LinkedIn is a popular professional social networking platform used by millions of professionals and businesses worldwide. On LinkedIn, users can create profiles highlighting their work experiences, skills, education, accomplishments, and more. LinkedIn also allows users to post regular status updates, share articles, participate in groups, message connections, and much more.
One of the key features of LinkedIn is the ability to publish posts – these can include text, images, links, documents, and videos. For businesses and professionals looking to increase their visibility and engagement on LinkedIn, video content is becoming increasingly important.
Videos allow you to connect with your audience in a more dynamic and visual way compared to plain text or images. According to LinkedIn, posts with video attract up to 3x more engagement than regular posts. Clearly, video is a powerful medium to tell your brand’s story and grab attention on LinkedIn.
Can You Add a Video Thumbnail on LinkedIn?
When you share a video on LinkedIn, it will automatically pull a frame from the video to use as the thumbnail image. However, what if you want to set a custom thumbnail that better represents your video content?
The answer is yes, you can add a custom video thumbnail on LinkedIn to make your video posts more eye-catching and compelling. Setting a custom thumbnail gives you more control over the viewer’s first impression when they see your video in their feed.
In this post, we’ll go over how to add custom thumbnails to your LinkedIn video posts to boost views and engagement.
Benefits of Using Custom Thumbnails
Here are some of the benefits of using custom thumbnails for your LinkedIn video content:
- Make your video stand out in the feed – A compelling, high-quality thumbnail grabs attention.
- Convey key information – The thumbnail lets you highlight important details about the video content.
- Branding – You can reinforce your brand image through colors, logos, text, etc. in the thumbnail.
- Higher click-through rate – An interesting thumbnail piques curiosity and encourages people to watch your video.
- Improved engagement – More people end up viewing, liking, commenting and sharing your video posts.
Requirements for Custom Thumbnails on LinkedIn
If you want to upload a custom thumbnail for your LinkedIn videos, make sure to follow these requirements:
- File Format: JPEG or PNG only
- Dimensions: Minimum 400×400 pixels, maximum 2048×2048 pixels
- File Size: Less than 4MB
- Aspect Ratio: 1:1 (square)
Keep the thumbnail simple and uncluttered for maximum impact. Avoid adding too much text or unnecessary elements.
How to Add a Custom Thumbnail to Your LinkedIn Video
Uploading a custom video thumbnail on LinkedIn is easy. Just follow these steps:
- Create your video post within LinkedIn as usual. Upload the video you want to share.
- Once your video is uploaded, look for the option to add or change the thumbnail below the video.
- Click on “Add or Change Thumbnail”. This will open your image files to select a custom thumbnail.
- Choose your pre-made custom thumbnail that meets LinkedIn’s requirements listed above.
- Crop and adjust the thumbnail as needed.
- Click “Save” to apply your custom thumbnail.
- Preview how the custom thumbnail looks in your video post.
- Make any final edits to the overall post – text, hashtags, tagging, etc.
- Click “Post” to share your new video post with the custom thumbnail!
And that’s all there is to it! Your video will now stand out in the LinkedIn feed with its custom thumbnail.
Thumbnail Design Tips
Here are some tips to create effective custom thumbnails for your LinkedIn videos:
- Choose a relevant, eye-catching image – Optimize it to convey your video topic/content.
- Use high-resolution images for maximum quality.
- Include text like titles, slogans, or key messaging.
- Leverage colors, logos, and icons for strong branding.
- Focus on one strong, central visual – avoid clutter.
- Use contrasting colors for text and background.
- Make sure text and logos are clearly visible/legible.
- Add visual interest – people, expressions, illustrations.
- Try different compositions – close-up, wide shot, text overlay.
- Test different options and choose the one that stands out best.
Tools to Create Custom Thumbnails
You can use various design tools and software to create amazing custom thumbnails quickly and easily.
Here are some recommended options:
Tool | Description |
---|---|
Canva | Free online graphic design tool with templates for social media images |
Adobe Photoshop | Advanced image editing software for professionals |
Adobe Illustrator | Vector graphics software for illustration and graphics |
PicMonkey | Intuitive online photo editor with templates, graphics and effects |
Snappa | Graphic design platform for non-designers, with stock photos |
Pablo by Buffer | Free tool to create social media images with templates |
BeFunky | Online photo editor with templates, fonts, graphics and more |
Try out a few different tools to see which one best fits your needs and creative preferences.
Conclusion
Custom video thumbnails give you greater creative control and let you grab more eyeballs on LinkedIn. The right thumbnail quickly conveys what your video is about and compels people to watch.
Make sure to follow LinkedIn’s recommended thumbnail specifications. Use vibrant images, clean designs, and compelling text/visuals. Experiment to figure out what thumbnails work best for your brand’s LinkedIn video content.
Investing some time into creating custom thumbnails will pay off with higher viewership, engagement and overall impact for your LinkedIn video marketing. So step up your thumbnail game and watch those video views rise!