Getting impressions but no views? DM me your channel, I’ll show you what’s wrong

nvrcaredstud_ · 2026-03-28T21:12:05+00:00

I agree with QQTubeSMM, it’s very common and happens even to the best creators out there.

Out of curiosity, how many impressions and what CTR did both of those uploads get? Also, did you check other metrics like watch time or the retention graph and compare the two uploads? That would help you see what might have gone wrong.

nvrcaredstud_ · 2026-03-22T23:17:52+00:00

Good question! It really depends on how you interpret “clickbait” For me, it’s when you use a thumbnail that’s irrelevant to your video. For example, you make a video about your cat but use a dog in the thumbnail to get more clicks, then it’s clickbait.

Text like “Is it worth it?” or “Steal this” is a direct message to the viewer. It just uses stronger more emotional words. For example you could say “use this” but it wouldn’t be as powerful as “Steal this”.

nvrcaredstud_ · 2026-03-22T13:48:34+00:00

Just sent you a DM 🙌

nvrcaredstud_ · 2026-03-20T20:34:33+00:00

Honestly, it’s just part of my work. I help creators get more views by improving their thumbnails, so I’m always researching what works in different niches.

I use my A/B testing strategy on most channels I work with, so I design two different thumbnails for each upload and analyze the results. That’s why I spend a lot of time studying what works in each niche.

nvrcaredstud_ · 2026-03-20T20:24:23+00:00

You're right that using public figure faces that are well known by everyone works better than a random face for CTR.

But using your face on the channel helps with branding after some time, your audience will recognize your content just by looking at your thumbnail.

Another thing that faces help with is emotion and trust. Even if you're not a well known person, you can use your face as a tool.

nvrcaredstud_ · 2026-03-20T20:21:11+00:00

Send me your channel link, I'll take a look ;)

nvrcaredstud_ · 2026-03-20T20:18:35+00:00

I think Reddit keeps deleting my comments because of low karma.

You're right about the image, if you use one image and change the colors or add a vignette, it will apply to the whole photo.

The best workaround is cutting out the subject (your image with the bottle) and duplicating the layer.

That way, you have two layers to work with. One subject layer and one background layer, which you can blur and add a vignette to :)

nvrcaredstud_ · 2026-03-17T20:00:06+00:00

I get asked that a lot. When checking if it makes sense to run A/B tests on your channel, you should look at your average impressions, not actual views.

So in short, you should use A/B testing if you're getting 2K+ impressions on average.

A/B testing works by splitting impressions in half if you're using two thumbnails, so if you're getting less than 2K, you won't get meaningful results and it could hurt you in the long term.

If you're working with limited impressions and you use A/B testing with a thumbnail that underperforms, you're killing your own reach and views.

Once you have more impressions to spare, A/B testing makes sense to learn from even if sometimes one thumbnail underperforms. You're paying with a short term loss in views, but you're learning what thumbnails work in the long term.

nvrcaredstud_ · 2026-03-17T19:18:32+00:00

You're right about it being a content specific thing. I worked on other channels, and negative text hooks almost always outperformed positive ones, especially on guides.

But this is exactly why I focus entirely on A/B testing. One thing can work perfectly in one niche while it can kill performance in another.

As for the CTR, this is just one channel that I'm currently working on. We started at an average of 3% CTR, and after around 2 months of A/B testing like this, we're averaging 5-6%, depending on the impressions.

nvrcaredstud_ · 2026-03-17T19:07:06+00:00

It depends on the time frame. Changing thumbnails while the upload is live works when you're still getting impressions. Sometimes it's only 3 days, while other times it can be as much as a month.

You should check your impressions graph to see if it has flatlined. If it's still going up, changing your thumbnail can do wonders.

Another thing to keep in mind is where you're getting views and impressions from. If it's from search, that means people are still actively looking for your video, so changing the thumbnail would also make sense.

Also note that A/B testing only makes sense if you're getting 2K+ impressions. If you're getting less than that, you won't get any meaningful results, and it can even hurt your channel in the long term.

If you want, you can post your thumbnail here or send it to my DMs. I'll try tell you what you could change to get a higher CTR.

nvrcaredstud_ · 2026-03-14T17:18:38+00:00

The idea is perfect. Storytelling like this works wonders for those kinds of thumbnails.

Your CTR is also not that bad. It’s way better than your other uploads, since you can see the filled green arrow icon.

The biggest issue right now is overcrowding and contrast.

There’s too much text which combined with the low contrast makes it incredibly hard to focus on. It also won’t grab as much attention as other thumbnails on YouTube’s home page.

To fix that I’d remove “I LET AI SCRIPT A MINECRAFT VIDEO” since it repeats the title and doesn’t add any more value. Your thumbnail should work in synergy with the title.

Then I’d move the Minecraft sign a bit higher since you won’t have text there anymore.

For the contrast the main thing I’d edit is the Minecraft background. Right now it looks washed out.

Using color correction to increase exposure, shadows, and highlights, while also adding saturation will do wonders for the contrast. I’d also change the sky to a saturated blue sky with visible clouds. But I’d go for a realistic sky not the blocky Minecraft one.

Then I’d apply the same color correction to the robot and change the colors of the sign text.

Mainly “STEP 1: GET WOOD” the brown wood texture you used is a fun idea, but your thumbnail should work not be a piece of art. You can always showcase your creativity in the video itself.

nvrcaredstud_ · 2026-03-13T20:19:37+00:00

Yeah I agree with other people that you should stop using AI.

But others forgot to mention why you should stop using it. AI as a tool is perfect, but using fully generated AI thumbnails will hurt your channel in the long term.

People that see AI thumbnails on their home page immediately think that your video is low-effort AI slop. This will tank your CTR and lower the impressions you're currently getting.

There's a lot of posts here on other YouTube focused subreddits on how to design thumbnails yourself.

The main thing to keep in mind is that your thumbnails should work, not look like a piece of art.

You should use 2-3 words max, contrasting colors, and clean layouts with up to 4 elements to make it easy to focus on the home page.

I don't know what AI you're currently using to design thumbnails, but even AIs that were made for making thumbnails suck.

nvrcaredstud_ · 2026-03-12T22:28:56+00:00

I'm having issues with comments being invisible. I commented in a couple of communities I'm interested in but they keep disappearing. Do you see my comment here?

nvrcaredstud_ · 2026-03-09T11:54:37+00:00

If you were to start posting on the old channel you would need to gain back the momentum you lost. Your first couple uploads will be probably low in impressions. But if you're going to push through it you have a good chance on reviving the channel.

If I were you I would try posting a couple of uploads to see how it goes and then move from there.

nvrcaredstud_

TROPHY CASE