Many law firms and lawyers invest substantial sums in creating polished online videos. However, what many forget is that before watching an online video, individuals typically first see a "video thumbnail", which is the small graphic displaying in the video player before the video starts to run.
We're all familiar with the saying that a picture is worth a thousand words. Which should convince you that a compelling video thumbnail is critical to encouraging individuals to watch your video. Because if your video thumbnail is just a black box or a low quality photo, then potential viewers are likely to pass over your video for another that looks more interesting. Consider also that Google uses thumbnails when displaying links to videos in search results, and thus your thumbnail, along with the video title and description, is the only information a potential viewer sees before deciding whether or not to click through to your content.
A recent post on ReelSEO offers some tips on what makes a good video thumbnail. Perhaps the most important point made is that while the thumbnail should be compelling, it also needs to be representative of the content of the video. Thus, for example, if the video features a lawyer presenting on some topic, the thumbnail can be a high quality photo of the attorney. If the video is about a law firm operating out of a large skyscraper in a major metropolitan area, a photo of the firm's office tower can signal success and quality. And if the video is a client testimonial, use a photo of the client.
Comments