LinkedIn is the leading platform for professional networking and attracting qualified leads, but it’s a competitive space.
Earning engagement on LinkedIn is no easy feat. However, the reality is that most people aren’t even doing content. A mere 2% of LinkedIn’s 740 million users post content weekly. Even those who are posting content are neglecting one huge opportunity for engagement: video.
YouTube and TikTok are the prime platforms for video, with Facebook and Instagram also offering a wealth of video content. Video offers a huge potential for organic reach on LinkedIn as well.
Of course, for videos on LinkedIn to be effective, they must be done well. Today, we’ll share more about the importance of video content on LinkedIn and tips for video creation.
Reasons to Use LinkedIn Video
Video offers important benefits that other forms of content cannot. Here are some benefits of posting videos on LinkedIn:
- You’ll stand out. If you post a LinkedIn video every week, you will be part of a very tiny percentage of creators. Video content is an excellent way to distinguish yourself and your brand on the platform.
- Connect with your audience. Video offers a unique opportunity to connect with your audience. By seeing you in the video, your audience will learn your mannerisms and speaking style, which will help them feel as if they know you.
- Engage a larger audience. Videos on LinkedIn will expand your reach while simultaneously increasing your engagement. LinkedIn videos generate 3x the engagement of text posts.
Always Add Subtitles
Taking the time to add subtitles to your video can make a world of difference for viewer retention and engagement. On LinkedIn, videos play automatically with sound off. Additionally, many people watch them in public spaces, so they don’t always want sound. If the video is playing silently and there are no subtitles, people will not be able to follow along, so they are more likely to exit out. Always add subtitles to your videos to draw people in when there is no volume available. It’s also important and appreciated by those who are hard of hearing.
Keep it Short
Take a lesson from TikTok’s engagement book for your LinkedIn videos. Attention spans are short, so videos should be as well. Videos that are 1 minute long perform best. Be concise in your videos, sharing the most important information in the most direct way.
Share Only One Thought or Idea Per Video
You probably have a lot of helpful content to share with your audience and that is great! Just don’t share it all in one video. For each video, share only one main thought or idea. This will help you keep your videos short and attention-grabbing. Even if you film a lot of content at once, you should split it up into multiple videos that each only share one idea. If you overcomplicate what you are trying to share you will lose your audience’s attention.
Begin with an Attention-Grabber
To get your audience to pause their scrolling and watch your video, it must stand out right from the beginning. Make your video stand out by adding a quick attention-grabbing intro or by adding a captivating headline. Elements with a lot of movement at the beginning of the video can also help draw in your audience.
Stand Up
If you are recording yourself on camera, stand up. If you’re standing, you’ll automatically have more energy and move around more than if you’re just sitting. Think about the difference between doing a presentation while sitting vs standing. There is a reason your teacher always made you stand at the front of the class. Standing injects more authority, professionalism, and confidence into your presentation, and the same holds true for videos.
Never a Dull Moment
Every moment in your video counts, and there should not be a single dull one. Again, keeping videos short helps you avoid dull moments, but you must also put some practice into how you speak in your videos.
Despite popular belief, you do not need to pour a lot of time into editing to eliminate dull moments. With the proper speaking and presentation skills, you can minimize, or even eliminate editing. Train yourself to speak in a highly engaging manner. For example:
- Avoid long pauses
- Keep sentences short
- Add movement, which can include changing the scenery or switching between yourself and a screen share.
- Eliminate filler words (um, uh, like)
It definitely takes practice to improve your speaking style for videos. At first, you may have to do a bit more editing to remove dull moments. One good tip to help you along the way is to script what you will say before recording. As you improve, your script can become more of an outline and the editing requirement will drastically decrease.
Video content is an important part of a successful LinkedIn content strategy. With the tips above, you can create simple, effective LinkedIn videos that will engage your audience and attract your ideal clients.
