Why You Should Be Investing in LinkedIn Short-Form Video Content Right Now

Lindsey Gamble / LinkedIn

If you follow me on LinkedIn, you’ve probably noticed an increase in my video content. There’s a solid reason for this—I’m fully embracing short-form video on LinkedIn, and I believe you should, too.

Over the past few years, I’ve documented LinkedIn’s evolution—from its origins as a job-seeking and networking platform to its transformation into a destination for creators, and now, its latest chapter: video.

LinkedIn’s New Chapter of Video

Lindsey Gamble / LinkedIn

LinkedIn has supported native video since 2017, but this year, it has introduced several new features that highlight its commitment to video content:

• Video Tab: A dedicated, immersive space in the mobile navigation bar for users to scroll vertically through short-form videos.

• Videos For You: A carousel of suggested videos appearing in the mobile feed, similar to Instagram’s Suggested Reels.

LinkedIn has also enhanced its video capabilities through initiatives like the Wire Program, enabling brands to run in-stream video ads on publisher content and Connected TV (CTV) ads, allowing advertisers to display ads in long-form content across connected TVs.

The Results

LinkedIn’s investment in video is paying off. Microsoft’s Q4 FY24 earnings report indicated that video is the fastest-growing format on LinkedIn, with a 34% year-over-year increase in uploads. And just this week, it reported that weekly immersive video views have increased 6x quarter-over-quarter, and total video viewership on LinkedIn is now up 36% year-over-year.

The Opportunity with LinkedIn Video

Here’s why investing in LinkedIn video is worthwhile:

Less Supply, More Demand

As seen with platforms like Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and early TikTok, there’s often a gap between video consumers and creators. This low-supply, high-demand environment means that video creators currently face less competition for eyeballs on LinkedIn. However, this advantage won't last forever, so early adopters should capitalize on it now.

LinkedIn Is Prioritizing It

LinkedIn’s new features prioritize video, creating an environment where video creators have greater visibility and discovery opportunities than with any other content type. This has been beneficial for me as well.

After experiencing a decline in the reach of my text and image posts, I began experimenting with video content. While I have plenty of videos that aren’t performing well, my top posts over the last 90 days have all been videos, including one that hit 2.4 million impressions and surpassed the total impressions on my content from last year. In contrast, my best-performing text and image post during this time reached just under 10,000 impressions. Overall, video content provides an organic reach that’s challenging to achieve with other formats.

Lindsey Gamble / LinkedIn

However, it’s worth noting that engagement rates on LinkedIn videos can be lower, particularly for those that perform exceptionally well in terms of views. Many views come from users passively scrolling through the video experiences, and LinkedIn users are often hesitant to engage publicly, as their activity appears in their connections’ feeds.

Broader Video Trends

There is a broader trend in the growth of video content, especially short-form video, which has become a primary way for people to consume information, despite some criticism of the platform's "TikTokification." Currently, over 75% of U.S. adults spend up to two hours daily watching short-form videos, making video creation a natural evolution for LinkedIn. It’s why UberEats, Glassdoor, and many others have added short-form video experiences.

How LinkedIn Video Connects to Areas of Business

Beyond improving my LinkedIn content performance, sharing video content aligns well with various aspects of my business. Chances are, it does for you too—whether you’re trying to attract more clients for the company you work for or build your personal brand.

Consulting/Advising

Video showcases my expertise in an engaging manner. Potential clients can see and hear me, providing insight into the value I offer and what working with me might be like.

Sponsored Content & Brand Partnerships

Now is an excellent time to be a B2B creator, given the growing interest in B2B influencer marketing on LinkedIn. Video has become a common medium for influencer marketing programs and is driving results. B2B buyers report that short-form video content helps inform their buying decisions, with 80% stating that video-focused influencer content is one of the most trusted forms of content in B2B marketing.

By investing in organic video content, I’m not limited in how I can collaborate with marketers on sponsored content—I can support all formats. I can seamlessly integrate sponsored video content into my organic strategy. This can help close deals and drive outcomes.

Speaking & Education

Creating talking-head video content directly connects to my speaking and educational efforts. It allows me to share my thoughts and perspectives around topics that I typically present at conferences or workshops. Additionally, repurposing clips from past speaking engagements act as teasers for event orgnaizers considering me for their events.

Best Practices & Tips for LinkedIn Video

Lindsey Gamble / LinkedIn

Based on my experience, what I’ve seen work for other creators, and LinkedIn’s recommendations, here are some tips for creating and sharing video on LinkedIn. They aren’t that much different from other short-form video experiences.

• Embrace the Vertical Format: Record in vertical (9:16) format for mobile optimization. This fills the screen on phones and caters to how users are most likely to consume your content on LinkedIn.

• Keep It Short & Sweet: Aim for videos under 2 minutes—ideally under 90 seconds—and include a hook at the beginning. This length is sufficient to convey your message without losing viewers' attention.

• Repurpose Existing Content: Use existing short-form text posts, blogs, newsletters, or long-form articles as inspiration for video concepts. Clip highlights from podcasts, webinars, or live events you've participated in. If those don’t work, consider having a Zoom conversation with someone about a relevant topic and extract the best clips.

• Captions Are Essential: Captions ensure accessibility and allow viewers to follow along in quiet environments. While LinkedIn auto-generates captions, they can often be inaccurate. Use a third-party tool to add your own creative captions (just remember to remove LinkedIn’s version when uploading).

• Don’t Overlook Text: A well-crafted caption can provide context that the video might not cover. If text has been your main format, maintaining a strong text component allows you to deliver content your audience is used to while adding the benefits of video.

• Thumbnails Are Less Important: Thumbnails are not crucial right now, so it’s often unnecessary to spend time creating custom ones unless you designate video as your primary content format. Instead, choose an appealing frame from the video that looks good in the standard LinkedIn feed.

• Consistency is Key: Posting a few videos per week builds a library and generates insights to help optimize future content. Having a batch of videos increases the potential for any of them to take off; I've had videos gain significant views days or even weeks.

What Could Be Next for Video on LinkedIn

With prediction season upon us, here are a few thoughts on what LinkedIn might pursue next with video or at least what I think it should:

• Enhanced Editing Tools: Expect improved in-app editing features such as transitions, text overlays, and a capability that allows users to reply to comments with videos, similar to Instagram and YouTube.

• Expanded Analytics: Look for more robust video analytics, providing insights on where views originate—whether from the LinkedIn feed, Video tab, or the Videos For You carousel.

• Video for Collaborative Articles: Users may get have the option to respond to prompts for Collaborative Articles with video content.

High-Risk, High-Reward

If you’re still on the fence about LinkedIn video, consider that creating video content often requires more time and effort than standard text posts.

Think of it as high-risk, high-reward, like shooting three-pointers in basketball: while three-pointers are harder to make than layups, a few successful ones can yield more points—and better results—over time. A few standout videos can have a bigger impact than many average text posts, so don’t hesitate to take that shot before everyone learns how to shoot the three-pointer on LinkedIn.