Yes, LinkedIn allows you to send video messages directly to your connections on the platform. This feature allows you to record and send quick personalized video messages, similar to how you can send video messages on other social media platforms.
How to send a video message on LinkedIn
Sending a video message on LinkedIn is easy and straightforward. Here are the steps to send a video message:
- Open the LinkedIn mobile app on your phone.
- Go to your connections list and select the connection you want to send the video message to.
- Tap on the video camera icon at the top.
- The app will access your phone’s camera. Position yourself in view and tap the red record button to start recording your message.
- Record your video message, up to 30 seconds long.
- You can pause and resume recording as needed. Tap the stop button when you’re done.
- Preview your recorded message.
- Tap the send button to send it to your selected connection.
That’s it! The video message will be delivered directly to your connection’s LinkedIn inbox. They can then watch and reply to your message.
Who can send video messages on LinkedIn?
The ability to send video messages is available for LinkedIn’s mobile app users on iOS and Android devices. To send video messages, you need to have:
- The latest version of the LinkedIn app installed on your phone.
- An active LinkedIn Premium account.
- Existing first-degree connections on LinkedIn that you want to send the message to.
With a LinkedIn Premium account, you can send an unlimited number of video messages per month. This feature is not available for LinkedIn’s free users.
Use cases for sending video messages on LinkedIn
Here are some examples of effective uses cases for sending video messages to your professional connections on LinkedIn:
- Personalized invitations: Record a quick video invite for an event, conference, or to connect live over coffee.
- Job opportunities: Let someone know about a new job opening or position you think they would be a great fit for.
- Quick updates: Send video messages to share quick work updates, recent news, or personal updates.
- Thought leadership: Share short thought leadership videos about industry news, insights, and trends.
- behind the scenes: Give followers a “behind-the-scenes” look at your work life.
- Product updates: Brands can use video messages to share new product launches, announcements, etc.
Video messages add a personal touch that text-based messaging cannot convey. Leverage this communication channel for more meaningful engagement with your LinkedIn network.
Tips for creating great video messages
Follow these tips to create effective, professional video messages on LinkedIn that resonate with your intended audience:
- Keep it short and concise – Get your message across within 10-20 seconds.
- Add your personality – Let your authentic personality shine through.
- Make it casual – Speak conversationally, as you would in person.
- Engage with visuals – Show relevant visuals, demos, presentations, etc.
- Choose location wisely – Control the backdrop and ambient sounds.
- Mind your appearance – Dress appropriately and check your framing in the viewfinder.
- Prepare your thoughts – Outline your main points before recording.
- Check lighting and audio – Ensure you are visible and audible.
- Review before sending – Watch your video and polish as needed before sending.
Advantages of sending video messages on LinkedIn
Here are some of the major advantages of using LinkedIn’s video messaging feature:
- Personal touch: Video messages allow for more personal, face-to-face communication.
- Better engagement: Videos drive higher engagement as they are more dynamic and interactive.
- Showcase personality: Let your audience get to know the real you through informal videos.
- Speed: Record and send quick video updates faster than typing messages.
- Convenience: Easy to record and send videos instantly from your phone.
- Metrics: You can view delivery and view counts to see who watched your video messages.
In many cases, video messages may be able to accomplish your goals better than written communication alone. Leverage the conversational, visual power of video messaging for more meaningful LinkedIn engagement.
Limitations and caveats
While video messaging is a powerful LinkedIn communication tool, there are some limitations and caveats to be aware of:
- Only available on mobile – Video messages can only be recorded and sent using LinkedIn’s mobile app, not the desktop site.
- 30 second limit – Videos are capped at 30 seconds per message.
- Require Premium account – You need a paid Premium account to send video messages.
- One-to-one only – You can only send video messages to individual connections, not groups.
- Appear in inbox – Videos appear in regular message inbox, not a separate section.
- No group messages – There is no way to send a single video message to multiple people at once.
Subject to these constraints, consider whether video messaging aligns with your goals before recording and sending videos extensively. Analyze the return on investment to prioritize efficiency.
How video messaging compares with InMail
LinkedIn’s InMail messaging feature also facilitates one-to-one communication between connections. InMail has some similarities and differences compared to video messaging:
- InMail can be sent on desktop and mobile app – Video messaging only via mobile.
- InMail has longer character limits – Video condensed to 30 seconds max.
- InMail is text-based – Video messages add visual/audio elements.
- Both enable some personalization – But video is more personal.
- Similar delivery options – But videos tend to drive higher open rates.
- InMail is more formal – Video better for informal, casual messaging.
Analyze the use case to determine whether to use InMail vs. video messaging based on your specific goals and audience. Consider combining both methods as well.
Impact on your LinkedIn presence
Frequently sending video messages can positively impact your LinkedIn presence, but be careful not to overdo it. Some best practices include:
- Send targeted messages – Do not spam all connections with generic videos.
- Monitor sender reputation – Maintain a good sender reputation score on LinkedIn.
- Encourage replies – Make your videos conversational to drive engagement.
- Post some publicly – Repurpose relevant videos natively on LinkedIn also.
- Use sparingly – Space out your video messages and use judiciously.
- Review analytics – Check video view counts and completion rates.
- Showcase thought leadership – Position yourself as an industry thought leader where appropriate.
With a strategic, selective approach, video messaging can boost your personal brand and allow you to showcase your expertise to key connections through a powerful medium.
Alternatives to LinkedIn Video Messaging
If the LinkedIn video messaging feature does not fully meet your needs, here are some alternative options to consider:
- LinkedIn native video – Record and upload longer videos natively to your LinkedIn feed.
- Youtube – Upload video content to YouTube and share the links on LinkedIn.
- Vidyard – Embed Vidyard videos inline in LinkedIn messages and posts.
- Loom – Share Loom video recordings as links on LinkedIn.
- InMail – Write personalized video scripts and custom imagery via InMail messages.
- Facebook/Instagram – Cross-post relevant video content from other platforms.
The right video messaging solution depends on your specific use case and audience. If LinkedIn’s native video messaging does not meet your needs, explore alternative video platforms and embedding options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I send video messages to groups or teams on LinkedIn?
Unfortunately, LinkedIn’s video messaging is limited to one-to-one communication between direct connections only at this time. You cannot send a video message to multiple LinkedIn connections, groups, teams, or pages simultaneously.
Are video messages I receive from connections stored anywhere on LinkedIn?
No, video messages sent directly between connections are not stored or saved on LinkedIn’s servers after they are viewed. Recipients can record and save any video messages they would like to keep using screen recording capabilities on their phone.
How do I enable video messaging on LinkedIn?
To unlock video messaging capabilities, you need to have a paid Premium account level. Navigate to the Premium upgrade options in your LinkedIn account settings to upgrade your plan. Video messaging should be automatically enabled after upgrading.
Can I send video messages to people who are not connections?
You can only send video messages to users who are existing first-degree connections in your network. To message non-connections, you will need to send them a connect request first before you are able to record and send video messages. Alternatively, you can communicate with them through InMail messages.
Is there a limit to how many videos I can send per day or month?
LinkedIn does not enforce any strict daily or monthly limits on the number of video messages you can send. However, be sure to maintain a good reputation as a sender by not spamming your network with an excessive number of video messages.
