How to use video on LinkedIn
We all know the power of compelling social media videos. Although LinkedIn may not be the most obvious choice for video content, the professional network app is the perfect place to publish videos. Video on LinkedIn adds a personal touch to your online persona and contributes positively to brand awareness and recognition.
In other words, posting video content on LinkedIn can add a human-touch to a faceless brand, improve your likeability, help you connect with industry professionals, position yourself or business as an industry leader, or provide education around your business – it's purpose, offering, and mission.
Before you get started...
First, establish the purpose for your video and outline the main points of your message. Do you want to sell more products? Help existing customers? Expand your network? Increase brand awareness? Encourage people to attend an event? Once you’ve narrowed down your main purpose, you can then outline the overarching message you want to convey to your viewers, and what information people should take away from your video.
LinkedIn video best practices
Once you have the purpose and message for your video, follow these best practices when producing your videos to make sure they land well.
Hook your audience in the first 6 seconds
Attention spans are short. Find a way to begin your video that instantly grabs your audience’s attention. You can either get straight to the point before elaborating further, or open with an especially interesting hook.
Use subtitles
As much as 85% of video views happen without sound. As a result, closed captions are a must-have to ensure that everyone can understand and enjoy your content – with or without the volume turned on.
Pay attention to quality
While you don’t need to invest in the latest high-tech gadgets and gizmos, it’s important to maintain a certain level of quality in the videos you produce. Poor lighting, sound, or shoddy video quality can be distracting and immediately turn your audience off. And remember – it's best to record your content outside of LinkedIn and upload it after editing.
Take the time to edit
Editing your footage will help your video be more professional, fast-paced, sleek, concise, and engaging. While adding subtitles is essential, it’s also important to consider your use of sound as content that contains sound effects and trending audio can perform significantly better than those that don’t. On top of that, add more flair with fun fonts, colors, icons, animation, and transitions. Just be sure to not overdo it — you want your editing to add character, not distract from your message.
Further reading: Why audio is so important in social media content
Easily edit your LinkedIn videos with Adobe Express video editing features allowing you to split and trim clips, resize your footage, change the video speed, add audio, animate elements, and more.
Include a clear CTA
Don’t be coy. Tell your audience exactly what you want them to do after consuming your content. Even if it’s just to like, follow, or share, you’d be surprised how beneficial it can be to be direct with your audience.
Optimize for mobile
Not only does LinkedIn’s mobile app account for 60% of its total traffic, but LinkedIn mobile users are also 2.5 times more likely to watch videos. So, it’s important to upload your video with this in mind. One key consideration is to keep it vertical for the optimum viewing experience.
Show face
There are many benefits to including people in your videos — maybe even making yourself the main character. Showing your face adds an important human element to an otherwise faceless brand or profile. Also, your message is more likely to land when you add your facial expressions, body language, tone of voice, and overall character.
Add personality
Nobody wants to listen to a monotone voice that sounds like it’s reading off the page. Show enthusiasm, use humor, and make every word count.
Be detail oriented
How you publish matters. The work doesn't end when your video is complete. Be sure to choose an appealing thumbnail to accompany your video, as well as engaging post copy mentioning strategic keywords.
Effectively plan your LinkedIn content in advance with Content Scheduler in Adobe Express. Write your post copy, attach your video, and schedule to publish at your chosen time and date.
Don’t post and ghost
Post your content but then stick around to see how it’s received. Respond to comments and interact with your audience — keep stoking the fire that your video sparks.
Further reading: How to create and promote a LinkedIn newsletter
The videos to post on LinkedIn
Many kinds of videos perform well on LinkedIn, especially those with these eight themes:
Announce or share exciting news
Sharing exciting news of a new launch or teasing an upcoming event can be a great way to utilize video on LinkedIn. Enthusiasm can be contagious, and it’s hard to express your full excitement with just an image or text. Share any details and give your LinkedIn audience the full scoop on what is coming up.
Share a case study or testimonial
Featuring a happy customer in your LinkedIn video can be a great way to bring the utility of your business to life. Having your customers talk freely about their experience with your product and how it solved their problem(s) is a powerful way to show prospective clients the benefits of partnering with you.
Q&A with a guest expert or a prominent member of your team
Hosting a Q&A can be a great format to share expertise. This kind of content positions you and your company as authorities in your field. It also brings attention to your brand — especially if you’ve invited a special guest speaker to share their knowledge, too.
Show a behind-the-scenes look into your company
Creating a video to show what goes on in your place of work can be a refreshing way to humanize your brand and increase your likability and trust as a business.
Further reading: What to know as a business owner on LinkedIn
Day in the life
Similarly, a day-in-the-life video can be a great way for your audience to feel more connected to you as a person, and your business by extension. Sharing this inside look helps them understand what a normal day at work looks like for you, and how much care you put into your role.
Talk about an experience or a lesson
Wisdom-sharing is always welcome on LinkedIn — and video is a great way to do it. Walk your audience through an experience you had or a lesson you learned that changed you. Owning up to mistakes you’ve made and perhaps turning them into a positive lesson can also be a great way to be more authentic online. Pro tip: Choose wisely about the mistakes you share.
Showcase expertise
Sharing your expert knowledge and insight on various matters positions you as an industry leader and a popular source of advice. Showcase your expertise, and your network is sure to grow.
Give a tutorial, how-to, or product demo
Demos of how your product works or giving how-to's on something related to your brand perform well on LinkedIn. If there’s something that your audience commonly asks about or seems to struggle with, a tutorial is the perfect opportunity to share your knowledge and educate your network.
Ready to get started? It’s easy to make your first LinkedIn video look professional and ooze with character with our range of templates in Adobe Express. Take your pick from our wide library or get started from one of the selections below:
