How Can You Master Video Thumbnails Across Social Media Platforms?
Video thumbnails may seem like a small detail, but they play a crucial role in a video's success. A thumbnail acts as a mini-billboard for your content, influencing whether viewers will click to watch.
Understanding how to effectively manage thumbnails can significantly enhance viewer engagement, especially on platforms where competition for attention is fierce.
What Are the Platform-Specific Thumbnail Guidelines?
YouTube
YouTube offers customisation options for thumbnails. After or while uploading a video, you can choose one of three auto-generated thumbnails or upload a custom image. To upload a custom thumbnail:
1. Go to 'Your Videos' in YouTube Studio by clicking the “Upload icon”
2. Upload your video. While Youtube processes your video, you can upload your own thumbnail or select from the three auto-generated thumbnails.
3. Once you have finished configuring the settings for your video, you can click “Save”
Although YouTube has machine learning algorithms to choose images that are representative of the content, since these are auto-generated, YouTube cannot detect if the first frame of your video was intended to be the thumbnail.
Lastly, the platform doesn’t offer the option to scroll through the video and select a specific frame as the thumbnail, unlike for the following platforms on this list.
On Facebook, you can also select a thumbnail during or after uploading your video. However, Facebook provides more options because you can set your video thumbnail by selecting from auto-generated options, uploading a custom image, or choosing a specific frame from the video itself. Here’s how:
1. Upload your video to your Facebook page.
2. While the video is processing, click 'Edit'.
3. In the Video Details menu, click the 'Change Thumbnail' dropdown.
4. Upload a custom thumbnail, select from Facebook's suggested images (which typically suggests you the first frame of the video), or choose a frame directly from your video to use as the thumbnail.
5. After uploading or selecting a thumbnail and adjusting other video settings, click the ‘Save’ button to finalise your changes.
Facebook also uses technology to automatically select a thumbnail that it determines to be the most engaging part of the video. However, the success can vary, and sometimes the chosen thumbnails may not perfectly represent the video content. Additionally, since these thumbnails are auto-generated, Facebook can't detect if the first frame of your video is intended to be the thumbnail but it’s often the first thumbnail to be suggested if you go for the “Choose suggested” option.
Vimeo
Vimeo offers you the same thumbnail features as Facebook. Here’s how you can do it:
While your video is uploading, you can begin the process of setting your thumbnail. Vimeo provides three main options:
Auto-generated Thumbnail: Vimeo automatically suggests a frame from your video that you can use as a thumbnail. Vimeo can't detect if the first frame is intended to be the thumbnail.
Capture a Frame: You can scrub through your video and capture any frame to use as a thumbnail.
Upload a Custom Thumbnail: You can upload a custom thumbnail. Click on the “+” button under the thumbnail section and select your image file.
TikTok
TikTok typically uses the first frame of your video as the thumbnail which means the quality of the automatic thumbnail entirely depends on what the creator sets as the first frame. However, you can scroll through your video to select the frame you want to use as the thumbnail and style it based on your liking. Here’s how:
1. Start by tapping the ‘+’ icon adjacent to the record button to create a new video.
2. You can either upload pre-recorded clips by selecting ‘Upload’ or record a new clip directly on TikTok.
3. After editing your video, you'll land on the ‘Post’ page. In the top right corner of this page, you'll see a preview of your video. Tap ‘Select Cover’ at the bottom of this preview.
4. Scroll through your video to select the frame you want to use as the thumbnail.
5. Optionally, add text to your thumbnail by selecting one of the preset styles and positioning the text box within the TikTok thumbnail boundaries to ensure it's visible in the feed.
6. Once you're satisfied, hit save and post your video with your customised thumbnail.
TikTok does not currently allow you to change the thumbnail once the video has been uploaded.
Instagram, like TikTok, generally selects the first frame of your video as the thumbnail. You can also scroll through your video to select the frame you want to use as the thumbnail or upload a custom thumbnail from your camera roll. Here’s how:
1. Create a reel by clicking on the ‘+’ sign.
2. After uploading and editing the video, you'll land on the ‘Post’ page similar to Tiktok where you'll see a preview of your video. Tap ‘Edit Cover’ at the bottom of this preview.
3. Scroll through your video to select the frame you want to use as the thumbnail or select a custom thumbnail from your camera roll.
4. Once you’re done, you can click next and post your video with your customised thumbnail.
N.B. Like Tiktok, Instagram does not provide the option to edit the thumbnail after the video has already been posted.
X (formerly Twitter)
X allows for thumbnail customisation when you upload a video through its media studio, which is accessible to verified subscribers only. However, if you are using a free account, X just takes the first frame of your video as the thumbnail. In our example below, we added the thumbnail to the first frame of the video (in After Effects) to get around this problem.
LinkedIn typically selects the first frame or a frame close to the beginning as the thumbnail for your video but you can also upload your own custom thumbnail like other platforms mentioned.
1. Select your video by clicking the ‘Upload from computer’ button.
2. To change the thumbnail, click the image icon below the preview of your video.
3. Click on ‘Upload video thumbnail’ to upload your own custom thumbnail.
LinkedIn does not allow you to change the thumbnail once the video is uploaded, unless you delete and re-upload the video.
Summary and Comparative Analysis of Thumbnail Guidelines
When managing video thumbnails, preparation is essential. Platforms such as YouTube and Facebook provide the flexibility to upload custom thumbnails and allow you to edit them after the video has been uploaded.
In contrast, Instagram and TikTok generally use the first frame of the video as the thumbnail and do not permit edits once the video is uploaded. Understanding the specific processes of each platform can help prevent frustration and ensure your content is set up for success from the beginning.
We're keen to learn about your experiences with managing nonprofit video thumbnails across various platforms. If you're a marketer or work in communications, particularly within a nonprofit organisation, what strategies have you found most effective?
Additionally, let us know what guides you would like to see from us next! Share your insights by contacting us or sending an email, and join the conversation to help enhance our understanding of effective video marketing practices in the nonprofit sector.
