YouTube’s new feature to help creators choose the best thumbnail for their videos is now in testing with a few hundred content creators—allowing for A/B testing of content.
Key Details
- Choosing an enticing thumbnail, the photo displayed before a video is played, can be the difference between a viewer clicking on a video or scrolling past it.
- Now with YouTube’s Test & Compare feature, creators may have a much easier time finding the perfect look, The Verge reports.
- The new feature is in testing with a few hundred creators, but YouTube hopes to roll the program out to all users by next year.
Why it’s news
A good thumbnail can be the difference between a viral video and a flop. For creators who earn money through YouTube, successful thumbnails are even more important.
With the Test & Compare feature, users can upload three thumbnails for one video. YouTube will then use its analytics program to let the user know which option performs the best. Right now, only a few hundred users have access to the testing phase of the program, but YouTube plans to roll out a beta version for a few thousand creators in the next couple of months. It hopes to launch the program to a broader audience by next year.
Users have long requested more functionality features from YouTube. By helping creators select the most appealing thumbnail option, YouTube can give them more tools for success. The new feature will give users access to data like the “watch time” on a video with a particular thumbnail, The Verge reports.
Until now, users have resorted to using third-party tools to do this testing. Some creators will even poll their social-media following, asking which thumbnail is the most attractive. Thumbnails are vital to how the video will perform and whether or not the algorithm will promote the content.