MidJourney Prompt Templates for Blog Thumbnails, YouTube Shorts, and More
Prompting in MidJourney is an art form—especially when you're using it for content production across multiple platforms. A thumbnail that works for a blog post doesn’t always perform well on YouTube Shorts or Instagram. That’s why having a collection of proven, purpose-specific prompt templates is critical for creators in 2025.
In this guide, I’ll share how I structure prompts for blog thumbnails, video content, and more, along with real-world examples and visual comparisons.
1. Why Different Platforms Require Different Prompting Styles
Each platform has a distinct visual context:
- Blog Thumbnails: Usually landscape (16:9), focused on clarity and topic visuals
- YouTube Shorts: Vertical orientation (9:16), more vibrant, with expressive subjects
- SNS Posts: Often square or portrait (1:1 / 4:5), emotion and aesthetic matter most
If you reuse the same prompt across all formats, you’ll end up with mismatched images that don’t perform. That’s why prompt engineering must adapt to context.
2. The 4 Core Elements of a Good Prompt
Every high-performing prompt I use follows this format:
[Main Subject], [Style], [Lighting], [Camera/Framing], [Context Tags], [AR]
Example:
a futuristic workspace for AI content creators, minimal style, soft lighting, top-down camera, clean digital layout, --ar 16:9
Breakdown:
- Subject: "futuristic workspace"
- Style: "minimal"
- Lighting: "soft lighting"
- Framing: "top-down camera"
- Context: "clean digital layout"
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
3. Template #1 – Blog Thumbnail (List or Tutorial)
a flat-style digital interface showing 5 productivity apps, soft shadows, clean layout, minimal style, center aligned, --ar 16:9
Use case: Perfect for blog posts like “Top 5 AI Tools” or “Best GPT Prompts.” Clarity over complexity.
Template #2 – Blog Thumbnail (Narrative/Emotional)
a person sitting at desk with glowing laptop in dark room, cinematic light, shallow depth of field, emotional tone --ar 16:9
Use case: For storytelling articles or posts about burnout, productivity, personal growth.
Template #3 – YouTube Shorts Thumbnail (Object-Focused)
close-up of a digital gadget glowing, isolated on vibrant background, high contrast, macro lens --ar 9:16
Use case: Shorts about gadgets, tools, product reviews.
Template #4 – YouTube Shorts (Action Scene)
an animated robot typing on keyboard with energy sparks, motion blur, colorful neon, action-focused --ar 9:16
Use case: Explainers, fast-paced content, or viral hooks.
Template #5 – Instagram/SNS Content (Emotional Visual)
a girl sitting by a window with sunlight, emotional tone, soft focus, light pastel palette, cozy mood --ar 4:5
Use case: Aesthetic reels, quote backgrounds, or emotional storytelling posts.
Template #6 – MidJourney Prompt Explainer Image
infographic explaining MidJourney prompt structure with tags: style, lighting, camera, subject – diagram layout --ar 16:9
Use case: Visual education posts, carousel slides, tutorial pages.
4. How I Set Parameters and Stylization
For blog thumbnails, I usually run with the following settings:
- --v 6 for consistency
- Stylize: 100–300 (balanced creativity)
- Weird: 0 (avoid distortion in faces/objects)
- Quality: 1 (fast generation with decent output)
For YouTube Shorts or experimental posts, I sometimes increase stylize to 500+ and use higher contrast backgrounds.
5. Real Results Comparison
Using the same topic, I ran two prompts:
- Blog Prompt: “AI-powered workflow interface, soft tones, 16:9”
- Shorts Prompt: “dynamic AI avatar typing, neon light, 9:16”
The difference in framing, expression, and visual energy is clear. Blog images focus on information. Shorts images focus on motion and excitement.
Final Thoughts
Prompt templates save time, reduce decision fatigue, and help you create content that matches platform expectations. If you're serious about visual branding across formats, building your own prompt library is a must.
Feel free to copy, tweak, and build on the ones I shared here—they’ve been battle-tested across 50+ blog posts and videos. And remember: prompting is a creative process. The more you experiment, the better you get.
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