3 TikTok thumbnail tactics to get more views
Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2024 6:34 am
But if Instagram is the aesthetic app, TikTok is its younger, messier cousin. It has always felt highly individualized and sometimes chaotic, so users have come to expect a certain raw and authentic look to videos. Super p israel email list olished images might actually hurt your video because they don’t match users' expectations for the app.
But there’s a difference between an intentionally designed thumbnail and a highly stylized visual. Deliberate choices like imagery, text, and colors, can play a positive role without making your video feel inauthentic. These design choices can help you:
Attract attention: A strong thumbnail that diverts from the usual TikTok style makes your video stand out in feeds, increasing the chances of someone clicking on it.
Establish context: Titles and captions help users know what your video is about, which aids in discovery especially via search.
Build brand consistency: Custom thumbnails give a polished, cohesive look to your profile, making it easier for followers to recognize your content.
If you’re scrolling through an Explore page or many popular brands’ profile pages, however, you’ll notice that most do not use custom uploads for their thumbnails. Instead, they likely select a strong frame or even start their video on a strong frame for seamless auto-playing.
Custom TikTok thumbnails example on a TikTok profile page Duolingo matches their thumbnails to their chaotic brand energy with random thumbnails chosen from video frames. La La Land Kind Cafe uses custom thumbnails with titles to help users navigate through episodes of their viral "Drive By Kindness" series.
A good rule of thumb(nails) for TikTok is to match it to your SEO strategy. If you have a video that could perform well in search — i.e. it offers educational content that people might search for — then an intetional thumbnail could help. If you’re already keywording your caption and on-screen captions, then consider creating a thumbnail that matches those keywords as well.
The right TikTok thumbnails can help you get more user attention and engagement, so they do matter. Let’s look at three strong tactics (and examples!) to help you get more results.
1. Add titles to give context and match search intent
If you’re going to use custom thumbnails, there’s one strategy you should test right away, and that’s using the thumbnail to tell users what your video is about.
But there’s a difference between an intentionally designed thumbnail and a highly stylized visual. Deliberate choices like imagery, text, and colors, can play a positive role without making your video feel inauthentic. These design choices can help you:
Attract attention: A strong thumbnail that diverts from the usual TikTok style makes your video stand out in feeds, increasing the chances of someone clicking on it.
Establish context: Titles and captions help users know what your video is about, which aids in discovery especially via search.
Build brand consistency: Custom thumbnails give a polished, cohesive look to your profile, making it easier for followers to recognize your content.
If you’re scrolling through an Explore page or many popular brands’ profile pages, however, you’ll notice that most do not use custom uploads for their thumbnails. Instead, they likely select a strong frame or even start their video on a strong frame for seamless auto-playing.
Custom TikTok thumbnails example on a TikTok profile page Duolingo matches their thumbnails to their chaotic brand energy with random thumbnails chosen from video frames. La La Land Kind Cafe uses custom thumbnails with titles to help users navigate through episodes of their viral "Drive By Kindness" series.
A good rule of thumb(nails) for TikTok is to match it to your SEO strategy. If you have a video that could perform well in search — i.e. it offers educational content that people might search for — then an intetional thumbnail could help. If you’re already keywording your caption and on-screen captions, then consider creating a thumbnail that matches those keywords as well.
The right TikTok thumbnails can help you get more user attention and engagement, so they do matter. Let’s look at three strong tactics (and examples!) to help you get more results.
1. Add titles to give context and match search intent
If you’re going to use custom thumbnails, there’s one strategy you should test right away, and that’s using the thumbnail to tell users what your video is about.