Glossary
Thumbnail
The still image that stands for a video before it plays: on a profile, in search results or in a feed.
On YouTube, the thumbnail often decides the click. On Instagram and TikTok, it is the cover shown in the profile grid: it turns your videos into a readable shop window or a confusing wall.
A good thumbnail states the topic in three or four words, large, with a face or a clear object. Keep the text towards the centre: profile grids often crop vertical covers.
For a café video: the cup in close-up and three words, “The real ristretto”.