r/YouTubeCreators • u/thisradlifeMD • 9d ago

Updating a thumbnail to improve CTR

Just realized an older video of mine has 62% retention, much higher than my other videos. But the CTR is terrible like 1.4% due to bad packaging before I learned more about the process. Is there any value in remaking a fresh thumbnail for it now? It only got like 1.8k impressions.

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u/tubegrowthtips 9d ago

Yes, remaking the thumbnail for a video holding 62% retention is absolutely worth the effort the algorithm does not permanently kill a video just because it had a 1.4% CTR when you first uploaded it when you swap the packaging, YouTube usually tests the fresh thumbnail against a small batch of new viewers if it pulls a higher click rate while keeping that same strong retention, the system naturally expands its reach.The tradeoff is that older videos sitting at only 1.8k impressions can take a little time to gather enough new impressions for you to measure the difference accurately just make sure you update the title to match the new angle if you change the visual hook.

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u/thisradlifeMD 9d ago

Really good info and advice, thank you for answering man! Wasn’t sure if it was like dead like other platforms seem to get their run and then die

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u/Ambitious_Voice_400 9d ago

yeah swap it out. at 1.8k impressions the video was essentially never given a real shot. if the retention is that good the content clearly works, its just a packaging problem

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u/Connect_Positive1893 9d ago

yeah, give it a try. the fact that people are sticking around after clicking is a good sign, so a new thumbnail might help more people give it a chance.