The 90% Rule of YouTube Thumbnails
In the attention economy, looking silly might just be the smartest move you make.
Let’s talk about the science of ridiculous YouTube thumbnails.
Why is YouTube flooded with these thumbnails featuring shocked faces and bright colors?
It's neuroscience at work.
Here's the breakdown…
Faces
Our caveman brains are hardwired to notice faces, especially those showing strong emotions. It's survival instinct meets modern marketing.
Curiosity Gap
Give people just enough info to get interested, but not enough to satisfy them.
Algorithm
Since 2012, YouTube favors watch time over views.
Text Overlay
Adding text to your thumbnail is like giving your video a mini-headline. It's a one-two punch of visual and verbal hooks.
YouTube's own research shows thumbnails are responsible for 90% of a video's performance.
So next time you feel silly designing your thumbnails, keep this in mind: you're not being ridiculous, you’re being strategic.
-Dylan
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