LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with over 722 million users worldwide. It’s a valuable platform for businesses looking to connect with professionals in their target audience. One of the ways to reach LinkedIn users is through LinkedIn ads. Video ads are an increasingly popular format on the platform. In this article, we’ll look at whether you can run video ads on LinkedIn and the requirements for doing so.
Can You Run Video Ads on LinkedIn?
Yes, you can run video ads on LinkedIn. LinkedIn rolled out video ads in August 2017 as part of its suite of sponsored content ad formats. This gave advertisers a powerful new way to engage LinkedIn’s user base through visually compelling video content.
There are three types of video ad formats you can create on LinkedIn:
Single Video Ads
Single video ads are standalone video clips up to 10 minutes long. They autoplay in the LinkedIn feed with the sound off. Users can click to unmute and watch the video.
Carousel Video Ads
Carousel video ads contain 2-10 video cards that users can horizontally swipe through. Each video card can be up to 20 seconds long.
Sponsored Video Campaigns
Sponsored video campaigns are a full-screen immersive video experience. They include a headline, customizable call-to-action button, and can be up to 10 minutes long.
So in summary – yes, all three major video ad formats are available to advertisers on LinkedIn. It’s a highly engaging way to reach LinkedIn’s 700+ million members.
LinkedIn Video Ad Requirements
If you want to run video ads on LinkedIn, there are some requirements to keep in mind:
Video Length
– Single video ads: Up to 10 minutes
– Carousel video cards: Up to 20 seconds each
– Sponsored video campaigns: Up to 10 minutes
Video File Size
– Single video ads: Up to 200MB
– Carousel video cards: Up to 200MB each
– Sponsored video campaigns: Up to 200MB
Video Dimensions
– Single video ads: 400×225 (9:5 aspect ratio)
– Carousel video cards: 400×225 (9:5 aspect ratio)
– Sponsored video campaigns: 600×338 (16:9 aspect ratio)
Video Formats
LinkedIn supports the following video formats: .MP4, .MOV, .AVI, .WMV, .MPEGPS, .FLV, .3GPP, .WebM.
Call-to-Action Button
Single video ads and carousel video ads require a call-to-action button (e.g. Learn More, Sign Up). Sponsored video campaigns have an optional CTA button.
Captions
Captions are optional. To ensure accessibility, captions are recommended. Supported formats include .SRT, .VTT, and .SBV.
Compliance
Videos must comply with LinkedIn’s ad policies and professional community guidelines. All ad content is subject to review and approval.
Overall, LinkedIn aims to provide advertisers with a flexible video ad platform while ensuring a professional viewing experience for their members. As you can see, the requirements focus heavily on file specifications and content compliance.
Benefits of Video Ads on LinkedIn
Now that we’ve established you can definitely run video ads on LinkedIn, what are the specific benefits marketers can achieve?
Engaging Format
Video is one of the most engaging and memorable content formats. LinkedIn reports that Sponsored Video Campaigns have up to 50% completion rates. Videos have high viewability compared to other LinkedIn ad units.
Professional Audience
LinkedIn provides access to a huge audience of professionals not easily reached on other networks. Over 63 million senior-level influencers and 40 million decision-makers are on LinkedIn. Highly relevant targeting based on job title, skills, company name and more helps hit your target demographic.
Native Environment
LinkedIn video ads appear in the native feed units alongside regular posts. This native integration provides a smooth, non-disruptive viewing experience that users are more likely to pay attention to and share.
Powerful Storytelling
Storytelling and emotion are powerful tools for engaging audiences. Videos let brands tell stories and evoke emotion to communicate their message on a deeper level.
Sharable Content
LinkedIn makes it easy for viewers to share videos with their connections. This extends the reach and impact of LinkedIn video ads as they get passed between professionals.
Measurable Results
LinkedIn provides robust video ad analytics on views, completion rate, conversions and more. You can optimize campaigns based on performance data.
Overall, video is a highly strategic format that allows brands to engage the professional LinkedIn audience in memorable and measurable ways.
Types of Videos to Run on LinkedIn Ads
When planning the creative for LinkedIn video campaigns, you want to leverage formats and content that will resonate with the target audience. Here are some of the top video styles to consider:
Product Demo Videos
Demo videos where you showcase how your product or service works are very effective. LinkedIn viewers want to understand how your solution can benefit them and video demos build that understanding. Keep demos concise and focus on the value proposition.
Customer Testimonial Videos
Peer recommendations are highly influential among professionals. Customer testimonial videos lend credibility and social proof to your brand claims. Let satisfied customers do the talking through their video stories.
Behind-the-Scenes Videos
Give viewers a look “behind the curtain” at what makes your brand unique. Show off your company culture, manufacturing facility, R&D lab, etc. This builds rapport with viewers.
Expert Interviews/Fireside Chats
Thought leadership builds trust and influence. Profile your executives, founders, engineers or external experts through Q&A-style videos.
Case Study Videos
Share a client success story showcasing how you solved a problem they were facing. Case studies make services and products feel more tangible.
Video Infographics
Transform your company’s data and stats into lively motion infographics. Animated charts, graphs, and timelines are more engaging than static images.
Event Videos
Repurpose recordings of live events, webinars, and conferences into shorter video ads. This extends the reach to audiences who couldn’t attend live.
Video Blogs/Vlogs
Convert your executive blog content into authentic vlog-style videos. This adds a personal touch to your thought leadership.
Determine which video styles and narratives will most appeal to your target viewers on LinkedIn. Align creative formats with campaign objectives to drive the desired conversions.
Best Practices for LinkedIn Video Ads
To maximize the impact of your LinkedIn video campaigns, keep these best practices in mind:
Lead With Value
Always focus on communicating the value you provide right up front. Demonstrate how you solve problems for customers.
Spotlight Benefits
Don’t just describe features. Connect those features back to tangible user benefits like saving time, costs, or headaches.
Leverage Captions
Optimize video captions to increase viewership and reinforce messaging for skimmers.
Keep Videos Short
Videos under 2 minutes have the highest completion rates. Get key points across quickly and concisely.
Call-to-Action
Include a clear, clickable CTA button to drive conversions from your videos.
Mobile-First
With smartphone usage booming, optimize video ads for vertical mobile viewing.
A/B Test
Try different video styles, lengths, captions, and CTAs to see what resonates most. Refine based on performance.
Retarget Engaged Viewers
Create lookalike audiences and retarget people who watched over 50% of your video.
Measure Results
Leverage LinkedIn’s analytics to understand video completion rates, CTRs, conversions, audience retention and more.
Following these best practices will help you get the most value from investing in LinkedIn video ads. Optimize based on data insights.
Targeting Options for LinkedIn Video Ads
One of LinkedIn’s biggest advantages is its depth of targeting capabilities. Video ads can be precisely targeted using a range of professional audience filters:
Company
Target by company name or attributes like industry, size, location, etc.
Job Title/Function
Target by job title or broader job category like marketing, IT, engineering.
Skills
Target members with specific skills listed on their profile.
Groups
Target based on LinkedIn groups people have joined.
Interests
Target audiences interested in certain B2B solutions.
Demographics
Target by criteria like age, gender, education level.
Account Targeting
Target specific companies you want to reach.
Matched Audiences
Target audiences based on website visitors, contacts, etc.
Geolocation
Target people by country, state, region.
Layering these targeting options allows you to hone in on the professional audiences that matter most for your campaigns and goals.
Tips for an Effective LinkedIn Video Ad Strategy
Here are some additional tips to help formulate an effective video ad strategy for LinkedIn:
Align Videos to Buying Stage
Use different video styles to target audiences at different stages of the buyer’s journey.
Mix Video Ad Types
A/B test single video ads, carousels, and sponsored video campaigns to see what converts best.
Integrate With Content Strategy
Repurpose existing blog, social, and website content into LinkedIn videos.
Promote Top Funnel Videos
Promote relevant brand videos to cold audiences to build awareness.
Retarget With Videos
Create customized video sequences to nurture warm leads down the funnel.
Value-Based Messaging
Focus on addressing audience pain points and demonstrating value clearly.
Concise, Consumable Videos
Ensure videos are short, easy to digest, and mobile-optimized.
Promote Your Videos
Promote your videos through other channels beyond just ads.
Test, Learn, Refine
Continually test new video strategies and creatives and optimize based on data.
A strategic, audience-focused video approach will drive stronger engagement and conversions on LinkedIn.
Conclusion
LinkedIn now supports a wide range of impactful video ad formats. Brands can leverage video to tell stories that resonate with LinkedIn’s professional audience. With precise targeting options, you can connect your videos with the audiences that matter most for your business goals.
Videos create an emotional connection and memorable viewing experience that static images can’t always achieve. By following LinkedIn’s video ad specifications and best practices, you can execute high-quality video campaigns on this powerful B2B platform. Use A/B testing and analytics to refine your video approach for maximum effectiveness.
Overall, video ads represent an exciting opportunity on LinkedIn to engage professionals and drive measurable results. If visually compelling storytelling aligns with your marketing objectives, LinkedIn video campaigns should be part of your ad mix.