The first image of our post, which represents the thumbnail is clearly very important. It is the first thing our followers see when they look at their feed.
And more than that, when we share our post through our old social media platforms, we are promoting the Steemit brand.
It is also worth mentioning that having a Steemit branded thumbnail increases your potential for a higher payout.
So let us work together now to create a variety of wonderful Steemit branded images, forcing more and more people to finally ask the question, 'What's Steemit all about then?"
Creativity Unleashed
The world is your oyster when it comes to this kind of thing. Go crazy! The image you can see at the top of this post is an inverted shot of blue ink falling into water. It is an old shot of mine, created while on the job for a herbal supplement company for whom I had to produce 8 different, organic feel logos.
You can learn more about how I did this in a previous post here: https://steemit.com/photography/@samstonehill/how-to-create-original-designs-using-ink-smoke-and-fire
I had a great time on this job and really enjoyed the way in which our first idea of ink in water evolved into so much more.
Photoshop
If you don't have it. Get it.
You could also use Adobe Illustrator or After Effects. And I imagine there are many more out there if you look, but the basics principles for producing this kind of work are always the same.
The Holy PNG
I mentioned in my Christmas post that the most important thing we should all have on our machine is the Steemit logo PNG file. It needs to be a PNG in order that you can see through the space around it. This single file represents so much potential and it is our duty as creatives to honour it in our own way.
You can download the logo in all file formats here:
http://s000.tinyupload.com/index.php?file_id=96231547875057516934
Thanks to 
I made this one a few months back to promote a time-lapse film I shot in Zambia & South Africa.
How to use the PNG file
Well, all you have to do is drop it over your selected image in your software of choice. The only thing you have to be conscious of is the PNG layer being on top of the image layer. All fairly logical stuff.
As a PNG file you can add drop shadow to the logo, giving it a more pronounced feel or go ahead and play with the plethora of potential effects.
I prefer to keep it simple generally speaking. But do sometimes play with the opacity or add drop shadow.
Choosing the right image
It is essential that there be a natural space in your image where the Steemit logo can stand out.
Your image does not necessarily need to match the content of your post, though it is always best to aim for this. In fact, the most important thing is that your image is strong and the Steemit branding clear.
Add some words too
Your software will have a TEXT feature, usually represented by the letter T. As it is in Photoshop. Hit the T, click on the image and write your text. Play with the size & fonts till you are happy. If you don't have a good selection, you can find a bunch for free here: http://www.1001freefonts.com
Downloading and installing the fonts is pretty straight forward. At least it is on a mac.
More advanced options
When I have the time I like to play with my images a little more by cutting out features that appear over the top of the PNG file.
So basically I am creating another layer using just these cut-out bits and this layer sits at the top of your three layers.
Layer 1 - cut out image
Layer 2 - PNG file
Layer 3 - original image
Here you can see the pink line around my hand which shows where I have cut it out. This hand becomes my first layer. To perform such an operation is much simpler than one might imagine. The rotoscope tool does it in one click, if there is a clear contrast in tone between that which you want and that which you don't want.
Below you can see my final image after adding the hands over the top of the PNG and original shot.
Please feel free to ask me any questions. I am here to help.
Hope you enjoyed the post and I look forward to seeing all your amazing work.