With over 722 million members worldwide, LinkedIn is the largest professional social media network and an extremely effective platform for B2B advertising. Video ads on LinkedIn can be a powerful way to reach your target audience, but in order to create effective video ads, you need to follow LinkedIn’s guidelines for video specs and formatting.
When creating video content for LinkedIn ads, one of the most important technical considerations is video resolution. What size should your LinkedIn video ads be? What video resolution will allow your ads to look sharp and professional on the platform? In this article, we’ll break down LinkedIn’s requirements and best practices for video resolution.
LinkedIn’s Video Specifications
LinkedIn provides recommended video resolution and aspect ratio requirements for ads on their platform. These are:
- Minimum resolution: 480 x 270 pixels
- Recommended resolution: 1280 x 720 pixels (HD)
- Maximum resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels (Full HD)
- Aspect ratio: 16:9
Video ads uploaded to LinkedIn must meet these minimum resolution requirements. However, using the recommended HD or Full HD sizes will ensure your videos look razor sharp and visually engaging on the platform.
It’s also worth noting that LinkedIn has a maximum file size of 4GB per video ad and supports the following video formats: .MOV, .MPEG4, .MP4, .WMV, .AVI, .FLV.
Why Video Resolution Matters
Higher video resolution equates to clearer, more detailed footage. A video with inadequate resolution will look visibly pixelated, blurry, and less professional. This can reflect poorly on your brand and damage your credibility.
Low resolution footage also fails to showcase products clearly. Pixelated, fuzzy video won’t effectively highlight the quality of your goods and services. Poor resolution makes it hard to read on-screen text or see intricate product details.
With higher resolution HD or Full HD footage, your video will be crisp and sharp when users view it on LinkedIn on desktop or mobile devices. This allows your branding, products, messaging and visuals to be seen in the best possible light.
Other Video Quality Factors
While resolution is critical, there are other important factors that affect overall video quality and optimization for LinkedIn ads:
- Frame Rate: Aim for videos with a frame rate of at least 24 frames per second (fps), up to a maximum of 60fps. Higher frame rates will appear smoother.
- Bitrate: Videos should have a bitrate of at least 512 Kbps, but ideally between 2-4 Mbps for the best image quality.
- Lighting: Proper lighting is essential for clear, vivid videos. Use soft diffused light and avoid overexposure.
- Composition: Carefully compose shots to keep key subjects and elements in focus.
- Camera Quality: Use the highest quality camera available to you to capture high-res footage.
Video Resolution for Different Objectives
The ideal LinkedIn video resolution can vary somewhat based on your specific campaign goals and target audience:
Campaign Objective | Recommended Resolution |
---|---|
Product video ads | Full HD 1920 x 1080 |
Brand awareness ads | HD 1280 x 720 |
Lead generation ads | HD 1280 x 720 |
Promotional/sales ads | Full HD 1920 x 1080 |
Here is a quick overview of optimal resolution for different LinkedIn advertising goals:
- Product Videos: Use Full HD 1080p resolution to showcase products in the utmost clarity.
- Brand Awareness: HD 720p is ideal for professionally branded videos aimed at mass awareness.
- Lead Generation: 720p HD hits the sweet spot between high quality and lower file size for lead gen.
- Promotional: Full HD 1080p helps highlight sales and deals in the sharpest image quality.
Resolution for Desktop vs. Mobile
It’s also important to consider that over 50% of LinkedIn usage comes from mobile devices. Therefore, your video ads need to be optimized for mobile screens.
Small smartphone screens don’t require massive 4K or 8K video resolutions. Optimized HD at 1280 x 720 will ensure crisp clarity on all devices, without creating huge file sizes.
However, newer phones and displays with higher ppi (pixels per inch) will also benefit from Full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution. So Full HD provides some future-proofing as mobile displays continue to improve.
Key Takeaways
- Minimum 480p resolution, 720p HD recommended for LinkedIn video ads
- Higher resolution creates sharper, clearer, more professional videos
- Match resolution to your specific campaign goals and audience
- Optimize HD 720p is ideal for balancing quality and file size
- Consider both desktop and expanding mobile usage on LinkedIn
How to Create High-Quality LinkedIn Videos
Follow these best practices to produce stunning HD and Full HD videos tailored for LinkedIn ads:
Use the Right Camera Equipment
Invest in quality camera gear capable of recording in 1080p, 4K or even 6K+ resolution. Options include:
- DSLR cameras like the Canon EOS 90D or Sony a7 III
- Mirrorless cameras such as the Panasonic Lumix GH5
- Camcorders including the Sony FDR-AX700 4K camcorder
- Cinema cameras like the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K
- Pro smartphones such as the iPhone 13 Pro, Galaxy S22 Ultra
Using professional equipment ensures you have sufficient resolution and features for amazing LinkedIn videos.
Master Camera Settings and Techniques
Learn how to expertly control your camera settings like resolution, frame rate, shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. Shoot in optimal lighting conditions and properly expose and focus each shot.
Utilize camera mounts, gimbals, sliders, and other accessories for stabilized, cinematic movement. Frame shots correctly applying composition techniques like the rule of thirds.
Rig Up Proper Lighting
Light kits, reflectors and other pro lighting tools will let you brightly illuminate your video scenes with soft, even lighting. Proper lighting prevents dark, unclear footage.
Use External Microphones
Capture stellar audio by plugging external mics like shotgun mics or lavalier mics into your camera or audio recorder.
Edit and Enhance with Software
Use powerful editing programs like Adobe Premiere Pro to edit footage together into a polished video. Enhance color, audio, transitions and apply effects. Export final videos at your desired resolution and codec.
Video Specs Summary
To recap LinkedIn’s recommended video resolution and specs:
Video Spec | LinkedIn Requirement |
---|---|
Minimum resolution | 480 x 270 pixels |
Recommended resolution | 1280 x 720 pixels (HD) |
Maximum resolution | 1920 x 1080 pixels (Full HD) |
Aspect ratio | 16:9 |
Frame rate | 24-60 fps |
Bitrate | 512 Kbps – 4 Mbps |
File size | 4GB max |
File formats | .MOV, .MPEG4, .MP4, .WMV, .AVI, .FLV |
Optimizing Resolution for Superb Quality
To optimize video resolution for stunning quality on LinkedIn:
- Film at 1080p Full HD or 4K resolution to allow cropping and downsampling to 720p HD.
- Shoot with high megapixel cameras (30+ MP) for added sharpness and detail.
- Use camera settings like picture profile or log gamma to capture more dynamic range.
- Add more keyframes when encoding to maintain quality at lower bitrates.
- Export master files at higher bitrates, then encode lower bitrate deliverable files.
With the right production and optimization techniques, your HD and Full HD LinkedIn videos will shine in breathtaking resolution.
Conclusion
Video resolution has a huge impact on the quality of your LinkedIn ad campaigns. To create professional, effective marketing videos, adhere to LinkedIn’s recommended minimum of 480p, optimal 720p HD, and maximum of 1080p resolutions.
Match resolution to your specific campaign goals, balancing visual impact with file size. Invest in pro camera gear, lighting, microphones and editing software to craft stunning HD videos purpose-built for LinkedIn’s audience and platform.
By following LinkedIn’s specifications and best practices covered here, you’ll produce eye-catching video ads with superb resolution that converts viewers into customers.