How to make a YouTube thumbnail that grabs attention (part one)

It's funny how many people dislike having their photo taken and yet love selfies!

If you have ambtions to develop a successful YouTube channel, you're going to have to go on cover at some time. In fact, it's your Persona - your personality - that will attract people in the first place, and your Character that will keep them as Subscribers.

If a picture paints a thousand words, so also can a powerful thumbnail for each YouTube video you create. It may be sad, but it is true: your 'book' will be judged by its cover. In other words, a great number of people who come across your channel will decide in an instant whether or not they will watch your videos based simply on whether they like your YouTube thumbnail... or not!

In photographic terms, you've got one shot at this!

OK, Let's Have Some Fun!

You can save a whole ton of time AND have a lot of fun by building up a library of assets for your YouTube channel. One group of assets should be a set of headshot poses that you can 'superimpose' over a relevant background for your YouTube thumbnails.

Having my first go at this yesterday I thought about the following series of poses:

• Look up left - ready for a quote
• Look up right - ready for a quote
• Stroking chin (best with a beard) in a typical 'thinking' pose
• Looking into the distance
• Respectful hands - like praying (check out Siska Redman's signature pose)
• Hands open and welcoming

With hindsight, I think looking down right and down left would be good, and even a look left and look right. Maybe a 'High Five'?

If you use a greenscreen or a uniform colour background that doesn't match anything you're wearing, these images can easily have the background removed.

A transparent background allows you total freedom to choose any 'set' that accentuates your message. You can also add titles - three words being the maximum - to punctuate your point - reaching the ideal audience.

Waist Not, Want Not!

It would be tragic to spend your creative energy (and possibly cash) on recording a video that no-one watches or pays attention to. If the thumbnail is the choice-point for many people, it really is worth investing in developing a thumbnail style that attracts clicks!

Whilst I'd love to shoot you (!), what I'm suggesting is very easy to do. Create a set list of poses you need for your library of assets, get a uniform background, and get a buddy to shoot you several times!

If you're not local to me, I can still help you create a transparent background and even make some thumbnails for you.

Let's work together on making you as clickable as possible!

After all, you're worth it!