LinkedIn is one of the most popular social media platforms for professionals and businesses. With over 722 million users worldwide, it provides a great opportunity to expand your professional network and promote your business. One of the key features of LinkedIn is the ability to share content like articles, images, and videos. This raises an important question – do 9:16 aspect ratio videos work well on LinkedIn?
What is a 9:16 video?
9:16 refers to the aspect ratio of a video, which means the proportional relationship between its width and height. Specifically, a 9:16 video has a width of 9 units and height of 16 units. This makes it much taller than the traditional 16:9 landscape video. The 9:16 dimension is optimized for mobile devices since most smartphones today have taller, narrower displays.
Some of the common 9:16 video resolutions include:
| Resolution | Width | Height |
|---|---|---|
| 1080 x 1920 | 1080px | 1920px |
| 720 x 1280 | 720px | 1280px |
| 480 x 854 | 480px | 854px |
On mobile devices, 9:16 videos take up the entire screen vertically without any black bars on the side. This immersive viewing experience leads to higher engagement from viewers.
Benefits of using 9:16 videos on LinkedIn
Here are some of the major benefits of using 9:16 videos on LinkedIn:
Optimized for mobile
Over 90% of LinkedIn usage happens on mobile devices. 9:16 videos fit perfectly on small mobile screens in portrait orientation. This results in bigger and better impact on the LinkedIn mobile app.
Higher completion rates
The vertical orientation means viewers don’t have to rotate their phones while watching the video. This leads to higher video completion rates compared to landscape videos. According to studies, 9:16 videos have a completion rate of up to 94% on mobile.
Full screen attention
On mobile devices, 9:16 videos occupy the entire screen capturing complete attention of viewers. There are no distractions from black bars on the side. It feels like an immersive, cinematic experience on the small screen.
Better engagement
9:16 videos monopolize the mobile screen leading to longer attention spans and lower bounce rates. Users are more likely to engage with the video by liking, commenting, sharing and clicking on Call-to-Actions.
No black bars on LinkedIn
LinkedIn automatically crops landscape videos to fit the mobile screen. This results in awkward black bars on the sides. But 9:16 videos avoid any cropping or black bars on LinkedIn’s mobile app.
Leverage mobile algorithms
Social media algorithms favor mobile-friendly content. By optimizing videos for mobile screens, it is possible to improve reach and engagement on LinkedIn.
Best practices for 9:16 videos on LinkedIn
When creating 9:16 videos for LinkedIn, keep these best practices in mind:
Text and graphics
Ensure text and graphics stay within the safe zone, away from the far edges. Avoid thin text that will be illegible on small mobile screens.
Aspect ratio
Stick to standard 9:16 resolutions like 1080 x 1920 or 720 x 1280 pixels for best results.
Orientation
Double check videos are exported in portrait orientation. Flipping landscape videos will lead to a poor mobile experience.
Bitrate
Use a higher bitrate, between 8-10 Mbps for 9:16 videos. This ensures high visual quality across devices.
Slow pans and zooms
Use slower pans, zooms and movements to avoid a “jittery” experience on mobile screens.
Legible text
Include readable, high contrast text and sufficient bottom weighted area for subtitles.
Short videos
Optimal length is 30-60 seconds. Very few viewers will watch longer vertical videos on mobile.
Sound
Mobile speakers don’t have great stereo separation. So focus audio in the center and avoid panning effects.
Are 9:16 videos effective on LinkedIn?
So do vertical videos actually work well and deliver results on LinkedIn? The answer is a resounding yes!
Here are some stats that prove the amazing power of 9:16 videos on LinkedIn:
- Vertical videos have up to 8x higher completion rates on LinkedIn compared to square or landscape videos.
- 9:16 videos lead to 135% more views and 150% higher engagement than 16:9 landscape videos on LinkedIn.
- LinkedIn members spend 40% more time watching vertical videos vs. horizontal videos on mobile.
- 80% of LinkedIn video views happen on mobile. And mobile video views have increased more than 90% in the past year.
- Profile views increase by 11X when sharing vertical videos on LinkedIn mobile app.
Some examples of top brands using 9:16 videos successfully on LinkedIn include Salesforce, Microsoft, Adobe, IBM, SAP, Oracle, Amazon and more. Even LinkedIn’s own B2B marketing tips videos are optimized for mobile screens.
Clearly, data shows that vertical, 9:16 videos are extremely effective for marketers on LinkedIn. They outperform landscape videos on almost all metrics for mobile.
Ideal use cases
Here are some ideal types of 9:16 videos to produce for LinkedIn marketing:
Video testimonials
Get employees, customers or experts to record authentic, short video testimonials highlighting your brand’s value proposition.
Thought leadership
Thought leaders and executives can share advice, insights and opinions directly to the LinkedIn community.
Behind the scenes
Give a peek behind the scenes into your company culture, events, office spaces or workspace activities through vertical videos.
Product videos
Create quick how-to tutorials, product demos and explainers optimized for mobile viewing.
Case studies
Bring client success stories to life through short video case studies instead of text-heavy posts.
Video posts
Engage your LinkedIn followers by sharing company news, announcements, events through vertical videos.
LinkedIn ads
Run LinkedIn video ads in 9:16 format for greater visibility and clickthrough rates on mobile.
Tools to create 9:16 videos
You don’t need expensive video equipment to produce great 9:16 videos. Many budget-friendly tools make vertical video creation accessible to brands of all sizes:
Smartphones
Modern smartphones have amazing cameras capable of shooting professional-looking vertical videos.
Mobile apps
Apps like Inshot, CapCut, and Kinemaster provide powerful mobile video editing options.
YouTube Studio
YouTube’s free web and mobile apps allow quick and easy 9:16 video creation.
Adobe Express
Create and edit vertical videos for free using Adobe’s online express tools.
Final Cut Pro
Apple’s pro video editing software seamlessly edits 9:16 footage on Mac.
Premiere Rush
Adobe Rush allows multi-track 9:16 video editing optimized for social media.
DaVinci Resolve
This free tool has pro-grade capabilities for editing vertical videos.
Conclusion
9:16 vertical video is the ideal format for marketers looking to increase reach, engagement and conversions on LinkedIn. The mobile-first approach aligns perfectly with how the majority of LinkedIn users consume video content today.
By adopting vertical video best practices, using ideal formats and choosing the right creation tools – brands can develop a highly effective video content strategy for LinkedIn.
The proven high performance of 9:16 videos clearly demonstrates that this is the future of video marketing on LinkedIn. Businesses who embrace vertical video will gain a strong competitive advantage in their niche.