Adobe Study Unravels Best TikTok Thumbnail Design Choices For Views & Engagement
Photo 217024328 © Daniel Constante | Dreamstime.com
On TikTok, it’s all about the clout. But in this vast sea of content navigated by a staggering billion monthly users, what makes a video truly shine and reel in attention? Adobe has embarked on a study to unlock some potential secrets behind high engagement rates.
The report encompasses the analysis of over 300 successful TikTok video thumbnails to decode the elements of design that attract viewers. Below are some key takeaways.
Flying Colors
Image generated on AI
Thumbnail colors play a pivotal role in engagement. Surprisingly, brown, a color often overlooked, emerges as a favorite in the TikTok world. Videos with primarily brown thumbnails garnered the most views, likes, and shares, boasting the fourth-highest engagement rate. However, part of it could be due to the fact that animals are big subjects of fascination among viewers, Adobe surmises.
Image courtesy of Adobe Express
Orange, on the other hand, snatched the crown for the highest engagement rate at 12.3%, narrowly surpassing purple's 12.2%.
TikTok thumbnails adorned with vibrant hues were viewed 11% more than their counterparts. Beyond brown and orange, thumbnail colors like pink, green, black, red, and yellow also led to a surge in views and likes. However, pink thumbnails displayed the lowest engagement, falling below the 10% mark.
“If you want views alone, then brown or pink might be safe choices to dominate your thumbnail image palette. But for likes, comments, shares, and engagement, try keeping the hues set to green,” Adobe recommends.
Image courtesy of Adobe
Emotions Matter
TikTok users seem to prefer thumbnails that evoke emotions. Astonishingly, cover images expressing anger recorded the highest average engagement rate, proving that intensity resonates with the audience.
Image courtesy of Adobe
Notably, thumbnails evoking surprise garnered the most views on average.
Image courtesy of Adobe
The Power of Text
Text placement within thumbnails significantly impacts engagement. In particular, thumbnails with text centered in the middle or bottom center had the highest engagement rate, hovering around 12.9%. Meanwhile, text centered at the top performed slightly lower at 11.2%.
Image via Adobe Express
The ideal text length in cover art seems to be between five to 10 words. Thumbnails with 11 to 15 words also performed well, but anything exceeding 15 words saw a substantial drop in engagement.
Image via Adobe Express
In a world where every second counts, captivating thumbnails are your gateway to audience engagement. So, if you want your videos to stand out, consider embracing the power of colors, emotions, and concise text in the heart of your thumbnail. You can find out other TikTok design tips for the greatest payoff by reading Adobe’s full report here.
[via Adobe Express, images via various sources]
This article was crafted with assistance from an AI engine, and has been manually reviewed & edited.
