Posting videos on LinkedIn can be an effective strategy for businesses and professionals looking to boost their presence and engage with their target audience on the platform. However, it’s important to carefully consider whether video is the right medium and how to best optimize videos for the LinkedIn algorithm and community.
In this article, we’ll look at the pros and cons of posting videos on LinkedIn and best practices to follow. Key questions we’ll explore include:
- What are the benefits of posting videos on LinkedIn?
- What are the potential drawbacks or risks?
- What types of videos work best on the platform?
- How can you optimize videos for the LinkedIn feed algorithm?
- How frequently should you post videos?
- How do you get better visibility and engagement on LinkedIn videos?
By the end of this article, you’ll have a clear understanding of whether posting videos is a smart tactic for your brand on LinkedIn and how to create effective videos that captivate the professional audience there.
Benefits of Posting Videos on LinkedIn
Here are some of the reasons why posting videos on LinkedIn can be an impactful strategy:
Increased visibility and reach
Videos stand out in the LinkedIn feed and can help you get more visibility. LinkedIn’s algorithm prioritizes video so they have a higher chance of appearing in your followers’ feeds.
Higher engagement
Compared to text or image posts, videos tend to spark more engagement in the form of likes, shares, and comments according to research. Viewers are more likely to watch and interact with a video.
Showcase your brand personality
Videos give you a chance to showcase company culture, values, and personality. For example, client testimonials or behind-the-scenes footage can humanize your brand.
Demonstrate expertise
Videos allow you or other company leaders to share advice, insights, and expertise. This strengthens your reputation and thought leadership.
Versatility
There are diverse types of videos you can share from webinars and conferences to animated explainers and more. Videos work for many goals.
Higher conversion rates
Viewers are more likely to convert after watching a video. For example, someone may sign up for a free trial after viewing a product demo video.
Potential Drawbacks of Posting Videos on LinkedIn
While videos can be highly effective on LinkedIn, there are some potential downsides to consider as well:
More resource intensive
Creating great videos requires more resources than written posts in terms of time, effort, equipment, and editing skills. The investment may not pay off depending on your goals.
Audience may skip past
With videos in their feed, some LinkedIn users may simply scroll past without clicking since videos require more time to watch. You may miss out on engagement.
Technical issues
There could be challenges with low video resolution or glitchy playback that reflects poorly on your brand. Optimizing video specs is vital.
Risk of poor engagement
There’s a chance your video may not resonate well and get low view counts or negative feedback. This can hurt your brand image.
Less shareable content
LinkedIn users share written posts more frequently than videos. It may be harder to get viewers to share your videos widely.
More competition
As more brands create video, standing out takes extra creativity and strategic messaging. Quality expectations are rising.
Ideal Video Types for LinkedIn
Certain types of videos tend to perform better than others on LinkedIn. Here are some top options to consider:
Expert interviews
Q&A style videos featuring industry experts provide valuable insights. Ask them about career advice, workplace trends, productivity tips, etc.
Behind-the-scenes
Give viewers a look inside your company culture, office environment, events, and work processes through vlog style footage.
Case studies
Show how a client successfully used your product/service to highlight credibility and social proof.
Demo videos
Walk through your product/service’s key features and user benefits through demos and tutorials.
Animated explainers
Use animation to simplify complex topics, technology, and services in an easy-to-understand video.
Webinar recordings
Repurpose footage from a recent webinar or industry conference presentation.
Client testimonials
Client reviews lend authenticity and credibility. Capture short video testimonials praising your work.
Optimizing Videos for LinkedIn’s Feed Algorithm
To maximize views and engagement, you’ll need to optimize videos based on LinkedIn’s algorithm and best practices:
Appealing thumbnail
Choose an eye-catching frame for your video thumbnail to encourage clicks.
Strong headline
Your headline should clearly convey the topic and compel viewers to watch your video.
Relevant hashtags
Include hashtags related to your industry, topic, brand, products, etc. to improve discoverability.
Full video specs
Upload the highest resolution version of your video file possible for playability.
Captions
Add captions to enable silent viewing and improve accessibility. This also aids SEO.
Video length
30-90 seconds is ideal. Under 3 minutes maximizes full video views. Consider concise videos.
Call-to-action
Prompt viewers how to engage further (subscribe, visit site, register, etc.) at the end of your video.
Ideal Posting Frequency for LinkedIn Videos
When’s the best time to post videos on LinkedIn for your brand? Here are some frequency tips:
- 1 video per week is a solid goal to aim for in order to build up your library.
- Consider posting your newest videos on Tuesdays and Wednesdays when engagement rates tend to be higher.
- Avoid posting videos on weekends or late evenings when fewer users are active on LinkedIn.
- Watch your analytics to see when your followers are most responsive and schedule accordingly.
- For product launches or special events, increase frequency to 2-3 videos per week for that period.
- Don’t overpost more than 1 video per day as this may cause users to disengage.
The ideal posting cadence will depend on your resources and audience. Test different frequencies and timing to see what resonates best.
Getting More Visibility for LinkedIn Videos
To maximize the reach of your videos on LinkedIn, incorporate these promotion tactics:
- Promote new videos through other social channels like Twitter and Facebook.
- Run LinkedIn Sponsored Video ads to reach those outside your follower base.
- Publish a short teaser natively on LinkedIn to promote the full video.
- Post an engaging update after publishing a video to re-share it with followers.
- Use relevant hashtags like #video or #smm in your posts around the video.
- Interact with comments and promote videos through your LinkedIn Company page as well.
Driving viewership requires an extra push beyond merely uploading videos natively. Put time into amplifying video content through paid ads, organic engagement tactics, and strategic messaging.
Getting More Engagement on LinkedIn Videos
To spark higher engagement with your video content on LinkedIn, incorporate these best practices:
- Ask viewers questions or prompt specific reactions to get them commenting.
- Respond to all comments quickly and ask probing follow-up questions.
- Run polls or contests linked to your videos to boost participation.
- Use clickbait or shocking video titles to pique curiosity (ethically).
- Collaborate with industry influencers and thought-leaders to widen reach.
- A/B test video title phrasing to determine what gets the best response.
The content and tone of your videos must resonate with the professional LinkedIn community. Test out different strategies until you find a formula that consistently sparks two-way discussion.
Key Takeaways and Conclusion
Posting videos on LinkedIn can be highly rewarding for brands who leverage them correctly but there are risks to manage. Keep these takeaways in mind:
- Videos showcase brand personality and expertise but require substantial resources to produce.
- Keep videos concise, optimized for mobile, and use compelling hooks to maximize views.
- Balance professional tone with an approachable style that personalizes your brand.
- Promote your videos actively across channels beyond just publishing on LinkedIn.
- Monitor metrics closely and continually test new video content approaches.
In conclusion, videos represent a big engagement opportunity on LinkedIn but they are certainly not a quick shortcut. Strategic planning and continual optimization is key to driving results. Assess your brand’s resources and objectives to decide if regularly posting videos is the right tactic.
| Benefits of Video | Potential Drawbacks |
|---|---|
| Increased visibility and reach | More resource intensive to produce |
| Higher engagement | Audience may skip past |
| Showcase brand personality | Technical issues like low resolution |
| Demonstrate expertise | Risk of poor engagement |
| Highly versatile | Less shareable than text posts |
| Higher conversion rates | More competition as usage grows |
