Using Native LinkedIn Video in Social Media Marketing
Last update: 31 May 2023 at 02:28 pm
5.00/5The defining feature of video posts is that they show and don’t tell. It’s the most effective way to relay second-hand information and a captivating story. The old adage, “you eat with your eyes,” has never been truer. The effect of a well-placed video with relevant content can generate incredible results. LinkedIn native video proved this when it first launched in 2017. In one year since its implementation, a video post generated more than 300 million impressions.
Many marketers struggle to find the right platform for posting their content. LinkedIn hosts the perfect audience for a B2B content marketing campaign. As is projected by the site’s beta program, the videos are five times more likely to start a conversation than any other kind of post.
The wonders of LinkedIn videos are endless, generating massive growth for businesses everywhere. Before we dive into exactly how that’s working, let’s review how we got here.
All People Are Social, but Some Are More Social Than Others
There are two schools of thought here:
- The first is one that imagines us socializing at barbecues, pubs, and special dinners with our mobile phones in our back pocket.
- The second school of thought is a bit more visionary: socializing with the help of technology that can expose us to an immeasurable breadth of information. While sitting at the breakfast table, we could impact almost half of the world’s population in some small way.
It’s in our nature to socialize, and we have advanced through the technological capabilities at our disposal to help us do it more efficiently. Traffic on social networks has grown exponentially, allowing us to build relationships in innovative and lasting ways. The function of the handshake has been digitized and physical contact is no longer a prerequisite to fraternizing with clients and friends around the world.
The average phone-addicted adolescent is normally surfing Facebook, Instagram, or an alternate social platform. They interact with thousands of people with every few keystrokes, yet society often accuses them, misguidedly, of being antisocial. This same demographic is usually the most up-to-date on social trends, current affairs, and other factors that affect society.
The Proliferation of Social Media
The advent of Web 2.0, which is the interactive version of the internet that we now enjoy, has allowed for that second school of thought listed above. Social media is at the forefront of human interaction on the Internet these days, but defining exactly what qualifies as a social media platform isn’t easy to pin down. The different websites and platforms available make it difficult to settle on a consensus, but there are a few characteristics that all of them have in common.
- Social media is all web-based and allows for interactions via applications and websites.
- User-generated content (when people add or post text, comments, videos, and photos) is the lifeblood of social media.
- Users create service-specific profiles on the website that are maintained by the admin staff.
- The basic concept is a form of networking that connects the individual’s profile with those of others.
Irrespective of whether or not you are a social media freak, we all depend on it for some business purpose or another. There are 3.6 billion social media users in the world today.
Advertising on Social media
Sophisticated marketers have realized just how valuable a tool social media is for marketing. Using platforms relevant to their businesses, CEOs and executive teams can significantly deepen their relationships. These relationships extend to community voices, stakeholders, employees, and other entities operating on social networks.
Factors like sustaining engagement with customers, social listening, and integrating cross-channel data are keys to expanding relationships through social media.
Exposure
The current economic climate is a volatile one. The average company is often affected by limitations that are way out of its scope of control. A lot of the work put into the sustenance of revenue is damage control.
The ability of a business to bounce back from any kind of setback depends on the health of its client base. More often than not, regular patronage is what many companies depend on to keep them alive. To create brand awareness and gain exposure, interactive media for marketing content is an extremely effective tool. The amount of exposure it allows for far exceeds that of other campaign elements.
Here are a few ways to make sure that your brand gets the most exposure possible:
Pick the right platform
More doesn’t necessarily mean better. Marketer needs to be picky in their choice of their platform, and there are a few considerations to take into account:
Let’s take Facebook as an example. Facebook and LinkedIn may seem to offer the same opportunities for brand awareness to the layman. Upon closer scrutiny, it becomes quite apparent that this is not true.
Facebook, as a consumer market, is populated by the retail customer. The type of products and services advertised here are often things like sneaker brands, cosmetics, car insurance, personal vehicle sales, and insurance. The type of marketing that will work best here is business-to-client (B2C).
LinkedIn, on the other hand, is leveraged by the high-earning customer. The clientele that subscribes to this platform may also be company owners or decision-makers with purchasing authority. The most useful form of marketing on LinkedIn would include content that’s relevant in business-to-business (B2B) marketing.
The latter entails the firm’s services that support sellers in the retail industry that are making products for consumers, like boutiques, sneaker brands, restaurants, vehicle recovery firms and many others.
Make sure you know who your audience is. Your target market will determine which platform you are going to use.
Produce High-Quality Content
Your ad represents you–it’s somewhat like a resume. And to the viewer, the quality of your content is indicative of your product or service. Always make sure that your video content is unique and stands out from the crowd.
Post Regularly
Suppose you get started by placing a video advert once a week; you should maintain that trend down to the second, if possible. There are numerous options out there for software and web apps that will help you do this by allowing you to set up a posting schedule. This is what will get you noticed. The more people you seduce with regular DIY videos or training tips, the more potential customers you’re going to have.
And eventually, dig a bit deeper. At best, audiences will treat irregular updates, though interesting, as if they were mere entertainment. At their worst, posts that don’t have a recurring order are just as good as nonexistent. When you do make a schedule, always aim for your posts to release at peak times to maximize their effectiveness.
The Importance of Visual Elements in Social Media Marketing
The web surfer never comes upon a huge chunk of text and begins to greedily salivate. Maybe the bold headers or the calligraphy might grab their attention, or they skim impatiently and begrudgingly through. What grabs the eye every time, though, are the visual elements. Pictures and videos arrest the attention way more than the written word. Provided it has something unique, catchy or remotely related to what the surfer is after, visuals are going to reel in more clients than other content.
Interactive Posts
Web 2.0 has done wonders for social media. With an interactive element on a mega network like LinkedIn, one can take things deeper still.
On social media, users can set up surveys and reviews; once people invest their time into something, they tend to look out for it. The latter occurs even if they don’t need whatever service or products the advertiser offers. At this juncture, visual exposure and marketing may very well evolve into word of mouth.
The Function and Impact of LinkedIn
The original function of LinkedIn was employment. It began as an online job search engine with attached networking capabilities. Since then, it’s expanded its function to B2B and B2C marketing.
In October 2016, LinkedIn claimed that it had a total of 470 million subscribers. This number included all account holders across the categories: all job seekers, employees, and employers. By April 2017, the platform was reported to have 500 million. And that was 3 years ago.
Today, employment is no longer LinkedIn’s sole function. It’s a premium social network with functions that primarily serve individuals in B2B marketing.
LinkedIn Quick facts
- 61% of subscribers are between 30 and 64 years old.
- Linked is where you will find the highest disposable income; 75% of users on the platform are earning $50,000 or more per year.
- Most social media platforms excel at B2C; LinkedIn is uniquely suited to B2B video marketing campaigns.
- In 2020 LinkedIn has an estimated 227 million active monthly users. These numbers have risen since 2017, but the balance is 50-50 between men and women.
The Use of LinkedIn Video to Create Brand Awareness
Embedding Videos into LinkedIn Posts
Embedding is a scenario where a video is hosted on one platform but displayed on another. People will often use a third-party website to host their content, with the most popular being YouTube. With YouTube, you can upload a video to a Google-owned conduit and then embed it on LinkedIn.
For a standard company webpage, the process tends to be a bit more complicated. But with YouTube, all you need to do is click “share” on the video and craft your text around it.
Like with all other social media platforms available today, LinkedIn does allow embedding, but it’s not ideal because it creates a one-click barrier. The Linkedin native video starts playing by itself as the user scrolls through the Linkedin account. With embedded video, user will need to click the play icon in order for it to start.
The Benefits of LinkedIn Native Video
Native videos are uploaded directly to your personal LinkedIn profile or page. Unlike embedding, the video is hosted by LinkedIn.
The maximum text limit for a video on LinkedIn is 700 characters. In that range, the post can easily contain an appropriate description of the visual element. The video can be anywhere from 3 seconds to 10 minutes long.
Linkedin allows you to upload videos in both horizontal and vertical formats. Do note, though, that the platform will crop vertical videos into a square for its news feeds.
LinkedIn Video Ads
A LinkedIn video ad is “sponsored” content. This means you pay for them. Just like embedded files, the sponsored native video must be a minimum of 3 seconds long but is allowed to be 30 minutes long. The platform caps the file size at 200 MB. This means that LinkedIn compresses your video file.
Additionally, your video must be horizontal. Vertical videos are not compatible with the sponsored content section.
When creating one of these ads, LinkedIn allows you to add 600 characters of text. You also have the option to add a custom destination URL.
Using LinkedIn Live
LinkedIn live video is a new beta feature that’s only available to specific members and pages. It allows the host to interact with their viewers in real time. Users submit questions that the host can respond to while the video is live. If you’re familiar with Facebook Live, then you’ll get the hang of this in no time.
LinkedIn also allows for private streaming, where the host makes the live video available only to a select few. This works really well in the case of webinars, talk shows, product announcements, etc. The concept here is to host a live stream for a curated audience alone.
LinkedIn Stories
LinkedIn Stories is a function that’s only available as part of their Student Voices series in the US. The function allows for posters to air video snippets for one week before they’re removed from the playlist. Stories will remain on the host’s profile indefinitely, though.
The success of LinkedIn’s stories feature will determine whether or not it gets rolled out on a broader spectrum internationally.
Understanding LinkedIn Metrics
Organic play occurs when 50% of a video is visible on screen and a viewer has seen at least 3 seconds of it.
For sponsored content, things work a little bit differently. LinkedIn adds additional metrics for its analyses here. The platform records the following data:
- The first thing that LinkedIn takes into account is the impression. An impression equates to 1 second of playback while 50% of the video is in view.
- While 50% of a video is in view and two seconds in, the platform also records a viewer’s interaction with any “calls to action.”
- Views at 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% are recorded. The platform also includes instances where viewers skip ahead.
- When the video is allowed to run up to 97%, this is counted as a complete viewing.
- The completion rate is the number of complete views divided by the total number of views, multiplied by 100.
- The number of full-screen plays where the subscriber clicked on the video and watched in full-screen mode is counted regardless of how much of the video plays through.
The Most Common Video Content Shared by Companies on LinkedIn
Company News
Companies use the platform as a medium for reporting news about their brand. This will generally include announcements, developments, strategy, growth, and ventures into new markets, among many more.
Events
The hosting of digital events like webinars or seminars is often advertised through by video on social media platforms.
New Product Releases
Releasing new products on video is sure to trap a user’s attention. LinkedIn is a good place to demo new products or services.
“How it’s Made” Videos on Products or Services
One great marketing strategy is to allow potential customers some insight into the production or manufacturing process of a product. It’s an intriguing and educational tool for ensnaring new and repeat customers.
Behind-the-Scenes Insights into Company Culture or Office Events
A backstage view of your products and services will demonstrate the pride you take in your work and may convey transparency and take the customer into your confidence.
Customer Testimonials or Case Studies
The public expects a brand to promote itself, and we’re bombarded by consumer-facing content at all times. Thus, a potential customer may be critical of promises made in an advertisement. Using a testimonial as an element of advertising can help the audience relate to the person giving it, making them more inclined to trust your word if it’s verified by a third party.
Tap Into an Industry or Global Trend
Connecting your brand to issues that people care about can gain exposure for your company. Topics of international relevance like healthcare, conservation, and social justice will draw attention.
Educate & Inspire
Audiences are always looking to learn something new. By sharing knowledge and expertise, the marketer captivates an audience’s innate curiosity.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Load Videos Onto LinkedIn?
There are two types of Linkedin videos one can load: one is the embedded type, and the other is the native type. Embedding allows you to load videos hosted on an external platform like YouTube. Embedding is a less than ideal method.
The preferable course of action is to use LinkedIn native video. Navigate to your LinkedIn profile, click “start post,” upload your video, making sure to fill out the relevant text pertaining to the video, and then click “post.”
What Are the Video Requirements on LinkedIn?
Videos on LinkedIn can be anywhere from 3 seconds to 10 minutes. A study has shown that videos with a duration of 30 seconds or under achieve more complete viewings.
The lesson here is that short is sweet. If you’re postinge a longer video, then it needs to be interesting from start to finish. The hook has to be in the first 3seconds.
The aspect ratio of these videos are 1:2:4 or 2.4:1. The resolution is 256X144 pixels to 4096X2304 with a frame rate of between 10 and 60 frames per second. And the bit rates are changeable in the range of 192kps to 30MBps.
The length of the video should be proportionate to funnel placement. Topics like educational material, industry updates, and market trends shouldn’t exceed 90 seconds. Case studies and product demos are positioned further down the tunnel and may be a bit longer.
Why Are Native Videos Better?
Social media platforms tend to favour native videos more. The setup on the platform allows for easier access, as is the case with LinkedIn. Native videos and native ads don’t have the one-click video barrier that embeds do, and they start playing automatically when 50% of the video is showing on a screen.
An Afterthought
As we’ve seen, linkedIn isn’t just a job search engine but also the perfect platform for exposure. The correct use of a video ad is a powerful tool that will reel in many opportunities in the long run.With the right knowledge and defined marketing goals, anyone can make native LinkedIn in video work for them.
