How I make my YouTube thumbnails for the 2026 algorithm

Check out HubSpot's 2026 State of Marketing Report here: https://clickhubspot.com/507494 | Good thumbnails are essential to your YouTube video actually getting views, so why are you still rushing to make your thumbnail in the last second before you publish? You need a system and a strategy for crafting effective thumbnails that will help get your videos the views they deserve in the 2026 YouTube algorithm. So after many requests, I am finally showing you how I make my thumbnails for YouTube! The Frankenstien video formula: https://youtu.be/gBdOhykBEB8?si=ANGOGn4l6_cFmkkg&t=876 🎬 Get my team of editors to edit your YouTube videos! 👉🏻 https://www.creatorlymedia.com shout out to the Creatorly clients we featured in this video! @madelinehegedus @LuisaZhou https://www.youtube.com/@exaltitude 🚐 Watch my van life / travel channel https://www.youtube.com/@KatieandDan 📸 Follow me on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/katiesteckly 📕 TABLE OF CONTENTS 📕 00:00 stop rushing your thumbnails! 00:23 before I do ANYTHING, I plan my title and thumbnail 01:18 you should be creating tag lines for your thumbnails 01:53 always create multiple thumbnail ideas! 02:45 different niches have different thumbnail styles! 04:36 an important note about YouTube A/B testing 05:14 your thumbnails are a marketing strategy for your YouTube videos 06:63 how I shoot my thumbnail images 07:21 how to export high quality stills of your videos 08:16 how I edit my thumbnails for YouTube in Photoshop 14:56 we edit youtube videos and thumbnails for our clients! 🔗 LINKS 🔗 *some of these are affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase on the site after clicking these links, I could earn a commission at no extra cost to you. thanks for supporting the channel! 🎧 where I get music for my videos: https://share.epidemicsound.com/6x4f73 🎬 stock footage & animations I use: https://www.storyblocks.com/katie 📹 Camera Gear: Main camera: https://geni.us/kszve1 Lens: https://geni.us/ks1625 Vlog camera: https://geni.us/kszve10ii Microphone: https://geni.us/djimicmini Tripod: https://geni.us/ksulanzi 👉🏻 See all my gear here: https://katiesteckly.com/gear 👋🏻 ABOUT ME Hey, I'm Katie! I make videos about social media strategy and content creation. In addition to being a YouTuber, I also run a small agency that provides video editing services for YouTubers and podcasters. If you want our help or just want to learn more, check out https://www.creatorlymedia.com ----------------------------------------­-------