LinkedIn video ads help marketers engage audiences on a powerful B2B platform known for lead generation and brand awareness.
While being active on LinkedIn is excellent for lead generation and brand building, marketers also need to stay on top of what kind of posts are gaining the most traction on the platform.
For example, LinkedIn reported video posts on its platform attracted more than 300 million impressions in a single year. Videos also boast impressive engagement levels, which are roughly triple that for text posts.
Let’s look at why LinkedIn video ads are so valuable to marketers and how to increase your chances of success.
Create LinkedIn video ads
- Why are videos on LinkedIn important
- Types of LinkedIn video content
- How to create a LinkedIn video campaign
- Best practices for creating videos
- LinkedIn video content ideas
Why are LinkedIn and video marketing such a powerful pairing?
When you combine LinkedIn’s connected community of nearly 800 million members looking to connect, share and network on the platform with the power of video marketing to boost revenue, you get an effective and profitable advertising tactic.
Video marketing strongly appeals to consumers, with 69 per cent preferring to watch videos to learn about new products or services over reading articles, e-books and other written content.
There are many reasons why businesses should be marketing on LinkedIn right now. It’s the world’s largest professional network, but it’s also well established as a B2B content platform with valuable targeting capabilities. Video ads on LinkedIn allow marketing teams to create unforgettable brand experiences for carefully curated audiences.
Types of LinkedIn video content
LinkedIn video ads
Video ads on LinkedIn can capture audiences with visual storytelling that brings your brand to life. These are sponsored or paid ads that can be up to 30 minutes long, created within LinkedIn’s built-in Campaign Manager.
LinkedIn native video
Native video refers to video content that is created on LinkedIn or uploaded directly to LinkedIn. Native videos can be up to 10 minutes long and automatically play in-feed, boosting interest and engagement from members.
Embedded videos on LinkedIn
Many brands simply post their marketing videos to a different platform first, such as YouTube or Vimeo, and then share the link in a post on LinkedIn. Embedded videos don’t play automatically in users’ feeds, however, which means they may be less likely to catch the attention of people scrolling through content.
How to create your first LinkedIn video ad campaign
You can create your LinkedIn video ads in Campaign Manager by following these steps:
Choose your objective
LinkedIn allows you to optimize your ad campaigns for video views right in Campaign Manager when creating a LinkedIn ad campaign. Under the primary “Consideration” objective heading, choose “Video views” as a specific campaign objective.
Build your target audience
You’ll use LinkedIn’s precise targeting to build and save an audience for your campaign. You can choose parameters such as company name, industry, job title, interests and other characteristics.
Choose your ad format
LinkedIn offers a variety of ad formats to help deliver your message as effectively as possible. In Campaign Manager, you’ll be able to choose video ads from these options:
- Single image ad
- Video ad
- Carousel image ad
- Message ad
- Text ad
- Dynamic ad
Set your bid and budget
With any advertising campaign, you’ll want to set a budget to help control costs and to be able to assess performance. In this section, you’ll be able to set a budget, a schedule, and a bid type. LinkedIn’s Campaign Manager will even suggest a range based on other current bids competing for your target audience.
Set up your ad creative
At this step, you’ll create your ad and preview how it will look before going live. Be sure to note LinkedIn video ad specs to ensure your video ad will be approved.
Set up billing information
You’ll need to enter and save payment details in Campaign Manager to launch your campaign.
Best practices for creating videos
Want to get the most out of your LinkedIn video advertising? Follow these best practices to ensure your videos are compelling enough to be effective:
Pay attention to quality
While you don’t need to be a professional videographer to create a basic video, you need to learn the basics of lighting, sound, using a camera and how to communicate effectively through this medium.
Use captions and simple audio
Some people may watch without sound, depending on where and when they see your ad. Make it easy for them to do so by providing captions, graphics and other clues about what is in the video.
Showcase a demo
Video is your opportunity to show instead of telling the viewer how to use a product, how it adds value and what makes it unique.
Keep it brief
Use clear, quick-to-read written copy and limit the length of your video. For example, while LinkedIn ads can be up to 30 minutes long, LinkedIn recommends keeping videos under 30 seconds. If you aren’t sure, test different lengths and compare how they perform.
Include an offer in the headline
An offer in your video and headline can help boost perceived value and create an incentive for people to watch.
Add a clear call to action
Ensure viewers are encouraged to take the next step with your brand.
Think visual storytelling
Whether you include video footage, animation or graphics, all will affect how your story is perceived by a viewer. Video is memorable because you can weave in layers of detail, from the script to the background.
LinkedIn video content ideas
Many marketers have trouble deciding what type of content to share in videos, and this uncertainty can prevent them from taking advantage of this format.
Take time to brainstorm video content ideas with your marketing team or other departments, then narrow down your list to align with your overall marketing goals.
Here are a few examples of LinkedIn ad content to help fuel your brainstorming:
- Showcase your products or service.
- Share company news and brand updates.
- Highlight community involvement and company values in action.
- Add value with explainer videos that help your customers get the most out of their purchases.
- Announce launches and give sneak previews of what’s coming next for your company.
- Showcase your company’s differentiators with behind-the-scenes content or sneak peeks.
- Share event highlights.
- Offer a preview of a webinar, course content or online training.
- Share customer testimonials and success stories.
- Recognize outstanding employees.
LinkedIn offers a vast, professional audience to marketers ready to engage audiences in memorable ways. Embracing visual storytelling in video advertising campaigns on this platform can help brands stand out from their competitors and create an indelible impact.
With clear goals and best practices in hand, you’ll be able to create effective LinkedIn video ads for your brand. Not sure where to start? An experienced team can help you build out a strategy for your video ads and manage your campaigns to the best effect.
