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# Underperforming Videos
- URL: https://paige.canadiancivil.com/underperforming-videos/
- Published: 2021-08-27T12:10:20.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-13T20:33:57.000Z
- Author: Paige Saunders
- Tags: canadian civil, meta, podcast, #patreon, #patreon-55405017

See that? I made a more clickable title already.

I have an idea for an experiment and meta-video that **you are invited to be a part of.**

I get [quite](https://twitter.com/uytaelee/status/1427419152940101647?ref=paige.canadiancivil.com) a [lot](https://twitter.com/RM%5FTransit/status/1425974485459603463?ref=paige.canadiancivil.com) of [comments](https://youtu.be/wLFtMxxE-Rg?t=668&ref=paige.canadiancivil.com) that my videos should have more views. Often blamed on not having enticing and clickable thumbnails.

As much as I like being a pleasant surprise for people, I do make videos to educate Canadians and push for reforms. So I'm always looking for easy ways to increase the audience from "a few annoying letters to politicians" to "many annoying letters to politicians".

**The Experiment**

The experiment which will be documented on [Canadian Civil](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCViA8T-lGaUxrmG941xSi-A?ref=paige.canadiancivil.com), is swapping all of my thumbnails for a month with an array of different thumbnail approaches. We will find out if by simply changing out a thumbnail a video can "go viral". It could be a candy-clickable-mouth-agape-arrows-and-icons or it might be just be a less cluttered and elegant design.

**Win A Park Pie!**

You are invited to email a thumbnail and title to **[thumbnails@sailingonsound.com](mailto:thumbnails@sailingonsound.com)** for any video that you feel like. I have [created a spreadsheet of all the videos](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Ir9hyk7y0gFcAWpfX1DfTgak6WDGWkYMKLqG3FPBptE/edit?usp=sharing&ref=paige.canadiancivil.com) so you can see which ones are taken. Thumbnails are 1920px by 1080px PNGs. Submissions close Tuesday the 31st at 12 EST (Just a few days!).

I will swap out these thumbs and measure the relative increase or decrease in views.

The winner of the competition is the one that has the greatest relative increase in views. If you win, you get a fancy pie from the [New Zealand Embassy](https://www.ta-pies.com/?ref=paige.canadiancivil.com) in Montreal and if you're in Montreal we can eat it in the park together like friends!

I promise, I won't be annoyed or offended by any earnest submission. I already got the oversimplification of my latest video above. I was both impressed and laughing harder than I have in weeks.