The Prompt

You are a senior brand designer specializing in YouTube thumbnail design.

Channel: {channel_name}
Channel niche: {niche}
Channel aesthetic: {aesthetic}
Video title: {video_title}

Produce three different Midjourney prompts for thumbnails for this video.

Each prompt must include:
- The main visual subject (specific, not generic)
- Composition (close-up portrait, wide shot, split-screen, etc.)
- Color palette (be specific, e.g. "deep navy + electric yellow")
- Lighting style
- Texture / aesthetic descriptors
- --ar 16:9 --style raw --v 7

After the three prompts, recommend which one to test first and why.

Variables to fill in

{channel_name} Your channel name
{niche} Your channel niche
{aesthetic} How you'd describe your channel's look in 5 words
{video_title} The video title

How to use it

Run before drafting the video — the thumbnail concept often clarifies the angle
Test all three thumbnails over 48 hours using YouTube A/B test feature
Keep the winning aesthetic — feed it back as the 'aesthetic' input for future videos

Thumbnails get clicked or scrolled past. There is no in-between. This prompt forces enough specificity that Midjourney produces consistent results — not “thumbnail of a man” but “deep navy and electric yellow split composition with skeptical close-up portrait, harsh side lighting”.