Thousands of YouTube content creators hire thumbnail designers to create enticing, colorful, engaging thumbnails, which present a positive first impression and help a viewer decide whether to stop and click–or keep scrolling past.
Thumbnails are a key way to drive higher viewer numbers, using a custom graphic to maximize the impact rather than using a still image screen-grabbed from the content.
What is custom thumbnail artwork? These tailored graphics are designed for you by a freelance thumbnail designer who can work with a concept or idea, make suggestions, or share tips about creating a thumbnail that stands out and represents the style and focus of your YouTube channel.
How Do I Hire a Thumbnail Designer?
There are two straightforward ways to find a talented graphic designer offering thumbnail design services:
- Post a job on the Guru platform (it’s free!): You can include all the details, such as the number of thumbnails you’d like, the type of theme or image you want your thumbnail to have, your maximum budget, and any deadlines.
- Browse the freelance network available to hire: We have more than 6,000 thumbnail design freelancers offering thousands of alternative services. You can view each designer’s profile to see their previous work and feedback scores or filter by location, design category, or earnings to date.
It is easy to contact any designer who you feel has the right style and design expertise for you–simply click on the heart icon to add a freelancer to your shortlisted favorites, connect through WhatsApp using the link on each profile, or request a direct quotation.
Whichever method you choose allows you to collate comparable proposals from designers who match your requirements, hiring freelancers with the assurance of payment protection through our safe online system.
What Should I Pay for Thumbnail Design?
Like all types of professional skills, the amount a thumbnail designer quotes will vary, depending on the experience the freelancer has. How much does a thumbnail cost? Average prices range from $5 to $30, where highly rated designers with impressive portfolios or top-quality design work will tend to charge closer to the upper end of the scale.
What Are the Benefits of Having a YouTube Thumbnail?
Your thumbnail acts as a snapshot of the video content and advertises the topic and theme of each post you create for YouTube or other video-based platforms like Vimeo. The advantage, particularly for new YouTubers or those growing a following, is that a viewer is far more likely to click and watch when they have a preview of the video content and find the thumbnail enjoyable, funny, or entertaining.
The challenge is that a poor, grainy, or low-quality thumbnail can have the opposite effect. In the past, video screen grabs were the norm, but as viewer expectations evolve, it is well worth having a professional, on-brand thumbnail if you want your videos to stand out.
Using consistent logos, motifs, or icons generates a feeling of familiarity and consistency, where a viewer who has watched one of your videos before will instantly recognize the thumbnail and want to click through and see your latest content.
Tips on Formatting a Thumbnail for YouTube
Thumbnail graphics might be small, but they need to conform to specific sizing policies. If you have a thumbnail that isn’t the correct size, it will look blurry or grainy or won’t show properly on the viewer’s screen. Each graphic should be designed to be 1,280 by 720 pixels, featuring colors, text, or images that attract attention and are easy to read on any device.
A great designer will be happy to recommend the right sizing and formatting for your thumbnail or edit existing graphics to ensure these look great on the platform and comply with the YouTube formatting guidelines. You might also need to ask your preferred designer to send over copies of your thumbnail in different sizes so you have a suitable option for every platform or device–for example, a thumbnail that looks clear on a mobile might become stretched and distorted on a TV or laptop.
Text works well, and general trends show that thumbnails with some writing or numbers attract higher clicks than those that feature only a graphic. However, a professional designer is essential to ensure the text is legible and in a contrasting color to the background.
