LinkedIn is one of the most popular social media platforms for professionals. With over 740 million members worldwide, LinkedIn is used by people to network, look for jobs, share content, and more. Videos are becoming an increasingly popular type of content on social media, including on LinkedIn. But are videos actually popular and effective on LinkedIn compared to other types of content? Let’s take a closer look at the data and trends around video content on LinkedIn.
Popularity of Video vs Other Content on LinkedIn
There are a few key data points that indicate videos are gaining significant popularity on LinkedIn:
– LinkedIn reports that videos generate 50% more comments than regular photo posts. This shows that videos evoke more engagement from LinkedIn users.
– Views of native video posts on LinkedIn increased by more than 35% year-over-year as of December 2021. Native videos are becoming more and more common.
– 80% of marketers say video content gives them the best ROI compared to other types of content. Marketers are prioritizing video content for LinkedIn.
However, while video engagement is rising, text-based content still makes up the majority of content on LinkedIn:
– As of 2021, text-based posts, including articles, whitepapers, and presentations, accounted for over 80% of content on LinkedIn.
– Text-based posts tend to have high engagement as well. Articles see click-through rates around 2-3% on average, which is very good for social media engagement.
So while video is rapidly gaining popularity on LinkedIn, text-based content like articles and long-form posts are still the dominant format. But the trends clearly show that professionals are engaging more with video compared to past years.
Benefits of Video Content on LinkedIn
So why are videos becoming more popular? There are a few key benefits driving video adoption on LinkedIn:
– **Personality and storytelling:** Video allows creators to connect with viewers in a more personal, intimate setting compared to text alone. Viewers get to see facial expressions and hear tone of voice, which makes the content more engaging and trust-building.
– **Brevity:** Videos are succinct and can communicate key information or messaging quickly, which aligns with declining attention spans amongst professionals. Short videos under a minute perform exceptionally well on LinkedIn.
– **Change of pace:** Video stands out in the LinkedIn feed compared to the sea of text-based posts. This catching of the viewer’s eye can help drive clicks and engagement.
– **SEO:** Videos boost SEO as search engines factor video links, embeds, keywords, and other signals into rankings. High-quality video builds authority and trust as well.
– **Behind-the-scenes:** Video gives a “behind-the-scenes” look at companies, products, employees, and more to foster transparency and relationship building.
In summary, video allows for storytelling, brevity, visual differentiation, SEO strength, and personality. These benefits make video content highly engaging on LinkedIn.
Most Effective Video Content Types
But not all videos perform equally well. Certain types of video content tend to generate the most views and engagement on LinkedIn:
– **Educational:** How-to videos, explainer videos, and educational content attract high engagement by teaching valuable skills and industry knowledge.
– **Behind-the-scenes:** Company culture videos, office tours, and employee interviews give an authentic inside look at brands.
– **Product demos:** Short videos demonstrating products and services in action. Quick demos perform better than long case-study style videos.
– **Testimonials:** Customer, employee, or industry expert testimonials lend credibility.
– **Live events:** Recordings of speakers, panels, and presentations from live virtual or in-person events.
– **Short interviews:** Q&A videos with founders, leaders, or experts in under 5 minutes perform exceptionally well.
The common thread is that the most popular videos provide value to the viewer – whether it be educational, entertaining, informative, or inspiring. Self-promotional product pitches generally have lower engagement.
Optimal Video Lengths
When it comes to video length, shorter is generally better on LinkedIn:
– 60 seconds: Extremely short 1 minute videos often get high completion rates and work well when paired with an engaging text post.
– 3 minutes: This tends to be the “sweet spot” for an informative, value-driven video that holds viewer attention.
– 5 minutes: Still generates solid viewership for compelling videos, but completion rate starts declining.
– 10-20 minutes: Can work for very high production value, YouTube-style videos, but the average LinkedIn user will not engage for this length.
– 20+ minutes: Generally too long unless you are an extremely reputable speaker or thought leader providing a talk with high educational or entertainment value.
The data shows that videos under 5 minutes, and ideally around 1-3 minutes, are the best performing lengths given the LinkedIn audience’s tendencies. As with text-based content, brevity is key.
Video Performance by Industry
Video popularity varies slightly by industry on LinkedIn:
– **Software:** Short software demo videos often thrive in IT and software. Technical how-to videos also work well.
– **Business services:** Company culture and customer testimonial videos frequently see high engagement, as they build trust and relationships.
– **Media & entertainment:** Interviews and behind-the-scenes videos are popular and on-brand for this industry.
– **Retail:** Product launch videos and customer testimonials perform well in retail spaces.
– **Non-profit:** Mission and value focused videos that pull on emotion and tell human stories generate high viewership.
So while educational, behind-the-scenes, and testimonial style videos work across the board, there are some nuances in video themes by industry vertical.
Tips for Optimizing LinkedIn Videos
Here are some key best practices to optimize videos for success on LinkedIn:
– **Keep it short:** Under 3 minutes is ideal. Be concise.
– ** Lead with value:** Provide exciting or helpful info upfront before any pitches.
– **Include a strong title/thumbnail:** Use eye-catching imagery and emotive headlines.
– **Leverage subtitles:** Subtitles boost views and accessibility.
– **Post natively:** Upload videos directly to LinkedIn to get more reach rather than linking to YouTube or other sites.
– **Find the right mix:** Pair videos with other content types like articles to balance feed.
– **Track analytics:** Monitor views, completion rate, clicks, comments, and other metrics.
– **Repurpose wisely:** Turn long-form webinars and talks into shorter segments for LinkedIn.
Following these best practices will boost the likelihood of video success on LinkedIn.
Conclusion
In summary, the data clearly shows that video usage on LinkedIn is rising steadily. Users are engaging with and responding positively to well-produced videos that educate, entertain, tell stories, provide insider looks at companies, and more. While text-based posts still dominate the LinkedIn feed, video is rapidly becoming a key part of most organizations’ LinkedIn strategies.
With the proper balance of video and text content and a focus on concise, value-driven video under 5 minutes, brands can drive meaningful engagement on LinkedIn. The platform’s algorithm favors video more and more each year. Following current video best practices and trends will ensure your brand puts its best face forward on LinkedIn through compelling video content. Video marketing is becoming an essential new norm for professional social media success.