Why Your Videos Are Being Ignored (And How to Fix It)
You’ve finally done it. You sat down, recorded a video of yourself explaining how your service works, or maybe you showed off a finished renovation in Ascot, and you hit upload. You’re waiting for the phone to ring.
But nothing happens.
Most Brisbane business owners I talk to think the problem is the video itself. They think they weren’t charismatic enough, or the lighting was off, or the camera wasn't expensive enough.
Usually, they’re wrong. The real reason nobody is watching is that the "cover photo" of your video—what we call the thumbnail—looks like a blurry accident.
Think of your video thumbnail like the shopfront of your business. If your shopfront is dusty, dark, and has a sign that’s fallen off, nobody is walking through the door, no matter how good the service is inside. In the world of YouTube and Facebook, if your thumbnail doesn't grab someone's eye in less than a second, they’re going to keep scrolling right past you to your competitor.
The "Split Second" Rule
People are busy. Your customers in the Southside or up in Chermside are scrolling through their phones while waiting for a coffee or sitting on the train. They aren't looking for a reason to watch your video; they are looking for a reason to skip it.
If you want more people to click, you have to make it brain-dead simple for them to understand what they’re going to get. When you use simple videos to grow your business, the thumbnail is the handshake before the conversation. If the handshake is weak, the deal is off.
Here is the good news: You don’t need to be a graphic designer to fix this. You just need to follow a few basic rules that most of your competitors are too lazy to do.
1. Show Your Face (And Make it Human)
I see this all the time with tradies and professional services. They’ll put up a video and the thumbnail is just a picture of a tool, a boring office building, or a generic stock photo of a handshake.
People buy from people.
If you are a plumber in Coorparoo, put your face on the thumbnail. Don’t just stand there like a statue, either. Smile, look surprised, or point at something. We are hard-wired as humans to look at other human faces. It builds immediate trust. We’ve found that showing the real you wins far more local customers than any polished, corporate-looking advertisement ever will.
Quick Win: Take a photo of yourself looking directly at the camera. Use a plain background so you stand out. If you’re talking about a problem (like a leaking tap), look frustrated. If you’re showing a result (like a new kitchen), look proud.
2. Use Big, Bold Text (But Keep it Short)
Most people will see your video on a mobile phone. That means your thumbnail is about the size of a postage stamp.
If you put a whole sentence on there, nobody can read it. You want 3 or 4 words maximum. Use a bright colour like yellow or white that stands out against the background.
Instead of: "How our team can help you save money on your electricity bills this summer" Use: "SLASH POWER BILLS"
It needs to be a punch in the face. It should tell the viewer exactly what the benefit is. Remember, we want more phone calls, not a design award. Keep the font thick and easy to read. Avoid those fancy cursive fonts that look like a wedding invitation—they are impossible to read on a small screen.
3. The "Before and After" Trick
If you run a service-based business where you actually fix or change things (landscapers, cleaners, dentists, mechanics), this is your secret weapon.
Split your thumbnail down the middle. Put the ugly "Before" on the left and the beautiful "After" on the right. This is one of the most effective ways to get people to click because it promises a result.
I worked with a carpet cleaner in Logan who struggled to get views on his cleaning demos. We changed his thumbnails to show a filthy, black carpet next to a bright, clean one with the text "GUM GONE." His enquiries doubled in a month because people didn't have to guess what the video was about—they saw the result instantly.
4. Don't Let the Platform Choose for You
When you upload a video to YouTube or Facebook, the platform will automatically pick a random frame from your video to use as the cover.
Usually, it picks the exact moment you have your eyes half-closed or your mouth open in a weird way. It looks unprofessional and lazy.
Never, ever use the automatic thumbnail. Always take a separate photo specifically for the cover of your video. It takes two minutes on your iPhone, but it makes you look like a serious business instead of an amateur. Using video to get customers only works if they actually click play.
Is This Going to Cost a Fortune?
Absolutely not. This is one of the cheapest ways to improve your marketing.
The DIY Way ($0): Use a free tool like Canva. They have templates specifically for YouTube thumbnails. You just upload your photo, type your text, and download it. It’ll take you 10 minutes once you get the hang of it. The Pro Way ($50 - $150): You can hire a freelancer to make a batch of templates for you. Then you just swap the photo and the text for each new video.
In terms of results, you should see a difference almost immediately. You’ll notice that your "view count" starts to climb because more people are choosing your video over the others in their feed. More views lead to more trust, which leads to more phone calls.
What You Should Do First
If you have videos sitting on your YouTube channel or Facebook page right now that aren't getting any love, do this today:
1. Identify your best video: Which one explains your main service? 2. Take a new photo: Grab your phone, go outside in the sun, and take a clear photo of yourself smiling or pointing. 3. Add 3 words of text: Use Canva to put big, bold text on that photo that promises a result (e.g., "FIX YOUR ROOF"). 4. Upload it: Change the thumbnail on that one video.
Check back in a week. I bet you’ll see more activity on that video than you’ve had in the last month.
The Bottom Line
Stop overthinking the technical side of video. You don't need a film crew or a Hollywood script. You just need to stop people from scrolling past you.
A great thumbnail is the difference between a video that sits there doing nothing and a video that acts as a 24/7 salesman for your business. It’s a small change, but it’s one of the few things in marketing that gives you an almost instant return on the time you put in.
Most Brisbane business owners are getting this wrong. If you get it right, you’re already miles ahead of the shop down the road.
Want to get more customers without the headache? At Local Marketing Group, we help Brisbane businesses get more enquiries and sales through practical, no-nonsense marketing. If you’re too busy running your business to worry about thumbnails and videos, let’s have a chat.
Contact us today and let's get your phone ringing.