How to Create the Best Instagram Thumbnail for Your Video

This guide will help you create eye-catching Instagram thumbnails that make your videos stand out and leave a lasting impression on anyone who sees them.

Have you ever browsed someone’s Instagram profile or scrolled your feed, only to be stopped in your tracks by a compelling image? That’s the power that a well-designed thumbnail holds.

If a picture paints a thousand words, then a thumbnail can do the same for a video.

It piques people’s interest, summarizes your content at a glance, and makes viewers hungry to see more.

In this post, I’ll show you how to create, design, and upload Instagram thumbnails that showcase your content and give your videos the attention they deserve.

Let’s go.

What Is an Instagram Thumbnail?

Instagram video thumbnails are an instant way to identify the content of your videos at a glance in the platform’s newsfeed.

By selecting the best frame from an uploaded video, an Instagram thumbnail allows you to stand out from the crowd and get noticed by your target audience.

Additionally, you can add short titles that complement the thumbnail image and summarize what viewers can expect.

The cover image for Instagram videos can also be used when sharing content on social media platforms to generate more traffic.

Types of Video Thumbnails

Instagram videos come in a variety of resolutions and aspect ratios, with video thumbnails matching the format of a given upload.

The main Instagram video thumbnail sizes used on the platform include:

• Vertical = 1080 x 608 pixels and a 1.9:1 aspect ratio.
• Horizontal = 1080 x 1350 pixels and a 4:5 aspect ratio.
• Portrait = 1080 x 1080 pixels and a 1:1 aspect ratio.

Different types of Instagram video thumbnails can be used to reflect the emotional qualities of the content and capture the viewer’s attention.

Some of the more popular styles include reaction expressions, thumbnails that draw emphasis through text and labels, and before and after split-screen images.

They can also incorporate the Instagram account’s branding and logos to confer authority and build the account’s overall recognition.

Why Instagram Thumbnails Matter

Creating a visually striking Instagram video thumbnail is a vital component of achieving success and recognition on the social media platform.

Far from being a vague generalization, the evidence is clear, with up to 70% of viewers indicating their willingness to watch content based on the cover image.

Optimizing your Instagram video thumbnails has also been proven to increase its ranking in search engine results by 10-15%.

With higher engagement rates and a reduction in bounce rates, it’s a surefire strategy for increasing the click-through rate on Instagram accounts.

• Does Boosting Posts on Instagram Work?

How to Add Instagram Video Thumbnails

 

Instagram features several options for users to upload or live stream video content to their platform, with subtle differences in how cover images are added to each of them.

Here’s a breakdown of the process to follow when adding an Instagram video thumbnail to videos as Reels and Story Highlight content.

How to Add a Thumbnail to Instagram Reels

 

When you create a new Instagram Reel, the first frame is automatically selected for use as the thumbnail image.

While this frame might sometimes work well, there’s often a better frame further into the content.

Adding a video thumbnail to an Instagram Reel video is simple, and you can do this by following these steps:

1. Record the Instagram video you want to add to your Reel.
2. On the next page with the New Reel options, tap on the Edit Cover option located in the current thumbnail preview.
3. Scroll through your Instagram video until you find the frame you want to use for your thumbnail.
4. Alternatively, tap the “Add from your device” icon and upload an image from your camera roll.
5. If necessary, use the “Crop profile image” to adjust it to fit the screen correctly.
6. Once you’re happy with the results, tap Done to finish the process.

How to Add a Thumbnail to Instagram Story Highlights

 

The first thing you need to be aware of when using the Instagram Stories feature is the lack of options to add thumbnails to these videos.

While this may be frustrating, it is possible to add a thumbnail to the Instagram Story Highlights and share this with your audience.

To add a thumbnail to an Instagram Story Highlights video, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to your profile, then tap and hold on the highlight video you wish to change.
2. Select the Edit Highlight option, then choose Edit Cover.
3. Choose the frame you want to use for the Instagram Story Highlights video thumbnail.

How to Change an Instagram Thumbnail After Posting

 

If you’re unhappy with the quality and impact an existing Instagram video thumbnail is having, you can change the cover photo in your account settings.

To do this, follow these instructions:

1. Head to your Instagram page and tap on the video you wish to change the thumbnail for.
2. Tap on the three-dot icon in the top right-hand corner of the video to bring up the options.
3. Select the Edit option, then tap on the Edit link in the video’s preview thumbnail.
4. Scroll through your Instagram video until you find the frame you want to use for your thumbnail.
5. Alternatively, tap the “Add from your device” icon and upload an image from your gallery.
6. If necessary, use the “Crop profile image” to adjust it to fit the screen correctly.
7. Once you’re happy with the results, tap Done to finish the process.

Free Tools for Creating Video Thumbnails

You don’t have to be a professional graphic designer to create eye-catching thumbnails for your next Instagram video.

There are plenty of free-to-use tools available online that deliver great results with easy-to-use templates to work from.

Here are a few popular resources you can try when creating new cover images for your Instagram videos:

• Canva – A hugely popular resource for marketing professionals, Canva has a raft of design tools supported by the AI-powered Magic Studio.
• Snappa – Snappa lives up to its name by offering quick and easy thumbnail creation for all types of users and comes highly rated by Forbes and Hubspot.
• VistaCreate – Another intuitive and free graphic design tool, VistaCreate’s asset creation pipeline includes instant branding based on your frequently used templates.
• Kapwing – With an emphasis on video content creation, Kapwing’s tools are optimal for Instagram video thumbnails and cover image creation.
• Adobe Express – Using the latest generative AI tools, Adobe Express is perfect for content creators already invested in their Creative Cloud ecosystem.

Tips for Making Engaging Instagram Thumbnails

As any marketing professional will tell you, making a strong first impression is crucial for converting new viewers and standing out from the competition.

This is as true for Instagram thumbnails as it is for ad campaigns, and there are some common methods you can use to increase engagement.

Here are some tips for making Instagram thumbnails that will capture people’s attention and encourage them to view your posts.

1. Choose High-Quality Images

There are a couple of things to keep in mind when creating click-worthy video thumbnails.

The first one is image quality. Whether you want to showcase your brand, tell a story, or make a statement with your thumbnail, do so with an image that’s attention-grabbing and high-quality.

Pay attention to your video thumbnail size and aspect ratio as well.

Thumbnails for Instagram Reels and IGTV videos need to be 1080px x 1920px at a 9:16 ratio, but in your gallery preview or grid, they appear with a 1:1 aspect ratio.

2. Tailor Your Design to Your Target Audience

You’ll also want to consider your ideal audience when designing your thumbnail.

Choose an easy-to-read video title, attractive color theme, and illustrations of your subject that arouse interest. When designing, try to position all vital text and images in the center.

One good tip is to use a text overlay with a bold and high-contrasting headline to hook viewers

Remember to consistently use your social media branding colors and official font if you have them.

Although it may be tempting, don’t go overboard with your design. Keep it clear and cohesive yet interesting.

For more design inspiration, you can view thumbnail templates and explore creative tools on third-party editing apps like Canva, Photoshop, and Adobe Spark.

• 25 Free Instagram Story Templates

3. Keep Things Simple

Whether you’re attempting to stand out from your competitors in the crowded app market or trying to build an Instagram following, a rule of thumb is to keep things simple.

Thumbnail images are relatively small, and users are unlikely to spend much time checking out the finer details as they scroll through their news feeds.

By stripping back the details to the core essentials, you reduce visual noise from the equation and ensure your thumbnail gets the attention you want.

• 25 Free Instagram Story Templates

4. Understand the Importance of Color Theory

One of the best ways to think like a professional graphic designer is to have a color wheel to hand when choosing your thumbnail’s color scheme.

Certain colors are more pleasing to the eye when paired together than others, and a color wheel serves as a cheat sheet to find complementary colors.

Making the best color choices can be the difference between your thumbnail popping off the screen or getting lost in a sea of visual mess.

• Read more about color theory.

5. Use Simple and Concise Text

Text is another great asset that can be used effectively to capture the attention of Instagram users, particularly when applied sparingly.

It stands to reason that a wall of text in a small font is going to be largely ignored, but a concise phrase in a bold font can work wonders.

You can use drop shadows or embossing effects to further help your text pop off the screen and bring additional context to the thumbnail’s image.

6. Make the Most of Contrast

High-contrast images are inherently more noticeable than ones that use muted or monochromatic color schemes.

While black-and-white images have this contrast built into their DNA, the effect can be achieved when using color in your images.

Contrast can also be used effectively to bring the text to life, as well as highlight points of visual interest within the thumbnail.

• How to Save Instagram Videos to your Camera Roll

FAQs About Instagram Thumbnails

What is Instagram video thumbnail size?

Instagram has a degree of flexibility when it comes to the size of thumbnails for videos, although the optimal size for IGTV videos is 420 x 654 pixels using a 1:1.55 aspect ratio.

The platform also accepts images with a resolution of 1080 x 1680 pixels and an aspect ratio of 9:16 to ensure it works well in the vertical format.

Can you put a thumbnail on an Instagram story?

Adding a thumbnail to your Instagram Story is a great way to switch things up from the default first video frame used by the platform.

To do this, tap on the Cover link when adding your video to Instagram, then slide along the video clip to select the desired frame.

Once you’ve done this, tap Next and write the caption for your video before hitting the Share button to make it live.

Why does Instagram crop my video thumbnail?

Instagram’s format is set to the square aspect ratio by default, so to keep to this format, video thumbnails are often cropped.

To retain the 9:16 aspect ratio, your video will be automatically cropped at the top and bottom to turn it into the required square formatting.

Can animated GIFs be used as thumbnails for videos?

While some social media and video content platforms don’t allow animated GIFs for thumbnails, Instagram has a workaround you can use.

To do so, you’ll need to turn the GIF into a short video, and the Instagram platform will convert this for you to an MP4 video as part of the process.

Where can I find a free Instagram thumbnail maker?

If you’re struggling to make thumbnails for your Instagram content, there are plenty of great options to do so for free.

Many content creators use Picmaker for thumbnail creation online, which is free to use and intuitive for quick content creation.

Where is the thumbnail on Instagram?

Finding the thumbnail on Instagram is easy, and is covered under the Add Cover option when uploading a new video.

You can also use the Change Thumbnail link at the bottom right corner of the video, which allows you to select a specific frame for your thumbnail.