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Ever since LinkedIn launched its native video posting feature in 2017, using video content on the channel has proven to be more than just a marketing gimmick to show off your business. Instead, it’s become a medium that, if used strategically, can help to generate business growth.
Video is now the most re-shared form of content on LinkedIn, with 87 per cent of current users saying it’s an effective marketing tool for them. Furthermore, a study carried out by Google showed that 60 per cent of consumers would prefer watching an ad instead of reading one on social media.
So, what exactly is it about video that makes it so effective, and how can you use it to your advantage? Get to know all this and more with our handy guide on using LinkedIn video, based on your marketing and business growth goals.
Brand videos are a brilliant way of letting your audience understand what sets your business apart from the rest. The goal of this LinkedIn video post type should be, as this section title suggests, to build brand awareness by introducing who you are and what you do, all in a bid to intrigue and attract your target audience.
Whether it’s through a customer story, behind the scenes takes or a rebrand launch, posting a video to LinkedIn is the perfect way to demonstrate your brand ideology and culture, and ultimately show your audience why they should be connecting with you and not the competition.
Capturing your audience’s attention with eye-catching imagery is a key benefit of using video. But it doesn’t mean it’s all about the entertainment factor – this technique is also particularly useful for sharing important news and updates.
Rather than simply publishing a news update or press release within a long-form post, use video to summarise the key points. This makes content more digestible, allowing your audience to get the information that matters most in a more engaging way.
Profile raising can also be achieved in an ‘inform and engage’ video objective, with key employees taking part in an interview style video, sharing their valuable industry insights on hot topics. This also serves to build trust with your audience.
Another great video tool to inform and engage with video is using LinkedIn Live. From launching a new service or product to hosting Q&As and events, you can do it all with this feature.
While you do run the risk of some unplanned stumbles, whether it be technical or sudden memory loss, if you plan well and test enough beforehand you can reap the many benefits of this function such as generating a stronger connection with your audience and increasing engagement. In fact, live video gets on average 24 times more comments than native video on LinkedIn.
Including a website link in your video post copy should be non-negotiable. By including a link, this will allow people who found the video particularly relevant to then click through to your landing page to find out more, resulting in an increase in website traffic. There are very few exceptions to this rule, so remember…always include a link.
Now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s touch on what makes video particularly click-friendly. The number one element is including a call-to-action within the video itself. Your end frame should always ask the person watching it to do something, whether that be to visit your website or visit a specific landing page. Your link in the post will then marry up with what you’re asking people to do, so if it were to visit a specific landing page that would be the link you include in your post.
Highly effective forms of video content which drive website traffic on LinkedIn are those which solve a person’s problem. For example, highlighting your services and why they can help your target audience, using testimonials to show how you’ve helped other professionals, and showcasing case studies to display what makes your service or product industry-leading.
While having an organic video strategy is beneficial, without taking advantage of advertising on LinkedIn your videos are only going to be seen by those who currently follow your company page, or by followers of those who have shared it. By amplifying your video with a paid budget, you can create a highly targeted campaign that will reach thousands of relevant new prospects and customers.
Think about it like this. You are launching a video to showcase a service that is only relevant to a C-suite audience who live in England and work in manufacturing. You currently have 150 people following your page who match these criteria.
If you were to post the video organically, you would be reaching only 150 relevant people. If you were to use LinkedIn advertising and its targeting tools, the video would be seen by thousands more, increasing your brand awareness and the likelihood of leads and enquiries as you’ll (of course) be using the call to action of ‘visit our website’.
If you want to get to know more about the benefits of LinkedIn advertising, click here for our blog dedicated to the highly successful tool.
Now that you’re up to speed on why you should use video on LinkedIn and which video types are effective at generating a range of results, here are some fundamental tips to remember when creating your video strategy.
If you’ve come this far in reading our blog, then you’ve already seen just how effective using video on LinkedIn can be. But how do you know whether it was effective for you and how you’re using it? That comes, of course, with data analysis.
With each video you post organically, LinkedIn will show you key metrics like total video views, total video viewers, total number of minutes the video has been watched and an overview of who has watched it, including company name information.
With LinkedIn advertising, you will get even more visibility including what percentage of the video people watched it to (e.g. 25 per cent, 50 per cent, 75 per cent and so on) and the view rate.
With full measurable outcomes, comparing these statistics will, over time, allow you to determine what kinds of video your specific audience engages with most so that you can tailor you video strategy to maximise the result.
Now that you’ve got some fundamental tips under your belt, it’s time to get out there and step into the dawn of your multimedia social dominance by including video in your LinkedIn strategy. From raising brand awareness to generating website traffic, the benefits of using video on LinkedIn are endless – the only thing that’s left is to start reaping the rewards!
Want to know more about how you can start using video in your marketing strategy to achieve your business goals? Our team is experienced in video creation for social media, from strategy and concept all the way through to video production, delivery and amplification on. Get in touch with Emily on t: +44 (0) 7939374364 or e: emily.neilsen@brand8pr.com or Todd on t: +44 (0) 07535006921 or todd.duncan@brand8pr.com