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Step 6 of 10 in this module#256 of 1,000

6. A/B Testing Your Thumbnails

Part 3 • YouTube Click-Through Rate (CTR) Optimization

Many top YouTubers do not guess which thumbnail will perform best; they test it. YouTube Studio now has a built-in 'Test & Compare' feature for thumbnails, and a common third-party tool for this is TubeBuddy. Another simple method is to create two or three different thumbnail options and poll your audience on Instagram Stories or your community tab before you publish the video. Ask them, "Which of these makes you want to click?" This provides direct, valuable feedback from the type of people who are most likely to watch your content.

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In this module: YouTube Click-Through Rate (CTR) Optimization10 steps
  1. 1The First Gate: Impressions and CTR
  2. 2The Title and Thumbnail: A Singular Unit
  3. 3Thumbnail Best Practices: The "3 C's"
  4. 4Title Best Practices: Curiosity and Keywords
  5. 5The Danger of Clickbait: The CTR-AVD Relationship
  6. 6A/B Testing Your Thumbnails
  7. 7The Power of Text on Thumbnails
  8. 8Analyzing Your CTR in YouTube Studio
  9. 9The "Thumbnail Swap" Rescue Mission
  10. 10Your Title/Thumbnail Workflow