I build titles around viewer pain points and make thumbnails that show my actual personality. I started with AI-generated thumbnails, but they came out looking like AI slop. I wanted my videos to feel authentic and show my personality. For me, a less edited thumbnail often does that better. Canva has been the most enjoyable tool I’ve found for this. The question behind all of it is: “What am I going to get out of this video?” I want the viewer to understand why it’s worth their time. Here’s the process I use: 1. Know who I’m speaking to. I wrote down every pain point my ideal viewer feels. My audience avatar is a younger version of myself, so I know that person well lol 2. Start with a working title. Before publishing the video, I use that avatar to check that the title speaks clearly to a specific pain point 3. Refine the title after reviewing the transcript. That’s when I use my title generator, checking that the title matches what’s actually in the video 4. Build the thumbnail in Canva. I focus on one particular aspect of that viewer’s pain. Canva lets me add text and visual cues while keeping full control 5. Keep thumbnail text to 1–5 words. It supports the title and hints at how the video will help.

This is my first post here since May, and it’s a reminder I need to: do more. I’ve seen the value of volume in sales. Now I’m testing that same lesson with content. More reps, more chances to learn.