A video thumbnail is the first impression your viewer has of your video. They can make or break an opportunity to get your viewer's attention and hook them from the start.
Thumbnail images can be automatically generated from your video, but they are usually not very appealing and don't always convey the message of your video. By creating a custom image, and having the ability to swap out the thumbnail image, you can easily display the content on your video and make a more eye-catching visual to help your interactive video stand out!
Let's jump into:
A video thumbnail is a still image that acts as the preview for your video when shared to social media, or when embedded onto a webpage, blog, or landing page. This is the first image your viewers will see before they click to play your interactive video.
The right video thumbnail can be a surefire way to convince a viewer to click through to your video and should give your viewer a sense of what to expect. Most video platforms, like Mindstamp, allow you to replace the auto-generated video thumbnail with an image created via Adobe Creative products, Canva, or other design platforms. By designing your own thumbnail, you can use a preview image that better sells the video and your brand, which will ultimately make your video more appealing to your target audience and help drive more traffic to your video.
Source: https://www.canva.com/create/youtube-thumbnails/
With Mindstamp being an interactive video platform to help maximize your video engagement, we recognize the importance of a great video thumbnail to grab your viewer’s attention from the start. While Mindstamp includes a recommended thumbnail by pulling a still image from the video if the image recommended isn't what you'd like displayed, then you can easily add a new one directly in Mindstamp’s video editing interface by using the simple steps below:
Step 1. First, create a new image using the design best practices above. The image should be saved as a .png or a .jpg file to your computer.
Step 2: Next, log into your Mindstamp interface.
Step 3. Then, find the “Videos” tab at the top to access your videos.
Step 4. Click on the video you wish to edit and click “Open Video” to access your video’s settings.
Step 5. Next, click on the “Design” tab to the right of your video.
Step 6. Click on “Thumbnail + Play button” in the left sidebar.
Step 7. From there, you can either drag and drop the thumbnail image file into the box or browse your computer files to upload your video’s new thumbnail image.
Step 8. After uploading your desired image, all you have to do is click “save design” and your new thumbnail will be saved and ready to go!
Mindstamp has many interactive features, including hotspots, personalization, questions, and dynamic navigation to help increase the ROI of your videos. Request a demo with one of our Mindstamp experts to get an idea of how you can make your content more interactive and engaging.
