Why Native Video?

One of the best new features to cross LinkedIn’s interface in a long while in LinkedIn Native video. Used correctly, LinkedIn Native video can get you more visibility, build your credibility, enforce your brand and position you as an expert – in 10 minutes or less!

I’ve heard from many successful entrepreneurs, marketers and sales professionals that they are getting more activity and engagement on their LinkedIn Native videos than on other platforms – some that they have already positioned themselves as experts on!

Jim Keenan is using Native Video to build a loyal engaged fanbase so that when he releases his next book, he can amplify its visibility and reach from the second it drops! His videos get an average of 25K views and hundreds and hundreds of comments. Significantly more than I see on FB where he also has an active and engaged following.

Vengreso CEO, Mario Martinez, Jr. and InsideSales.com Gabe Larsen feigned a “Social” VS Traditional Selling “Boxing Match” to drive traffic to a webinar which resulted in exponentially more sign-ups than previous marketing attempts.

Sue B. Zimmerman, @TheInstagramExpert, posted a video on LinkedIn that resulted in over 65K views, a keynote, several people signing up for her coaching package AND several podcast interviews.

My videos regularly result in requests for interviews, coaching and profile makeovers.

Why are these videos getting so much visibility and so many results?

Your personality and voice are crucial in marketing and sales, and videos help you to showcase your knowledge and expertise.

Because most people engage on LinkedIn either through text features like updates or messages, communication can be very limiting. You lose a lot of interpersonal connection when people can’t see your face and hear your tone. Your personality and voice are crucial in marketing and sales, and videos help you to showcase your knowledge and expertise. People are more likely to connect with you after seeing your videos, and you never know what business can develop from new relationships.

What is Native Video?

Well, let’s start by clarifying two misconceptions.

One: When I talk about Native Video on LinkedIn I am NOT talking about sharing a YouTube or Vimeo link. Those posts don’t do very well on LinkedIn (compared to Native Video posts.)

Two: This is NOT “LinkedIn Live” video (there isn’t such a thing… yet). Your Native Videos are recorded ahead of time on your phone or computer and then uploaded into the update area.

How to Use Native Video

To access LinkedIn Native video, just look for the Movie or Video Icon in the Update field on your mobile or desktop. Once you click on the update field on your mobile app (movie camera icon), it will take you to your camera roll. Click on the video option and start to shoot. Or if you already shot the video, you can just upload it.

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On your computer, it will take you to your Finder or Documents folder, where you can find and upload your video.

Keep in mind, the minimum video length is three seconds, maximum is ten minutes. Maximum file size is 5 gigabytes (find more on LinkedIn native video limitations here).

Native Video Ninja Tricks

1. Keep It Short and Sweet!

Remember, people have short attention spans, you may want to keep your videos at less than three minutes.

2. Don’t Forget the Description

Make sure to add text in your update description. Some people won’t want to commit to watching all 98 seconds if they don’t know what the video is about. I like to give “the readers” some bullet points about the video (if relevant) or give them a CTA or reason to watch it.

For example, for a “how to” video, outline the steps or else write a short update that teases the content and then link in comments to a longer blog or LinkedIn Publisher post.

If you don’t want to compose your updates on your Mobile device, you can send yourself an email or write the update on a cloud app, such as Notes, Evernote or Google Docs, and then copy and paste it into LinkedIn.

As with text or image updates, the same rules apply: Tag people if you mention them and include relevant hashtags. In total, you have 1200 characters (not words!) to work with.

3. Save Your Video to Find It Again

Because video – like updates – will disappear off of your feed, I recommend three strategies to keep track of them:

1. Copy and paste the link to the Video post into Notes on your phone or a Word or Excel file on your computer by clicking on the three dots on the top right of the post after it is published;
2. Drag the video once published into a folder on your browser or save the link as a favorite on your mobile;
3. Create a really unique hashtag that only you (or your company) is likely to use. We use #VengresoVids.

I do all three!

4. “Produce” at Least Some of Your Videos

You may want to do live, spontaneous videos on LinkedIn once in a while (at an event or with a quick tip). However, high-quality, produced videos will get more views. Spend some time creating and editing your video before you upload it.

My favorite software for recording and editing video include screen sharing tools Screenflow (for Mac) and Camtasia (Mac and PC), as well as video conference tool Zoom, which also gives you the ability to drop in a background and has an “Improve your Appearance” filter (halleluiah!). I record using a Logitech 920 webcam and a Blue snowball microphone, Logitech headset, or lavaliere mic. Mac app Webcam allows me to easily adjust my video settings.

If you want to read off a script, there are plenty of free teleprompter apps you can download and use. We also use OneMob which is a video email tool but makes really cool videos too!

OneMob

5. Don’t be Shy, Get Wave.video

Some people are just never ever ever going to be comfortable on screen. Have no fear. Wave.video can help you make pretty freaking awesome videos, even if you are graphically challenged like I am!

It’s amazing what some good videos, music and editing can do to transform an old blog post, or some stills into something pretty spectacular!

6. Keep It (Somewhat) Professional

LinkedIn is more business focused, so your LinkedIn videos will likely differ from other platforms, such as Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat. You want your content to stay inline and relevant to the brand you created on LinkedIn.

If your brand is the exact same on Facebook and LinkedIn, and you share the same content, you can share the same videos. However, if your Facebook audience is more casual (and your Facebook videos are more casual), you’ll want to create different videos for your LinkedIn connections.

Use LinkedIn native videos to introduce yourself and your company and talk about how you can help your viewers. Create videos that answer FAQs in your industry of company, show how to’s and product demos, or promote a book, a webinar, or class. Don’t forget to include the link. The options are endless

7. Video for Business

Now your company – the influencers within your company – and even employees (provided they have permission and access as an administrator) can share video on LinkedIn Company Pages (as well as their own personal profiles).

As with any piece of content on LinkedIn – you need to make your video shares valuable content (and isn’t just a sales pitch). You might share testimonials, interviews, employee celebrations, client celebrations, holiday wishes, (as well as anything you would do in a personal Native Video). Of course, with video you have a great opportunity to showcase your company’s influencers, culture, products, news, and events.

8. Get a Bigger Audience

What else does this mean? It means you can now also sponsor Native Video so that the audience that you want to see the content will actually see the content. If you’ve only got 50 followers on your company page – but you’ve got a video that you want to share with thousands – it’s a lot more likely that they will see the video once it’s been sponsored.

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More Geeky Stuff – Video Specs & Guidelines

• File format: MP4
• Width requirements: 480-1920px, inclusive
• Height requirements: 360-1080px, inclusive
• Aspect ratio requirements: Between 4:3 (1.33) and 16:9 (1.78), inclusive
• Supported Example: 1920×1080 (pixels are supported and aspect ratio, 1.78, supported)
• Unsupported Example: 1920×1000 (pixels are supported but aspect ratio, 1.92, not supported)
• Frame rate: 30 FPS or less (frames per second)
• Audio format: AAC or MPEG4
• Audio size: Less than 64KHz

Final Thoughts

Video can and will amplify your brand. Do it well, so the effect can massively increase your appeal and engagement.

Are you using LinkedIn Native Video? What have your results been?

About the author:  Viveka von Rosen is Cofounder of Vengreso, the largest provider of full spectrum digital sales transformation solutions.

Known as the @LinkedInExpert, she’s author of the best-selling LinkedIn Marketing: An Hour a Day & LinkedIn: 101 Ways to Rock Your Personal Brand. She is a regular contributor and has been featured in Forbes, BuzzFeed, Inc, Entrepreneur, Selling Power and the Social Media Examiner.