LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with over 722 million users worldwide. It’s a great platform for establishing your professional brand, networking, finding jobs, connecting with business partners, and promoting your business or content. One effective way to leverage LinkedIn for content marketing and brand awareness is through posting engaging videos. However, with a limit of 10 minutes per video, it’s important to consider what the optimal video length is for LinkedIn specifically.
In this article, we’ll examine the factors to consider when determining the best video length for LinkedIn, look at LinkedIn algorithm preferences, consumer viewing behavior, and tips from experts. By the end, you’ll have a clear understanding of the sweet spot for video lengths to maximize viewership and engagement on the platform.
LinkedIn Algorithm Preferences
While LinkedIn has not publicly stated an official optimal length for videos, examining clues from how their algorithm works can provide guidance. Here are some key factors:
Watch time
Like other platforms, LinkedIn aims to surface videos that keep viewers engaged and watching for longer periods. So videos that garner longer average watch times are more likely to be promoted by the algorithm. Very short videos may not accumulate sufficient watch time metrics.
Completion rates
LinkedIn also wants to promote videos that viewers actually finish watching, rather than click away from halfway through. Higher completion rates signal to the algorithm that a video is worth watching until the end.
First 30 seconds
LinkedIn autoplays videos for the first few seconds as users scroll through feeds. This makes hooking viewers in the beginning particularly important. Videos that fail to capture attention in the opening 30 seconds may see higher drop-off rates.
Call-to-actions
LinkedIn wants videos that encourage meaningful engagement beyond just passive watching. Effective calls-to-action to comment, like, share, or visit a profile increase viewer participation.
Based on these insights, videos between 2-5 minutes long seem poised to hit the right balance of length to maximize watch time, completion rates, strong starts, and enabling calls-to-action. Very short sub 1-minute videos or very long 10+ minute videos may underperform on key metrics.
Consumer Viewing Behavior
In addition to considering the preferences of the LinkedIn algorithm, it’s also helpful to examine consumer viewing behavior on digital video content. Here are some key viewing statistics:
Attention spans
The average human attention span has reduced to 8 seconds, down from 12 seconds in 2000 according to Microsoft data. Online videos need to capture viewer interest quickly before drop-off.
Social video lengths
Research from Socialbakers indicates the ideal length for social media videos is under 2 minutes. Viewer drop-off increases significantly after 1 minute.
Mobile viewing
Videos watched on mobile devices have shorter optimal lengths. Animoto found 1-2 minutes to be most effective for mobile, versus 2-3 minutes on desktops.
Audience expectations
Viewers have been conditioned to expect shorter videos online, unlike the 30+ minute episodes for traditional TV. Hubspot research shows over two-thirds of viewers prefer videos under 5 minutes.
Optimal engagement
Several studies including from Buzzsumo and Wistia have found videos between 30 seconds to 5 minutes generate the highest engagement, shares, comments, and likes.
Again this data indicates the 2-5 minute range hits a sweet spot before viewer fatigue sets in and drop-off rises. While 30-60 second micro-videos can be impactful, longer 2+ minute videos seem ideal for LinkedIn’s more professional context.
Expert Recommendations
Industry experts who regularly post videos on LinkedIn also recommend keeping videos on the shorter side:
Erica Keswin
The digital workplace strategist with over 44,000 LinkedIn followers keeps her videos under 3 minutes and advises “Don’t risk losing the viewer’s interest by making videos longer than necessary.”
Kim Orlesky
The content marketing consultant finds 1-2 minute videos perform very well, especially tutorials and list-based “how-to” style videos.
Natasha Graziano
The Social Media keynote speaker and author with over 100,000 LinkedIn followers advocates for 30-90 seconds as the ideal length in most cases.
Chris Winfield
The entrepreneurship expert regularly posting 5+ videos per week on LinkedIn aims for a 2-3 minute target for his educational business videos.
Ken Rutkowski
The CMO and venture capitalist with over 900,000 followers keeps his commentary style videos under 2 minutes. He advises professionals avoid long lectures and “get to the point quickly”.
The consensus from these LinkedIn influencers validates that around the 2-3 minute mark hits the right balance for optimizing viewership and engagement. While some micro-videos under 1 minute can be powerful and longer 5-10 minute videos appropriate occasionally, the core sweet spot centers around 2-3 minutes.
Ideal Video Lengths for Different LinkedIn Content Types
While 2-3 minutes is a good overarching benchmark, ideal lengths can vary somewhat depending on your specific video content type and goals:
Promotional & Brand Videos
30-90 seconds. Quickly grab attention, convey key brand messaging in a compressed format.
Thought Leadership & Expert Advice
2-3 minutes. Provide insightful commentary and tips while avoiding lecture style delivery.
Case Studies & Testimonials
1-2 minutes. Share a client success story or powerful testimonial in an engaging, succinct way.
Tutorials & “How-To” Videos
3-5 minutes. Provide enough time to teach a concept or give actionable step-by-steps for viewers.
Product Demos & Virtual Events
5-10 minutes. Showcase a product launch or share an event recap in more depth while retaining interest.
Interviews & Fireside Chats
5-10 minutes. Feature two or more speakers in a compelling discussion format at greater length.
So while 2-3 minutes is a broad standard, tailor video lengths based on providing adequate time for your specific content goals and audience needs. Some use cases warrant slightly shorter or longer formats.
Formatting Longer Videos for LinkedIn
If you do have a longer video over 5 minutes that you want to post on LinkedIn, it’s recommended to break it into a short series vs. one very long video. You can leverage LinkedIn’s native functionality to string multiple videos together as a playlist. Benefits include:
– Maintains viewer attention by dividing content into digestible chunks
– Provides logical stopping points to pause if needed
– Allows optimized intros/titles for each video in series
– Enables tracking viewership for each video individually
– Caters to LinkedIn’s algorithm preferences for shorter content
For example, an 8 minute webinar could be formatted as:
– 1 min promo/trailer video
– 4 min part 1 covering key points
– 3 min part 2 for Q&A
This segmented approach optimizes viewership and retention for longer videos.
Formatting Considerations for Short Micro-Videos
At the other end of the spectrum, if creating very short videos under 60 seconds consider these tips:
– Hook viewers instantly – first 5 seconds are critical
– Condense message and focus only on the most important info
– Use strong visuals and graphics to tell the story
– Add captions/subtitles for accessibility
– Include a solid call-to-action to generate engagement
– Post frequently and consistently to build familiarity
While micro-videos can be highly shareable, ensure you balance depth and impact in a very tight timeframe. Allow enough time to make the key point but not so long audiences tune out.
Conclusion
Determining the optimal video length for LinkedIn requires balancing the platform’s algorithm preferences, user behavior, and content goals:
– LinkedIn’s algorithm favors 2-5 minute videos for strong metrics
– Viewers best engage with videos between 30 seconds to 5 minutes
– Different content formats warrant tailored video lengths
– Break long videos into segmented series when possible
– Micro-videos under 60 seconds require highly succinct messaging
In most cases, the 2-3 minute range hits the ideal sweet spot for LinkedIn. This provides enough time to deliver a meaningful message while retaining viewer attention in a professional context. Focus on concise delivery that gets to the point quickly.
Adjust slightly shorter or longer as makes sense for specific content goals. But in general, keeping videos in the Goldilocks zone of 2-3 minutes gives your LinkedIn video strategy the greatest chance of success.
