3 Steps To Epic Thumbnails

Your thumbnail is your first second of storytelling and decides whether anyone stops scrolling or keeps moving.

Here’s the 3-step system I use and teach to make thumbnails people can’t ignore:

1. Emotion First

Forget perfect lighting or fancy design.
Start with a face that shows emotion. Big, exaggerated, unmistakable.
Humans read emotions faster than words.
Shock. Fear. Joy. Disgust.
If someone can feel the video before they even read the title, you’ve already won.

2. Use a Single Metaphor

The image should say what the title doesn’t have to.
Show, don’t tell.
One clear visual that tells viewers what the video’s about and how to feel.

Can’t find an image you want? Use Nano Banana from Google. It can create anything you can imagine. Want to ride a unicorn made of cheese through Times Square dressed as Batman? Done! (scroll to the bottom 😉)

Example:

• A burning laptop = online chaos.

• A cracked graph = financial disaster.

• A rocket launch = big opportunity.

If your thumbnail can be understood with zero words, it’s strong.
The test is, could a 5 year old understand what the video is about from the image.

3. Add an Emotion-Provoking Phrase

Now you earn the click. Keep it short. Keep it charged. 1-3 words max.

Examples:

• THIS IS BAD

• WE’RE F**KED

• ARE YOU READY?

• NO ONE SAID THIS

These phrases create emotional tension, curiosity, urgency, or fear of missing out. They don’t describe, they provoke.

TL;DR:

• Lead with emotion.

• Tell a story visually.

• Trigger curiosity with words.

When your thumbnail shows what people feel before they even know what it’s about, they stop scrolling. And when they stop, they click.

That’s it! It’s not the only system for thumbnails, but a pretty strong foundation to start. The more you and your team make, the better you get!

Want to go deeper?

Next week I’m running a live YouTube Growth Bootcamp where I’ll walk you through everything that turns casual viewers into loyal buyers. thumbnails, hooks, titles, and strategy that gets you real growth.

If you want to finally make videos that convert, grab your spot here: