Video Killed The Algorithm (Again) - LinkedIn’s videographic return

Betting it all on video

The fact LinkedIn has resurrected this from the dead means only one thing…

Video is now THE content of choice moving forward.
You can’t hide or deny it now.
LinkedIn is doubling down and you should too.
You can’t avoid video now.

Videos for (not quite) dummies

Obviously everyone knows that videos are now staple forms of content marketing.

Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, etc all spearheaded the way and then TikTok became the short form video behemoth that it is now.

Despite all this, LinkedIn has been historically resistant to video.

And while our Jem does videos like her livelihood depends on it (cause, well, it does) it doesn’t mean there isn’t difficulties or downsides.

So you have to become comfortable with video.

Embed it into your strategy

Your marketing strategy needs video. 
It’s now unavoidable.
B2B, B2C, D2C, BBC, ITV, all of the strategies.
But we know the hesitation, the nervousness, the fear.
After all, who wants to look like an utter tit on video, immortalised on the internet forever?
But it’s now a core part of your strategy and you need it to be.
Otherwise, you will fall behind.

And with LinkedIn pushing video, now is the time to get ahead and get some serious reach and engagement in.

Followers don’t mean much now

Follower counts and connection counts are not as relevant now.

It’s basically a vanity metric.

With videos and the video feed, it acts just like TikTok's For You Page.

If your video is good, it gets pushed to the feed.

LinkedIn is testing your content on a small sample of people.

If they watch it, it goes wider.

If they swipe past, it dies a quiet death.

This can help you find the followers and connections, but reach and watch times will be the metrics to watch.

The TikTokification of the professional world

“BUT LINKEDIN IS A PROFESSIONAL PLATFORM FOR PROFESSIONALS” 

We don’t mean you need to do dancing videos or strange overdubs of popular songs (we’ve been there, done that, wouldn’t recommend).

But you do need to think about how to TikTok your professional knowledge.

Not necessarily seeing you suited and booted doing vertical video.

But videos that engage, get attention, and still give that business value can be done any which way (not a single tie or suit in sight).

And the data doesn't lie.

People are spending twice as long watching video on the platform.

They are eating it up.

You might think “my audience is purely professional people who only ever read whitepapers and analytics reports.”

Wrong. Hideously wrong.

Your audience are human beings.

Human beings who spend their evenings scrolling reels on the sofa.

They want the same fast, digestible content at 9 AM on a Tuesday.

They just want it to be about leadership, marketing, or tech.

Something that helps their business or validates their feelings about trying to grow their business.

Instead of dancing cats.

Usually.

Dwell time is the new currency

Dwell time is the invisible like and comment rolled into one.

It’s the proof that your content is hitting the spot.

How long are people actually watching your video?

If they stick around for the full video, you get seen and LinkedIn promotes you.

If they bounce away quicker than a kangaroo on a pogo stick?

You’re toast.

The machine knows exactly when your audience gets bored. And boredom will kill your results.

How to not look like a deer in headlights

Talking to a camera is scary. We’re not questioning that.

You hit record and suddenly forget how to speak English. It becomes all umms, errs, ahs, and rambling.

Your hands don't know what to do so it looks like you’re trying to mime your way out of the screen.

The hardest part is to get used to video and relax.

The authenticity of you will come through in time and practice.

And authenticity wins on video.

You don't need a Hollywood production crew.

You don't need a teleprompter.

You just need your phone, some decent lighting, and something useful to say.

Talk to the camera like you’re talking to a client over a coffee.

Make mistakes. Stumble slightly.

It makes you human.

What actually works on LinkedIn video?

Lets give you tactics to actually use (don’t say we never give you value).

• No watermarks. If you just export a TikTok with the logo bouncing around and dump it on LinkedIn, LinkedIn will know. They will bury it and it will never see the light of day. Create something just for LinkedIn, on LinkedIn.
• Subtitles are mandatory. People won’t switch on the sound. You need to put captions in on the video before you upload. Make sure they’re easy to read and then, Ta dah!
• Get to the point. No waffle, no ramble, no long intros. This isn’t War and Peace. Get to the point. Use hooks that you know get traction and do your own spin on them.
• Be clear. The AI is listening to what you say. It's reading the text on screen. It sorts your video based on intent and topic. If you ramble, it doesn't know who to show it to. Keep your message focused and crystal clear.

Embrace the cringe

This is the hardest part.

The first video you post will probably make you cringe. You will want the earth to open up and swallow you.

Post it anyway.

We’ve all been there.

Even our Jem had to start somewhere.

Now she churns them out like a machine.

But she had to push through that initial wall of awkwardness.

In fact, even though she’s a pro at them now, she still feels like an awkward turtle more often than not.

You’ve got a business to grow. So post the video, keep going, keep improving.

Do your video today

Don’t write your next post. Pick up your phone and film it.

Write down three bullet points, a quick prompt, a tiny script.

Hit record, keep it under 60 seconds.

Add some captions.

Upload and post.

The algorithm is literally begging for video right now.

Give it what it wants and see your reach begin to climb.

Video hasn’t killed the algorithm, it just shifted it to a new feed and a new style.