Eli shared a useful tip: When uploading a video to LinkedIn, make sure your first frame isn’t black. Or better yet, create a thumbnail that’s attractive and will tell me what to expect and convince me to hit that play button.
On Vimeo, where I upload most of my video work, I get to choose a thumbnail, either by selecting a frame straight out of the video, or by uploading an image.
In a series of videos I did for Links for their 10th annual Shabbaton, the videos consisted of a simple logo animation in the beginning, a talking head, then closing on a simple graphic.
Having a meaningful thumbnail is essential. Instead of having a screenshot of the speaker, I created custom thumbnails in Photoshop that included the logo, the speaker and some text.
I implemented similar solutions for other videos as needed.
When looking at my portfolio as a whole, it is much more attractive then it would’ve been, if not for the extra work.
Take the time to perfect your online appearance. It’ll be worth it.
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Learn more about Avraham Kohn at www.filmdust.tv
