They say you’ve only got one shot to make a first impression, and in the digital world, that couldn’t be more true. Especially when that first impression is a thumbnail for a video of your sermon. Before anyone presses play on your sermon, the thumbnail is the first thing they will see.
When you think about it, a thumbnail isn’t just a placeholder image; it’s the digital front door to your message. When someone is scrolling through social media, it’s the thing they will see that will pique their interest in deciding if they should click on your video or keep scrolling. In fact, research shows that videos with custom thumbnails can get up to 2x more views than those without.
While spending ample amounts of time editing a thumbnail doesn’t sound appealing, the good news is that it’s not a requirement when you have tools like Sermon Shots at your disposal. You’ll be able to easily design professional, branded, and click-worthy sermon thumbnails in just minutes.
Below, we’ll discuss exactly how to create thumbnails for your sermons step by step. Let’s get started!
Why Do Sermon Thumbnails Matter?
Let’s be honest—your sermon title alone won’t be enough to drive people to click on it. Most people like visuals, and it’s ideal to have a thumbnail that’s attention-grabbing and will stop them in their tracks when scrolling.
A custom sermon thumbnail should be:
- Eye-catching: Don’t be afraid to use bold texts, bright colors, and clear but engaging images.
- Professional-looking: Using blurry or off-center photos can convey an amateur vibe. Professional photos will show others that your church takes its online presence seriously.
- Clickable: A well-thought-out thumbnail will encourage viewers to press play. This will give your sermon the attention it deserves.
Sermon Shots — The Easy Thumbnail Maker for Churches
Sermon Shots makes the entire process of creating a thumbnail simple by taking the guesswork out of it with templates, background removal, and easy customization. This feature was created with churches in mind who want their message to stand out online.
The good news is that with Sermon Shots’ Thumbnail Tool, you don’t need to be a tech whiz to make high-quality thumbnails. Anyone will be able to do it in just a couple of minutes.
How To Create Thumbnails For Your Sermons (Step-By-Step)
Here’s how you can create sermon thumbnails using Sermon Shots:
Step 1: Upload Your Video
Start on your Sermon Shots dashboard. You can either upload your video or choose one that you’ve already uploaded. Click on the video you want to use.
Step 2: Access the Sermon Images Tool
On the left-hand side, find “Sermon Images” and click on it. Next, click the plus (+) icon to start a new image.
Step 3: Choose “Thumbnail”
Select Thumbnail and hit Continue.
Step 4: Choose a Template
Check out all of the templates and choose one that best resonates with your message. Also, click on the size you would like your graphic.
Step 5: Capture the Right Shot
Go through the video and find the best moment of your speaker. If the background is busy, you can simply hit “Remove Background”. When you’re done, hit “Insert Snapshot”.
Step 6: Customize Your Design
Customize your thumbnail, and don’t be afraid to let your creativity flow in this step. You can change the font, colors, and branding.
Step 7: Review and Download
Review your design, then hit Download.
In Conclusion
Having a professional thumbnail matters. By making thumbnails through Sermon Shots, you could boost clicks, reach more people online, and give your message the visibility it deserves.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What’s the recommended size for a thumbnail of my sermon?
A: For YouTube, the recommended size is 1280 x 720 pixels. Luckily, Sermon Shots templates are already optimized for you.
Q: Do thumbnails actually make a difference for sermons?
A: Yes! Videos with custom thumbnails can get more engagement than those without. By increasing clicks, more people see your sermon video.
Q: Is it possible to use my church branding in thumbnails?
A: Yes! With Sermon Shots, all you need to do is upload your logo and choose your brand colors and fonts to keep a professional and consistent look.
Q: What platforms can I use sermon thumbnails for?
A: Thumbnails can be used for YouTube, Facebook videos, Vimeo, and even sermon archives on your church website.
