{"id":50404,"date":"2022-09-14T07:00:55","date_gmt":"2022-09-14T14:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/insights.fmgsuite.com\/?p=50404"},"modified":"2025-09-17T18:27:31","modified_gmt":"2025-09-18T01:27:31","slug":"how-to-create-effective-thumbnails-for-your-video-content","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/7e78e84f-a80e-4b05-ba90-7dd3f9d29edc.express.conves.io\/how-to-create-effective-thumbnails-for-your-video-content\/","title":{"rendered":"Do Video Thumbnails Matter for Financial Advisors? Design Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

Video creation and marketing<\/a> have taken a significant role in the financial field. Businesses in financial services use video for marketing, branding, and events\/updates. Meaning that video can be used in a multitude of ways. Its efficiency depends on how creative you can be. In this blog post, we discuss video thumbnail best practices, how you can create optimized thumbnails for your videos, our preferred platform, and examples to get you started.<\/p>\n

What Makes the Thumbnail Important?<\/h2>\n

Think of the thumbnail as a CTA beckoning viewers to click on the video. If what they see interests them, they’re much more likely to follow the link, and your video will gain a view and you a potential return viewer. This will improve your CTR (Or Click-through-rate), which is useful for measuring video performance Thumbnails are also good for branding because, as an advisor, you’re able to add recurring themes or design patterns. Making use of the same color, design scheme, or basic outline will help distinguish you from other channels. It’s much like adding your own watermark to each video, and the thumbnails allow viewers to instantly recognize the content creator, putting a face to your business.<\/p>\n

Where to Start Creating Thumbnails<\/h2>\n

The first challenge you’ll face is finding a place to start crafting your thumbnails. There are hundreds and possibly even thousands of options to choose from. But if we had to pick just one, Canva<\/a> is our preferred choice. Not only is Canva free, but it makes it easy for everyone to create wonderful images that can be used for social media, blogs, and thumbnails. It even has a library of pre-designed and pre-sized templates. But feel free to make your own.<\/p>\n

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How to Create a Thumbnail in Canva<\/h2>\n

Using Canva is easy and simple, especially for FMG customers who already benefit from FMG’s Canva integration<\/a>. Below is a quick run-through on how to get started creating a thumbnail once you’ve created your account.<\/p>\n

5 Steps to Creating a Good Thumbnail<\/h3>\n

Step 1:<\/strong> For those who wish to start fresh, the first thing to take into account is the resolution size that you’ll be using for your thumbnail. The most commonly used resolution on YouTube is 1280×720 pixels. The ideal ratio to keep is 16:9, as this is what YouTube and most other video sites use for their video players<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Step 2:<\/strong> For those who choose to take advantage of Canva’s thousands of thumbnail templates, your resolution is already set at the optimal size. To begin using a template from the Canva homepage, use the search bar to type “thumbnail” and then hit enter. If you would prefer to start from scratch, simply click the “Custom size” button from the homepage, and set your image to the ideal 1280×270 resolution and 16:9 ratio.<\/p>\n

Step 3:<\/strong> If you choose to work from a template, then from here, you’ll be presented with a page housing thousands of thumbnail templates to choose from. Pick one that you feel would be a great starting point, and click on it to get started. If you chose a custom image size, then you’re ready to start designing. For designing your image, be sure to reference our thumbnail design best practices below.<\/p>\n

Step 4: <\/strong>Once your image is done, it’s time to download it so that it can be used for all your thumbnail needs. To do this, just mosey on over to the top right of the page, click Share<\/strong>, and then Download<\/strong>. The important thing to remember is what file type you select. For this reason, be sure to choose either PNG or JPG as your file type.<\/p>\n

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Thumbnail Design Best Practices<\/h2>\n

Time to begin creating the thumbnail masterpiece that you will present to the world. With Canva, there are a plethora of options to choose from. But it’s made easy with the navigation tab. Allowing users to:<\/p>\n