In a recent Business of Creators episode, Ian Shepherd and Charles Weill discussed the importance of thumbnails and titles for YouTube creators. Weill, the founder of CreatorML, a machine learning tool that helps creators predict how many views their videos will get, shared some interesting insights from his research.

On this show you will get to hear Charles’s take on:

  • What’s more important for the success of a YouTube video – Click Through Rate (CTR) or Average View Duration (AVD)?
  • How to optimise your thumbnails and titles
  • How to double the views of your old YouTube videos! 

Charles’s analysis comes from using machine learning to crunch millions of data sets in a way that’s never been done before! You’re guaranteed to learn something new in this episode.

One of the most important things to consider when creating a thumbnail is its length. Weill found that thumbnails with 15-54 characters in length tend to get more views than those with more or fewer characters. This is likely because longer thumbnails can get cut off on smaller screens, and shorter thumbnails are easier to read and understand quickly.

Weill also found that certain words are more likely to attract viewers than others. For example, the words “Minecraft,” “Fortnite,” and “challenge” are all popular keywords that can help creators get more views. Additionally, using strong verbs and adjectives in titles can make them more eye-catching and engaging.

Here are some additional takeaways from the discussion:

  • Keep your titles under 54 characters to avoid them getting cut off on smaller screens.
  • Track your CTR and AVD to see how well your videos are performing.
  • Use CreatorML to get insights into your video performance and make informed decisions about your content.

In addition to thumbnails and titles, Weill also discussed the importance of click-through rate (CTR) and average view duration (AVD) for YouTube success. CTR is the percentage of people who see a thumbnail and click on it, while AVD is the average amount of time people watch a video. Weill found that videos with a high CTR and AVD are more likely to rank higher in search results and get more views.