UpStream Charlie

What’s up guys?  Welcome to Upstream Charlie.  The best place for content creators, solopreneurs and freelancers.

Now in today’s article I want to talk specifically about YouTube… but specifically… I really wanna zone in on “Thumbnails”.

I’ve discussed the importance of thumbnails in my progress Vlog leading up to monetization in my YouTube channel (UpStream Charlie).

But I really don’t have a dedicated video or an article specifically about thumbnails… so here it is.

I’m going to teach you --  the HOWs and WHYs of “clickable” YouTube Thumbnails.

So, in today’s article I’m going to share to you my top 5 guidelines of creating awesome thumbnails that gets noticed and gets views.  

And I hope by sharing this guidelines or framework, you will be able to replicate the same results in your YT channel but also in your other social media platforms as well… so you can really maximize those thumbnails and get more views and more likes and (hopefully) more subscribers to your channel.

#1 RULE

Alright, the first rule is to show your FACE.

Why put your FACE on the thumbnail design?

Because putting a Face on a thumbnail gives that human touch… People who are channel surfing over YouTube will most likely connect with a thumbnail with a human face in it…  

There is a phrase “A picture paints a thousand words” to indicate that a picture can express a complex idea in the same way a large amount of descriptive text can.

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INTERESTING FACT:

A similar expression to ‘A picture paints a thousand words’ first appeared in a 1911 newspaper article quoting editor Arthur Brisbane’s discussion of journalism and publicity: “Use a picture. It’s worth a thousand words.” During the discussion, Brisbane was making a clear-cut case for the use of images to accompany stories.

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True and true. It is true back then when print newspaper and magazines were the top dogs in the media world, and it’s all the more true today with social media and with thumbnails and blogs (apparently). I guess Mr. Arthur Brisbane was correct all along.

In social media, we can re-phrase this as “a picture is worth a thousand clicks.”

#2 RULE

The second rule of thumb in making your thumbnails is – SAY NO to FANCY FONTS.

Fancy fonts like all those different types of Scripts fonts that are used in wedding invitation.  Fancy fonts like Bodoni or Broadway are well and good but they don’t give you the best visibility on small screens such as mobile or smart phones.

Don’t use fancy fonts not unless it is readable on your smart phone.

Simple readable fonts are always the best and it is more visible on mobile phones.

#3 RULE

The third rule of thumb – keep it SIMPLE.

Your text on the thumbnail should be 4 or less than 4 words.

Why few words, Charlie?

It’s for optimization purposes, most especially (optimized) for mobile or smart phone users.

It’s easier to read with less words but the challenge is how to simplify your title.

That’s where your beautiful mind comes in.  I can only do so much in this article.

And don’t cram too many images or text in your thumbnail.  Like this sample thumbnail.

The above thumbnail design will not register well on the screen of any smart phone and your thumbnail will just be a spec out of the millions of thumbnails being posted everyday in YouTube.  So, keep it simple, always.

#4 RULE

The fourth rule of thumb in making your thumbnails is to keep your TITLEs and TEXTs on the LEFT hand side while your photo is on the right.  Like the one below.

Why? Because majority of people in the world reads from left to right.  It’s basic psychology.  Not unless you live in China where they read right to left and top to bottom if they use traditional Chinese writing and I guess it’s the same with people from Japan.

Plus there are stuff on the right side from YouTube like the timer that’s cramping up everyone’s style.  I do wish the smart people of YouTube would do something about this in the future.

# 5 RULE

The fifth rule of thumb is BIGGER is BETTER.

A lot of people use mobile phone to surf the internet and do social media.  In fact, in the last market research, mobile phones or smart phones are the number one device used to surf the Internet and do social media.

You also have to consider the size of the mobile phone.   Because if you do it right with the mobile phone, you’re gonna be all good to all devices – tablets, laptops, desktops, and smart TVs.

Because if you don’t, your thumbnail will look a spec in mobile phones and even sometimes on laptops and desktops so don’t cram everything in. 

To test whether your design is good enough for mobile phones, all you have to do is minimize the thumbnail you created in Canva in the views option.  Minimize it to a size that is similar to the size you see in mobile phones.  Once satisfied, then you can finalize your thumbnail artwork and download it.

By the way, you can use other apps to do your thumbnails, it’s just that I use Canva a lot.  I leave it up to you.  If you want to do it on Photoshop or similar apps, then just do it, as long as you know the standard thumbnail size for YouTube.

So, there you go.  My FIVE guidelines in creating and developing thumbnail designs for YouTube.  I really do hope you learned something today.

While you are waiting for my next week’s video.  Check out my other videos that may peak your interest in my YouTube channel.

Again, this is Charlie Jose and you’ve read the first article of UpStream Charlie here on Substack.  Ciao, bella!

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Click the link below, if you want to use Canva like I do.

CANVA

And here’s my YouTube channel, you can click on that, too.

There are many probabilities of success that can be realized in social media.  However, if you don’t have a concrete plan and a strategy moving forward to realize your objectives and mission, then you are left with scattered content and your social media will be basically like the rest of humanity in all social media platforms - they just post and post without a care in the world.  However, if you are serious in your social media venture, then read on. 

My origin story is great for social media.  I think I was made to do this, especially YouTube. Before going to college or university, when you are sixteen or seventeen, you are already asking yourself what course or what major should I take.  Since I was not great in mathematics, I lean towards the Arts.  My first major selections were History, Photography, Fine Arts Advertising, and Mass Communication.  I ended up with a state university that I chose because uniforms are not required by this educational institution.  In my country, the private schools love to have their student in the college and university levels to wear uniforms.  I got sick and tired of wearing uniforms, because I’ve been wearing them since pre-school.  Since it’s college, I gave myself a break with uniforms and go for the state university.  And so I passed the entrance examination and finished my four-year degree, with a major in Broadcast Communication.

In 1994, my first job was a production assistant for a TV content producer.  We produced travel and cooking shows.  After that, I transfered to a corporate job as a marketing communications specialist for a reseller of PCs, servers, software and accessories.   After that, I went back to media and became a layout artist for a local magazine (I like that job so much).  I learned how to layout fast and did self study on the rule of thirds and copy writing.  After that I became a writer and reporter for a local technology magazine.  I covered major brands such as IBM, Cisco, Microsoft, and HP.  Then I got the chance to work for a true-blue newspaper outfit as a business reporter. I covered Economics and also Information Technology.  But unfortunately, the assistant editor was a bitch and I don’t like her management style.  She was a bully to all newbies in the business section, unlike our actual section editor who was mature and patient.   After that bad experience, I got a call from a TV production company.   The head editor there was a former assistant editor of my newspaper.   After a few talks, I got in as a business news reporter.  I covered listed companies in the stock exchange and I also covered government agencies or departments such as agriculture, energy, and other related government organizations that effect the economy.  After working for the media in my country, I realized that this gig is not going to pay my bills and it’s not going to give me any proper future.  After my media adventure, I went back to corporate and became a media relations officer, then became a corporate communications supervisor for a local holdings company in which I managed several websites of the holdings’ companies, then became a senior public relations consultant for Microsoft (under a PR agency), then became a marketing communications manager for a data center company (owned by a Singaporean company) - shortly I was promoted to marketing manager.  The list goes on until I became a general manager and country manager for different foreign-owned companies.

And so Charlie, why the career list?  I’m trying to make a point here.

Without all these experiences, I will not have the skill set to do social media.  You see a lot of people who are diving into social media lacks the following skills:

1) Writing in English (with correct grammar)

A lot of my countrymen and women are now lagging behind their English proficiency.  They keep forgetting that the world’s dominant language is English, aside from Spanish and Mandarin. It really helps to know more (aside from your native language) than one foreign language in this world.  

2) Script writing for video production (or film)

Script writing is different from writing a news article or a feature story for print.  In script writing there is the visual and sound components on the other column of the script to help you identify where the dialogue or monologue comes in.

3) Photography and Videography

Studying photography and video production comes with the territory if you really want to dive into social media.  Aside from your writing skills, learning how to shoot digital photography (By the way, I started photography when there was actual film inside and we do a lot of manual photography) is a must.  There are a lot of reference you can find in Pinterest and there’s lots of free ebooks in PDFDrive.com for the beginners and experienced.  Along with photography is videography and video production.  You should understand (like photography) how to use light or lighting, cinematography, ISO, f/stop, aperture, staging, and other stuff to have a great output.

And there’s another technology and skill you need to enhance, that’s how to use screen capture videos like OBS Studio or similar app and mixing it in your post production.

4) Editing - Photo and Video

Understanding how to use basic cuts and stepping up to other forms of transitions are basic requirements in post video production.  How to create a program or channel IDs (that’s a TV terminology and those are the Intros and Outros, you numb skulls!), using B-rolls, and your chosen soundtrack (or background music).  By the way, these are five to ten seconder videos. Along with basic transitions, you should also know when to use special effects or sound effects and other features such as green screen, split screens, and picture-on-picture.

5) Marketing and Branding

If you don’t have any background or any job experience related to or any branch related to marketing, then it’s another learning curve for you.   May I suggest that you read the text books about marketing specially the books written by Philip Kotler, Principles of Marketing and Marketing Management.  After reading that, you can jump into reading Public Relations, Marketing Communications or Integrated Marketing Communications, and Advertising.

Also very useful read are books about Copy Writing, understanding the Rule-of-Thirds, and read coffee table books about graphic design and have yourself emersed on Arts (classic and modern art).  Yes, I’m talking about oil paintings, calligraphy, and stuff.

One way of promoting your brand is to use correct thumbnail designs.  Recently I’ve discovered Snappa but I’m still learning how to use it (as in beginner stage).  But what I have mastered using lately is Canva.  This is where I make my thumbnails, banners, and other graphic requirements.  Canva provides free services for majority of these graphic design needs.  For social media branding, I think they already covered all the bases for this.

Another thing you need to enhance is your digital marketing know-how and believe me it’s going to be another learning curve.  You need to know how to use the hashtag and you need to know about SEO (search engine optimization) and how to use keywords.

6) Selling

You need to know how to sell yourself and sell whatever it is your selling.  If you are not a natural sales person, like I am.  Then you need to start by reading books about selling or listening/watching the experts in YouTube.  While reading books about Selling and How to Sell?  May I suggest also watching Victor Antonio in YouTube.  He has this introduction videos about selling, and I promise you, you will be motivated to sell after watching all his videos.  If you want the classics, there is Zig Ziglar and Brian Tracy.

7) Managing and Strategic Planning

When it comes to management, the only person I can point to your is Peter Drucker.  Try getting his books. He is the father of modern management. Read his books first before you venture to other books about management.

When it comes to Strategic thinking and planning, the first author that comes to my mind is Michael Porter.  Michael teaches you how to penetrate a market when you are planning to start a business or starting to produce a product or service.

8) Self Discipline and Self Motivation

There are two authors that come to my mind when it comes to self discipline and self motivation.  Angela Duckworth’s book “Grit” and James Clear’s “Atomic Habits”.

The third author is more like motivation slash inspiration, he is Robert Kiyosaki the author of “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”.

Social Media Planning

So this is where the planning and management skills comes in.  Like I said, if you don’t have any prior experience as a supervisor or a manager in your earlier career, then planning will be a little bit difficult for you.  To remedy this, you need to talk to people like me with experience to help guide you and help you understand how to do planning and management, and why this is important in social media.

Like starting a business venture, you need to have a business plan.  And in venturing into social media you need to have a solid plan.

First ask yourself this?  What social media platform will be my Primary Medium.  Will it be Facebook?  Will it be YouTube or any other existing platforms such as Twitch?

Your second question to ask yourself is, what is the purpose of my primary platform?  Why are you doing social media?  What is your mission/vision for your primary platform?  For example, my mission is to be a full-time YouTuber and help others succeed in YouTube.

Once you have established your purpose, the next phase in your planning is laying down your objectives to meet your mission.  What are objectives?  These are the major targets or milestone you need to achieve in a given timeline.  For example, one of my objectives for my YouTube channel, UpStream Charlie, is to be monetized on or before the end of Q1 of 2021.  

To support your objectives, you need to have strategies and tactics.  These are your small jobs that is done daily and weekly.

So, in YouTube you need to have at least two videos uploaded every week.   The tasks here are: choose a topic, write the script for it, get or shoot B-rolls for it, and shoot your A roll for the said topic.  After recording A- and B-rolls, and collecting your visual aids, then you go to your editing app where you lay down your raw videos and visual aid materials.  By this time you should have your own Channel ID (your Intro) as part of your branding strategy.  After editing you can upload it in your YouTube Studio and schedule it’s release to the public (if you want to schedule it).  

Before you promote the new video from your channel, you should already have your promotional materials such video teasers, banners or posters to be uploaded to your supporting social media platforms.  In my case, I have three secondary social media platforms to help drive traffic to my YouTube channel, namely, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter or Instagram.  This is where I post my teasers, and other promotional materials.

In my region, I use Facebook to help drive traffic to my YouTube channel.  This is where I post majority of my teasers, my announcements, and my updates about my channel, and about new topics/videos to be published/uploaded.  Why Facebook?  Because Facebook is king or the number one social media platform in my country. A lot of people are there, as in gazillions.  So I need to drive those gazillions to my YouTube channel.  Then why not make Facebook your primary social media platform?  Because Facebook will not give me revenue at the end.  They currently, have this monetization thing going on but I haven’t got the time to review it.  I’m sure it’s not gonna be easy and you’ll be walking through a maze of rules and policies.  Why can’t Facebook just write it all down like a user manual and have a copy of it in pdf.  At least in YouTube, it’s easier to understand the rules and regulations of their platform.

In addition, since I want to have professionals and college/university graduates to be part of my subscriber base too, I also do marketing and promotion on LinkedIn and on Twitter.

Not Yet the End of the Process

However, your job doesn’t end with your secondary social media platforms.  If you want to extend it further, you can add Tumblr, Tiktok, Twitch (live streaming), Anchor (podcast), WordPress (blog), Blogger (blog), and Substack (blog/newsletter).

And last, but not the least, is go to your Social Media Groups to get support and have them watch your newly posted video.  Hopefully, you will get extra subscribers and extra watch time which will result into extra watch hours.  In my case, my big social media groups are on Facebook.

And if you’re tired with all the social media management done manually.  You can opt to use a social media management service such as MeetEdgar.  MeetEdgar takes a load off your social media shoulders and helps you schedule your releases and uploads to multiple social media platforms.   MeetEdgar will really help you reduce your time spent with your social media postings while giving you more time to focus on other important matters such as washing your clothes or taking care of your baby (smiley).  You know, the other non-digital activities humans do.

After you’re done with one or two projects, just rinse, wash, and repeat.