How are video views counted on LinkedIn?

LinkedIn is a popular social media platform used by professionals and businesses to network, share content, and drive engagement. With over 722 million members worldwide, LinkedIn provides a valuable opportunity for brands to connect with target audiences and promote their content.

One of the main types of content shared on LinkedIn is video. LinkedIn allows users to upload and share videos directly on their profile and company pages. Videos can also be embedded from external sites like YouTube and Vimeo. For businesses and creators, understanding how LinkedIn counts video views can provide valuable insight into how well video content is performing.

What Counts as a View on LinkedIn?

LinkedIn considers a view to have occurred when a member plays for at least 3 seconds of the video. This is sometimes referred to as the 3-second non-skippable threshold. Simply scrolling past a video in the LinkedIn feed does not count as a view unless the video is played for at least 3 seconds.

It’s important to note that views are counted per member, not per play. For example, if a member watches a video for 5 seconds, leaves, and then returns to watch the full video later, this is only counted as 1 view by LinkedIn’s metrics. The 3-second threshold simply needs to be reached once by each unique member for the view to be counted.

Where are Video Views Counted?

LinkedIn counts views on videos uploaded and shared directly through its platform, including on member profiles, company pages, Groups, and Showcase Pages. Views are also counted when videos are embedded from external sites like YouTube or Vimeo. However, views of a LinkedIn-shared video on other platforms like YouTube itself are not counted in LinkedIn metrics.

Some key places video views are counted include:

• Your own LinkedIn profile
• LinkedIn Company Pages
• LinkedIn Showcase Pages
• LinkedIn Groups
• The LinkedIn general feed
• LinkedIn messaging

Essentially, any video content consumed directly on LinkedIn or via an embedded link will have its views counted. But viewing a LinkedIn-shared video externally, such as directly on YouTube, does not count towards the LinkedIn view count.

Do All Video Views Count Equally?

Not necessarily. LinkedIn does prioritize certain video views over others in its algorithm when ranking content. Here are some factors that can influence the “value” of a video view:

• Member Relevance – Views from members closely matched to the target audience and niche of the content may be weighted more heavily.
• Complete Watches – Fully watched videos count more than partially watched videos.
• Repeat Views – Initial views from unique members count more than repeated views from the same member.
• Follower Status – Views from followers often carry more value than non-followers.

So while any view over 3 seconds is technically counted, views signaling stronger engagement and relevance based on these factors are prioritized by LinkedIn’s algorithms.

Organic vs. Paid Views

Another factor is whether views came organically or through paid promotion. For example:

• Organic – Views generated when content surfaces naturally in the LinkedIn feed.
• Sponsored – Views generated through LinkedIn’s advertising products like Sponsored Content and Sponsored Video.

Both organic and paid views are counted in overall view metrics. However, paid views may not carry as much long-term value in algorithms as they don’t necessarily signal authentic engagement. Still, sponsored views can be an effective short-term strategy to boost reach.

Do Views Impact LinkedIn Algorithms?

Yes, higher video view counts can positively influence LinkedIn’s algorithms in multiple ways, leading to increased organic reach over time. Some algorithmic benefits of more video views include:

• Higher visibility in the LinkedIn feed algorithm for future video posts.
• Increased content impressions and engagement.
• More prominence on profile and Company Pages.
• Improved reputation and influence scores for your account.

Accumulating a strong viewing history signals to LinkedIn’s AI that your video content resonates with your audience. In return, LinkedIn will be more likely to reward you with heightened visibility. Of course, video views are just one metric used in ranking algorithms – overall engagement and quality matter too.

Tips to Increase LinkedIn Video Views

Here are some best practices to help boost your LinkedIn video view count:

• Optimize video content for the LinkedIn platform specifically, keeping videos short, educational and professionally relevant.
• Engage followers in the video caption to encourage plays. Ask meaningful questions and highlight key insights.
• Post at optimal times when your audience is most active on LinkedIn.
• Promote new videos through LinkedIn’s Sponsored Content and Company Page options.
• Repurpose top-performing videos by re-sharing or linking to them in posts.
• Analyze your audience insights to create content tailored to their interests.

Video View Metrics on LinkedIn

LinkedIn provides metrics to track video views and engagement within its platform. Video creators can access this performance data in multiple places:

• The LinkedIn video page – This shows summary stats like total video views and links to more detailed analytics.
• LinkedIn video metrics – Detailed data on views, completion rate, followers vs. non-followers, shares, etc.
• LinkedIn Company Page Insights – Video view stats for Company Pages over time.
• LinkedIn analytics integration – Connect LinkedIn data to third-party tools like Google Analytics.

Analyzing these LinkedIn video metrics regularly can reveal what types of video content resonate best with your audience to inform an optimal viewing strategy.

Sample LinkedIn Video Metrics Table

Conclusion

Understanding how LinkedIn counts and values video views provides helpful insight into the platform’s content algorithms. While any view over 3 seconds is counted, factors like audience relevance, completion rate, follower status, and organic vs. paid views influence the perceived value of that view in LinkedIn’s metrics.

By posting videos optimized for the LinkedIn platform, engaging followers in the caption, utilizing best practices, and analyzing performance data, creators can develop an effective video viewing strategy. This can gradually amplify organic reach and visibility on LinkedIn over time by improving metric scores that signal value to LinkedIn’s AI.