Case Study: How We Boosted CTR On A Dead Video — YouTube Algorithm Testing

The Problem

Maskyotic poured hours into every upload — researching each topic, recording voiceovers, editing, and polishing every detail. But after all that work, the video went live on YouTube… and barely moved.

It didn’t get the traction it deserved.

This video was stuck at a 1.8% click-through rate (CTR) with only 481 views. The problem wasn’t the content — it was the packaging.

The thumbnail was too dark, low-contrast, and invisible on the YouTube homepage, so even an incredible story went unnoticed.

The Solution

We redesigned the thumbnail using data collected from YouTube videos in similar niches.
The goal was to keep it dark and unsettling, but with a clear text hook that built curiosity and mystery.

Using insights from A/B testing across multiple channels, we applied what consistently worked for audiences who engage with dark storytelling and true-crime content.

The Result

We designed two A/B variations of the thumbnail to test different psychological triggers.

• Thumbnail A focused on the mysterious man from the tapes, paired with a question-style hook on the right side — a layout built to spark immediate curiosity and clicks.

  

• Thumbnail B leaned into visual storytelling, using a bloody VHS tape texture and removing the figure entirely.

  

Our hypothesis: viewers connect faster when the thumbnail visualizes the title instead of repeating it.

The video title — “The Bizarre Mystery of the Whiteface Tapes” — clicked perfectly with the image of the tape, creating an instant cognitive link.

After just one month, CTR jumped from 1.8% to 4.5% and views from 480 to over 12,000, without a single title change or re-upload. This test proved that when you design thumbnails using audience data and visual psychology, even a “dead” video can reignite in the algorithm and reach the audience it was made for.