Knowing how to make great thumbnails isn't enough. The hardest part is finding the channels that need them, and that can pay for them. Here's a 5-step method.
1. Define your target
Not every channel makes a good client. The most promising ones often have:
- A regular schedule: a channel that uploads often needs thumbnails often.
- A mid-range size: big enough to have a budget, not big enough to already have a dedicated designer.
- Thumbnails that lag behind the content: good videos, rushed thumbnails. That's where your work makes the difference.
- A niche you know: you understand its audience and speak its language.
Pick 1 or 2 niches to start with. Your portfolio will be more consistent and your messages sharper.
2. Find the channels
You can search by hand: type a keyword from your niche into YouTube, open the channels, note the ones that fit. It works, but it's slow, and YouTube mostly surfaces channels that are already doing well.
3. Qualify before you reach out
Spend a few minutes on each channel before you write. Check that:
- The channel has uploaded recently
- There's a way to contact them (business email in the About tab, socials)
- Their current thumbnails have real room for improvement
- You have a specific idea of what you would improve
If you can't see anything concrete to improve, move on to the next one. A message without a specific observation looks like all the others.
4. Reach out
A short, personal message, with a specific observation about their thumbnails and a simple offer. We cover it all in our first message guide.
5. Track every prospect
A lot of replies don't come after the first message. Without tracking, you forget who you contacted, when, and who replied. Three stages are all you need:
- To contact: channels you've found and qualified.
- Contacted: message sent, with the date.
- Replied: the conversation has started.
Follow up once or twice, politely, with something new each time (an idea, an example). After that, move on.
Consistency beats volume
Reaching out to a few well-chosen channels every day beats sending a hundred generic messages in one go. You learn from every reply, you fine-tune your message, and your portfolio grows with every new client.