroll past.

Second, using text that is difficult to read is another common pitfall. This can be because the font is too small, the font style is overly decorative and hard to decipher quickly, or the colour of the text does not have enough contrast with the background image. Your text should be large, clear, bold, and concise.

Third, a major issue is a thumbnail that fails to clearly convey the video’s topic or value. The image and text should work together to accurately represent the content and give the viewer a compelling reason to click, by hinting at a question that will be answered, a problem that will be solved, or an interesting story that will be told.

Fourth, creating misleading thumbnails, which is often referred to as “clickbait,” will harm your channel’s performance in the long run. While it might secure an initial click, if the video does not deliver on the promise made by the thumbnail, viewers will leave quickly. This signals to the YouTube algorithm that your content is unsatisfying, which hurts audience retention and, ultimately, damages the trust you have with your audience.

Fifth, using a low-resolution or blurry image for your thumbnail makes your video appear unprofessional and far less appealing. Always start with high-quality, clear images.

Sixth, while not every thumbnail must be identical, having a completely inconsistent style of branding across your videos can be a mistake for a growing channel. A consistent style, whether through your use of fonts, colours, or layout, can make your videos instantly recognisable to your subscribers in their feeds.

And seventh, a missed opportunity is often ignoring the power of human emotion. Including a clear, high-quality image of a human face showing a relevant and strong emotion, such as surprise, curiosity, or excitement, has been shown to increase click-through rates.

A good thumbnail is clear, compelling, and an honest advertisement for the content of your video. Avoiding these common mistakes and focusing on creating simple, high-contrast, and value-driven thumbnails will make a significant difference to your video’s performance.

Cheers,

Jeff

[Author]

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