They say that we should never judge a book by its cover—oh, but we all do! The title and cover image that content creators use can make or break their online career. And the sad truth is that no matter how good your content is, nobody will read or watch it if it’s not marketed the ‘right’ way. And a lot of that depends on pandering to constantly-changing algorithms, whether YouTube’s, Facebook’s, or something else.
So, naturally, content creators learn to adapt (their livelihoods depend on it!) and change how they make thumbnails, in order to please their AI overlords and capture their (potential) audience’s attention. However, the result is that some creators go waaaaaay too far.
The thumbnails they make are so over-the-top, so ridiculous that they’re in a league of their own. Here at Bored Panda, we’ve collected the most epic fails from all over the net to share with you. Check out just how bad things can get below, and don’t forget to upvote your fave worst offenders, Pandas! Are there any clickbaity thumbnails that you’d actually have clicked on? Tell us in the comments, we swear we won’t judge you.
Bored Panda reached out to content creator, comedian, and broadcaster Trev Lewis for a chat about thumbnails, keeping up with algorithm changes, as well as whether or not a bad thumbnail might mean that otherwise quality content will be ignored. Read on for our full interview with him!
This post may include affiliate links.
This Youtube Ad
"Thumbnails are as important to content as covers are to a book. The old adage goes, 'Don’t judge a book by its cover.' But the reason that became an adage in the first place is because that’s precisely what many of us do. It is a simple fact that if the first impression people have of your content is unpleasant, they are vastly less likely to interact with it further," content creator Trev pointed out that most of us are quick to judge.
"To that end, I wouldn’t say a thumbnail is the most important part. If the content itself is garbage, people will still quickly click away and never return. So you have to make sure you’ve got a good product on the other side. But it’s a very symbiotic relationship, the thumbnail and the content. They need each other to thrive." In short, an engaging, quality thumbnail with no good content to back it up will just leave people disappointed. You have to do both parts well.
"Changing an algorithm is a pretty big undertaking. It’s not something companies can pull off every day, or even week. They also understand that changing the algorithm frustrates many of the top users of their platforms. Still, companies are always pressured to 'innovate,' even if something isn’t really broken. This often results in the kinds of changes that perplex many of us on the other side of them. It always comes down to revenue, so any change you’re seeing was a dollar-focused calculation," Trev explained to Bored Panda.
Great Chase
What do you mean? Of course this is totally real! You know how dangerous these baby cars are, right??
Why? Just Why?
"Usually when a company changes its algorithm, they will announce these changes at a Keynote event or some other business setting. The press generally reports on these developments, particularly tech journalists. I don’t know how many content creators make it a priority to fill their feed with tech journalists, but they would be very wise to do so," he said.
"The news industry was hit particularly hard when Facebook decided to modify its algorithm. Business pages also saw their reaches plummet for a few years. I owe much of my success to staying current with Facebook’s plans, which is how I learned ‘Groups’ would be greatly favored by the algorithm going forward. The pressure is certainly there to stay up-to-date with the trajectory of these platforms, and how your personal brand is compatible within their fluid ecosystems."
Trev told us that he fully believes it's still possible for quality to content to grab peoples' attention despite a bad thumbnail.... "if the title itself is tantalizing enough."
"But it's very rare that a title, no matter how sensational, can carry all of the weight. A thumbnail doesn’t have to be a masterpiece (they almost never are), but it definitely has to be something that can grab the casual scroller’s attention," he noted.
Doing Yoga With A Baby
I Can't Stop Laughing
Pretty Sure The Second Image In This Thumbnail Is A Dog Holding A Pinecone
"A good question for a content creator to ask themself is, 'Will this video seem interesting to people who aren’t already interested in the topic?' If you can make a sports thumbnail that would catch the attention of someone who is not a sports fan, that’s a good thumbnail. Generally, you want to strike a balance between expanding your reach without compromising what it’s about in the first place," the broadcaster told us.
However, trying to appeal to everyone might lead you to quickly lose any substance at all, the content creator pointed out. The result? You end up appealling to no one. "But if you’re too niche, or you only care about catering to the people who are already interested, you’re not going to have your content seen by a substantial audience. Some people might be fine with that, but overwhelmingly creators publish content because they want the world to see it."
Youtube Clickbait Thumbnails That Get Millions Of Views
Oh, This Thumbnail Sure Is Unforgettable
Are You Still Going To Complain About Leg Space In Economy Class Flights?
It might be helpful to think of thumbnails as small and highly colorful digital signs: they’re all vying for your attention. The most intriguing and eye-catching ones usually get clicked on, especially when paired together with a title and topic that the audience is interested in.
And no matter how immune to ads and digital influence we think we are, many people have clicked on ridiculously over-the-top thumbnails before simply because they wanted to see what the ever-loving frick the video or article was going to be about.
Some time ago, Bored Panda spoke about clickbait with media expert and comedy writer Ariane Sherine, from the United Kingdom. She explained why it is that clickbait works.
“Clickbait works because people are desperate to know the 'one weird trick that doctors don't want you to know!' or similar. When it turns out that the trick is actually something really mundane, readers feel cheated," she noted that the audience can have wildly different expectations from what the content offers.
“This instinct towards drama and not empathy doesn't show humanity in its best light,” she noted why ‘bad’ news tends to be more dramatic.
“[People] want to ogle at what's happened because it's dramatic and entertaining and scary, but it's also a warning of what could happen to them if they're not careful.” It’s why people tend to migrate towards more negative news topics than positive ones.
Yes, That Looks Very Real
yyyyeah im gonna go ahead and say that "Plot Twist" made all of this up
Wow Gordon, That Cookie Must’ve Been Delicious
Scariest Bridge
Maybe this bridge will finally stop the damn kids from asking "Are We There Yet?"
However, the media expert warned that clickbait has to pay off. For instance, if you have a headline that draws the reader in, you’ve got to back it up with quality content. Otherwise, you might lose a potential long-term audience member.
Not A Single Element In This Thumbnail Is Real
Even the child looks confused as to why he's been photoshopped there.
This Clickbait
good thing they put the red circle. i never would've noticed the tank without the circle to draw my attention!
Amazing Thumbnail
Now, whether or not the content creator is focusing on short-term rewards or long-term growth is another question entirely… Unfortunately, if someone relies on clickbait, it’s usually the former. Good content creators need to intrigue internet users and hook them in, but don’t feel the need to lie to them.
Is This Where Milk Comes From?
Youtube Thumbnail Gone Too Far
I Deserve An Award For Finding The Worst Thumbnail Ever
Professor Lisa McLendon, from The University of Kansas, told Bored Panda earlier that signs have to put clarity and brevity above everything else. “You only have a second or two to get your message across, so you want people to understand quickly with zero confusion.”
Meanwhile, taking the time to edit and proofread your material is essential. Checking in with someone who might tell you if your sign/thumbnail/cover works can also help you down the line.
They've Gone Too Far
Well, this is obviously a lie: it says 5-minute crafts and the video is over 12. The rest is…fine.
Talk About Thumbnails
No Way
"Don’t carve an error in stone. It’s embarrassing and expensive to fix. Proofreading before you produce, whether it’s stone or not, is absolutely necessary," the professor said that proofreading is cheaper than having to fix the mistake later. However, that works mainly for physical signs (the embarrassment part still applies, though). In the digital sphere, it’s far easier to edit and adjust on the fly… though ideally, you won’t have to!
Crazy Basketball Thumbnail
This Youtube Thumbnail I Came Across
Wow, Spider-Man Got Ripped
"Choose your font with readability in mind. It should be clear and readable at a distance; you don’t want to make people puzzle through a swirly script," the professor noted that the font that you use is very important for readability.
And readability is actually incredibly important. Matt Johnson, from Hult International Business School and Harvard University, previously told Bored Panda about the fluency effect, “the relatively robust behavioral science phenomenon that the more fluent a font is written in, the more likable and trustworthy the message.”
He Could Have Photoshopped More
That is pretty disgusting, and yet so-called poverty tours are a real thing.
This Youtube Thumbnail
Think Someone Used The Completely Wrong Thumbnail
Not at all, he’s probably denouncing them. The one thing I’d agree with him on.
It’s in part due to the fluency effect that more and more brands are opting for similar-looking logos, especially in the online space. Readability means getting the message across, meaning the (potential) customer is left satisfied… or at least far more satisfied than they’d be if they were left to puzzle out what was going on.
Fast Dogs
The spotted cat dog....I think cheetahs around the world would be offended by this.
This Clickbait. Yes, So Many People Have Toe Teeth
Seriously, Who Allows These Thumbnails?
Ugh, uncooked noodle phones are SO last year. I use uncooked steak, like all modern-day fellas
Fighting Through The Tears. Remember To Like And Subscribe, Guys. This Is So Hard. Merch 20% Off
#1 on trending. My last spark of hope for humanity just died cold, alone and afraid.
Her Posture Was So Bad It Made Her Arms Bigger And Bent The Door Behind Her
This Shameful Clickbait Thumbnail Of Liv Tyler
Bald People
Third Most Subscribed Youtube Channel Uses The Most Questionable Thumbnails I've Ever Seen. Some Of Them Encouraging The Use Of Hot Glue In Extremely Dangerous Ways
5 Minute Crafts is evil. They've promoted thousands of dangerous "crafts" over the years, and of course Youtube isn't going to kill these moneymakers anytime soon.
These Clickbait Youtube Videos
The Thumbnail For This Fake Story Is A Call Of Duty Map
Channels That Clickbait You With Red Circles On Nothing
It's In The Water, It's A Mammal, Probably A Dolphin
Lizard Brain
Why Is She Like That
Idc Bye
Worst Thumbnail I’ve Ever Seen
Cursed Clickbait
Nice Arm, Ted
Duck vs. Car
Remember This Match Arsenal Scored A Powerful Goal Against Chelsea That Broke The Goalpost
Bidinflation
OK this seems like it was meant to be an exaggerated representation, not mindless clickbait.
When You Only Have One Thumbnail For News From NLR
Eh, Close Enough
Poor Baby
I Have Multiple Questions
Yep. Perfect Thumbnail
Gorgeous Clickbait Ad
Gain Muscle Fast
A Glitch Changed This Video's Thumbnail Into Another One. But I Think It's Just YouTube Sending A Message
Imagine This Is An Actual Chess With Lasers Shooting At Each Other
Hope The Dog Is Ok
Anything Helps, Photoshop Lessons Might Help Too
Obviously Fake Thumbnail For Views. Shocking
I Keep Seeing This Channel Pop Up On Youtube With These God Awful Photoshopped Thumbnails
Thumbnails Like This
Amazon Prime Video Missed A Thumbnail, Spoils Finale Of Hell's Kitchen
Is there any chance it’s intentional, and she’s not the winner? Probably not.
Ah Yes, The Clickbait Thumbnail
She Has Clearly Never Looked That Way
Bro What
Firstly, Why Is This In My Youtube Recommended? Secondly, The Second Image Doesn’t Even Look Like Earth. Like Seriously, What Continent Does That Even Resemble?
This Stupid Ad Literally Running On Reddit Right Now
All the people are becoming really tiny so they can all fit in the house. Clever.
Onision's Most Recent Videos. What A Variety Of Thumbnails
When Zidane Slapped Hazard
Clickbaiting, But Showing The Result
This Road Looks Totally Real
Imagine Being So Desperate For Clicks That You Write An Article Like This (Thumbnail Photo Is A Scene From The Titanic Movie By James Cameron)
Chicken vs. Lava
This Was #8 On Trending
Look At How Much Of A Psychopath He Is
Found One In The Wild
This Kind Of Thumbnail
Not Sure Why That Movie Showed Up As A Romantic Movie, But The Thumbnail Definitely Makes It Look Like One
The Thumbnail On "25 Things You Missed In Lucifer" Isn't Even From A Scene In The Show
The Age-Old Question
Football's Darkest Days
Very Realistic Youtube Clickbait Thumbnail
These Clickbait Thumbnails
Easily Cured Baldness
This Youtube Thumbnail
Found This Gorgeous Thumbnail
These Clickbait Photoshopped Thumbnails
These Journalist YouTube Channels Make Thumbnails Like This To Review An IFV
Because a shortage of tanks is our biggest issue in the Ukraine war. Unless it deploys Putin-seeking assassin mosquitos, of course. Then there’d finally be a point to mosquitos too! Hurry up, Elon - stop messing around with Twitter and get on that.
Clickbait About Miscarriage Just To Be Trending On Youtube
The thumbnail is so dramatized and insensitive. They edited the saturation and monetized the video to make it exactly 10 minutes long so they could put two long advertisements in the middle for maximum profit.
Death Dancers Has A Nice Ring To It
Oh No
Shapespeare
I don't get this one? All I see is a picture of the great playwright William Shakespeare.
Thumbnails Like These That Point At Nothing
elbow=funny bone, therefore peter parker is mysterio's long-lost cousin
Puts A Progress Line In His Thumbnail, So It Looks Like You Already Started Watching It
Oh YouTube Thumbnails Never Change
I Keep Getting Recommended "Ghetto Smosh" In My Youtube Recommendations, And The Thumbnails Are Unhinged
This Thumbnail Wasn’t Well Thought Out
Try Not To Laugh
It’s Interesting That Even His Skin Got Lighter
Buff Bois Behaving Like Big Bad Bouncers Bashing You Out Of Your Own Besieged Abode
Eggs
Score 90 Used To Be Class. I Don't Know Why They Succumbed To This
To be fair, that's how I used to play soccer, and thats how I got respectfully kicked off the team
This Thumbnail
This Insane Ad On Youtube Accusing Democrats Of Child Sacrifice
Okay I know bored panda is acknowledging that this is messed up but imma put more reasons why this is messed up. Also Ik that some ppl aren’t like what I’m saying but this is just broad for most republicans, ssry if I offend you 1:you’re the ones not vaccinating your kids and that sounds a lot like child sacrifice 2: what makes you think we’re sacrificing children? Literally all we want is basic human rights like abortion, lgbtqia+ rights and for you not to be so… Texas church, 3: horrible photoshop my dude. Anywho thank you for reading my rant, I’m just talking to the guy making these horrible things.
When You Take Your Video’s Thumbnail From Ark
More Youtube Thumbnails
Why The Fake iPhone Colors? This Channel Has Gone Downhill
The Clickbait Is Strong With This One
The Thumbnail They Used For This Serious Instructional Video
The fact that 6.4 million people needed to know this is concerning...
Picture Looks Very... Stretched And Compressed
Well, That Looks Natural
Oh No
This Looks Like It Was Made On MS Paint
Stealing A YouTube Thumbnail For Views
This Thumbnail I Saw
These Kinds Of Thumbnails And Videos
Annoying Thumbnail Glitch Where The Title And Thumbnail Don't Match. (Have Reported Glitch Several Times, But Have Heard Back Nothing)
Using A Currently Working Actor (Dylan O'Brien) For Your Terrible Clickbait
This Thumbnail. You Can Still See His Hair
Blurred Thumbnails
If You're Going To Photoshop A Couple Amazon Packages Onto Your Youtube Thumbnail, At Least Make Them Look Convincing
Thumbnail Announcing An Actor's Tragic Death Featuring A Completely Different But Much More Famous Actor Who Is Still Very Much Alive
This Badly Photoshopped Mask On Music Video Thumbnail
This Animal Battle
Am I High Or Did They Make A Typo On The Thumbnail
Matto's Lack Of Geography Knowledge Continues With His New Thumbnail
I love working for Russia, where we have the Eiffel Tower and eat crossiants.
Don't Freak Out
Hippo Save Baby From Lion
Man Without A Torso In Youtube Thumbnail
It Is Just Horrible
Hmm
Ah Yes When Cristiano Ronaldo Used His Middle Finger As His Celebration
Found These Two Videos With The Same Thumbnail, Just Flipped Horizontally
Knock It Off With That Thumbnail YouTube
Never Seen This Before, That's True
I Mean Really... Whoever Made This Has Never Seen Dimension
Wow Such An Interesting Thumbnail
Unlock The Woman
How The Years In The Thumbnail Are Ordered
That's Not How It Works
The Thumbnail Is From Texas 2018
What Did They Do To Kendall's Face In This Thumbnail. I Can't Stop Laughing
Perfect Thumbnail
Those Scores He Photoshopped On The Thumbnail Isn't Even Real
Cool Thumbnail
Thought This Was Kinda Funny How Two Videos Thumbnails "Combined" Together
Some Ordinary Gamer Leaked GTA 6
I sense a vague Venom reference. Upvote uploading...
Load More Replies...Any thumbnail with a person with their hands on their cheeks mouth open is usually a no no.
I will admit up until middle school I definitely would've clicked on these articles
I bet most of these are the ones you see here , right on Bored Panda lol.
Look at the number of views. Why on earth would they stop ?
Load More Replies...I sense a vague Venom reference. Upvote uploading...
Load More Replies...Any thumbnail with a person with their hands on their cheeks mouth open is usually a no no.
I will admit up until middle school I definitely would've clicked on these articles
I bet most of these are the ones you see here , right on Bored Panda lol.
Look at the number of views. Why on earth would they stop ?
Load More Replies...