“ A key element in the spread of ideas is their visual element.” -Seth Godin

Recently we talked about The Importance of a Pitch Clip on your Campaign, so today we're gonna touch on the role your choice of image plays in your campaign. 

Ultimate entrepreneur and best-selling author Seth Godin discusses What makes an idea viral? in his blog and writes:

No one "gets" an idea unless:
a. the first impression demands further investigation
b. they already understand the foundation ideas necessary to get the new idea
c. they trust or respect the sender enough to invest the time

His first point applies significantly to campaigns on IndieGoGo. As campaign leaders, you have two opportunities to make a lasting first impression on IndieGoGo: 1) your thumbnail image (what appears on your widget) and 2) your pitch video's thumbnail image or your primary image (the big image on your home page).

1) the THUMBNAIL image

Which campaign would you click?

 
(The image on the left is not a real campaign. This example is for illustrative purposes only)

The job of the thumbnail image is to make you want to click to learn more. So to make sure that your campaign is appealing, we recommend that you answer "YES" to these three important questions before you select the final image you want to use as your thumbnail image:

a) Is it eye-catching?

b) Does it relate to my campaign's project?

c) Is it high quality and in 200×200 pixels?

We also recommend that you include the title or name of your campaign somewhere on the image so people know who or what they're checking out.

Great examples of thumbnail images that answer those three questions:

2) Your video's thumbnail OR your primary image

Your pitch video's thumbnail is important, too. A video thumbnail is the image that represents your video. It should make others want to watch the video, so, similar to thumbnail image of your widget, make sure you select a video thumbnail that'll make anybody do a double take when they see it.

Which pitch video would you watch?

 
(The image on the right is not a real campaign. This example is for illustrative purposes only)

Some of the elements of a great video thumbnail include:

• The title of your video itself says "IndieGoGo pitch clip for XYZ campaign"
• The "from" name matches the project admin name
• Title of your campaign ON the image
• Strong inviting captivating image (can be same as thumbnail image)
• Your goal or perk or anything specific to the campaign
• IndieGoGo logo

Here are a couple more examples of video thumbnails have one or more of the elements mentioned above:

What better way to ask people to "Help Feed 37 Colombian Children" than by showing the faces of the children themselves?

We like this thumbnail because before you even click the play button, you know the title of the project, where to find them online, and their lowest perk level.

Great Hint: Did you know that on Vimeo and YouTube you can manually select your video thumbnail? You can even use an image that doesn't appear in your video!

3) Pitch Image (pitch video alternative)

If you're pitch video is still being spliced in the editing room, you have the option to use an image instead. Like your video thumbnail image, your primary image should also identify your project, be captivating, and add a little color to your pitch page. Here are just a few campaigns with smart choices of image:

  
Have you funded or added a campaign to your "favorites," because of the impression the imagery left on you?