WordPress is an excellent content management system (CMS) that allows you to easily create and publish content on your website. One of the most effective ways to engage your audience is through the use of video content. WordPress allows you to easily embed videos into your website, but adding a featured video thumbnail can make your content stand out even more. In this article, we’ll explore how to add featured video thumbnails in WordPress.
Adding Featured Video Thumbnails in WordPress:
Install and Activate the Video Thumbnail Plugin
To add featured video thumbnails in WordPress, you’ll need to install and activate a plugin that supports this feature. One of the best plugins for this is the Video Thumbnails plugin. You can easily find this plugin by searching for it in the WordPress plugin directory. Once you’ve installed and activated the plugin, you can move on to the next step.
Configure the Plugin Settings
After you’ve installed and activated the Video Thumbnails plugin, you’ll need to configure its settings. To do this, go to Settings > Video Thumbnails. From here, you can choose the size and style of your video thumbnail, and you can also set the default thumbnail image. Once you’ve configured the plugin settings, you can move on to the next step.
Add a Featured Video to Your Post or Page
To add a featured video to your post or page, you’ll need to embed the video using the WordPress video player. You can do this by simply pasting the video URL into the post or page editor. Once you’ve done this, the video will appear in the editor.
Set the Featured Video Thumbnail
To set the featured video thumbnail, you’ll need to add a custom field to your post or page. To do this, click on the Screen Options button in the top right corner of the editor and make sure the Custom Fields checkbox is checked. Next, scroll down to the Custom Fields section and click on the Add Custom Field button. In the Name field, enter “thumbnail” (without the quotes), and in the Value field, enter the URL of the thumbnail image you want to use. Once you’ve done this, click on the Update button to save your changes.
Conclusion
Adding featured video thumbnails in WordPress can help your content stand out and engage your audience more effectively. With the Video Thumbnails plugin and the WordPress video player, it’s easy to add featured video thumbnails to your website. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can create a professional and engaging website that your audience will love.
Things To Consider When Adding Featured Video In WordPress
Here are some additional things to consider when adding featured video thumbnails in WordPress:
Choosing the Right Thumbnail Image: The thumbnail image you choose can have a big impact on whether or not people decide to watch your video. Make sure to choose an image that accurately represents the content of the video and is visually appealing.
Consistency: Consistency is key when it comes to branding your website. Make sure that your featured video thumbnails are consistent in terms of size, style, and placement across your website.
Page Load Time: Adding a lot of videos or large thumbnails can slow down the loading time of your website, which can negatively impact the user experience. To avoid this, make sure to optimize your thumbnail images and use a caching plugin to speed up your website.
Mobile Optimization: More and more people are accessing the internet on their mobile devices, so it’s important to make sure that your featured video thumbnails are optimized for mobile screens. Make sure they’re responsive and that they don’t take up too much space on the page.
By keeping these things in mind, you can create a website that effectively uses featured video thumbnails to engage your audience and promote your content.
