Are my usual thumbnails too conservative….this video is my top performer ever….and I mean ever! The thumbnail is enticing as is the title of the video…I usually avoid these sort of thumbnails and titles but it shows just how much difference they make…
Added 2022-02-19 15:20:57 +0000 UTC
Comments
Looks fine to me but I haven't actually seen it yet lol
2022-02-20 00:33:09 +0000 UTC
It is probably performing well because of a few reasons. The overall contrast ratio in the image is good - the strong background really makes the central focus pop. It’s the same as when you get one a direct mail letter from the AA or a bank (trying to sell you something- the main offer will probably be repeated within a contrasting colour box to grab attention).
People love intrigue so the quick single wording - and the fact that it’s a Seiko means people want to see whether a Seiko is going to get a roasting or not.
You also need to combine the video title as contributing to the effectiveness of the whole thing.
As people our attention is either grabbed by a human face - we’re programmed to look at other peoples faces. Urgency is another well proven tactic. Or, contrast - which is why this video works well. I bet if you ran the same video but changed that background for something much lighter, it wouldn’t work half as well.
YT being the beast that it is adds the complication that other videos will feature peoples faces (usually looking shocked or goofy) a bit of implied nudity, intrigue, or shock click bait style. All of these compete for our visual attention which makes it a tough gig to consistently get good view rates. Channel recognition helps - I bet we could all identify all the usual watch channels by the thumbnail alone (provided there’s no faces).
The subject matter helps too. If it was a SMKMEEEIIIEEEE, would this work as well?
