Image source: Bill Rice via Flickr
LinkedIn’s introduction of native video offers important benefits for PR, marketing, human relations and CEOs. Previously, users could only embed video links to YouTube or other platforms.
LinkedIn users can now create video from a mobile app and share it as an update. Desktop functionally is expected soon. Users can also upload video files.
Those in PR and marketing generally appreciate the power of video to gain audience attention, increase brand awareness, and promote products and services. According to Social Media Examiner, 73 percent of marketers planned to increase their usage of video in 2017.
More Open to Business Messages
Facebook and other platforms already support video. But serious business content can easily get lost among videos and photos of cats, children’s birthday parties and friends drinking at bars. On LinkedIn, people are in a professional mindset and more receptive to business messages. Research from Cisco Systems found that 75 percent of business executives watch work-related video weekly, points out Sean Callahan, LinkedIn senior manager of content marketing.
LinkedIn analytics will report top companies, titles and locations of viewers as well as how many views, likes and comments videos receive.
“Video lets you give people a better sense of who you are, build trust, and reinforce your brand. People are more likely to connect with you after seeing your videos, and you never know what business can develop from new relationships,” writes LinkedIn marketing expert Viveka von Rosen for Social Media Examiner. “Your personality and voice are crucial in marketing and sales, and video helps you showcase your knowledge and expertise.”
This addition of video suggests that LinkedIn, now owned by Microsoft, is moving away from its primary positioning as a job-search site and toward a broader business orientation.
Much Greater Reach
Von Rosen contends that native LinkedIn videos produce much greater reach than links to YouTube or Vimeo. Some would dispute that observation, especially in the case of YouTube. However, LinkedIn clearly has a large audience for business-oriented videos and native video instead of links certainly provides better continuity for the user. For LinkedIn itself, native video has the benefit of holding the viewer on the LinkedIn site instead of sending them off to YouTube or another site owned by a competitor.
“Please remember this is LinkedIn, not Snapchat! Make sure your videos are business appropriate,” von Rosen advises. “You might even want to script them out for a while, or at least have some talking points in mind when you start.”
Keep videos under three minutes, she adds. People have short attention spans. Add text to entice people to view the video.
Many Possible Marketing Uses
PR and marketing professionals can use LinkedIn native video to:
- interview happy customers,
- showcase a product or service,
- showcase a new innovation,
- introduce your audience to a client or employee,
- interview experts or
- broadcast an event.
Organizations can also improve their recruiting by publicizing their workplace and culture, says Pete Davies, group product manager at LinkedIn. In one early LinkedIn video, HotelTonight CEO Sam Shank uses his phone to record himself and explain why it’s important for companies to offer employees a free lunch at work. He also shares a tour of HotelTonight’s dining facility. That video update garnered 986 likes.
An icon on your update field that resembles an old-fashioned movie camera indicates that you have the new feature. To share native video on LinkedIn, open the app on your mobile device. In the share box on the home screen, tap the video camera icon. On the next screen, choose a pre-recorded video from your camera roll or click “Video” to record a video on the spot.
Some caveats: Video posting is currently only available for members, not companies. Additionally, LinkedIn Sponsored Content does not currently accommodate video.
Bottom Line: LinkedIn has jumped on the video bandwagon, joining Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat. LinkedIn native video is a boon for marketers who will be able to take advantage of video marketing on LinkedIn’s professional network. Native video is far superior to sharing links to videos, experts say.
William J. Comcowich founded and served as CEO of CyberAlert LLC, the predecessor of Glean.info. He is currently serving as Interim CEO and member of the Board of Directors. Glean.info provides customized media monitoring, media measurement and analytics solutions across all types of traditional and social media.
