LinkedIn is expanding its video capabilities, giving brands and professionals innovative tools to drive visibility, engagement, and trust. As of April 2018, both organic and sponsored video content are now widely available across LinkedIn feeds, featuring native playback, detailed performance metrics, and a mobile-first interface (LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, 2018). This development marks a critical shift in how business-oriented content is created and consumed on the platform.
Historically, video has thrived on platforms like Facebook and YouTube, where emotional storytelling and viral trends shape consumption. But LinkedIn is different. Its professional context shifts video from entertainment to expertise. On LinkedIn, video isn’t a distraction — it’s a demonstration. Users come with intent: to learn, to evaluate, and to connect in business-relevant ways (HubSpot, 2018; Aberdeen Group, 2017).
This change carries strategic implications for B2B and B2C brands alike, but with nuanced differences. B2C brands may find limited reach in LinkedIn’s tightly focused audience, while B2B brands have a rich opportunity to connect with decision-makers and establish industry credibility. With video now native to the platform, the gap between awareness and trust shortens. It’s not about mass visibility — it’s about meaningful impressions.
Strategic Insight
What’s your story?
You’re a thought leader, brand, or business trying to earn trust — not just attention. LinkedIn now provides the means to show, not just tell. Native video allows you to articulate complex ideas, demonstrate value, and offer perspective, linking your face and voice directly to your expertise.
What do you solve?
Trust deficits. Lack of brand differentiation. Communication bottlenecks. In B2B environments, these are critical barriers. Stakeholders require proof before engagement — and video accelerates trust formation by offering visual and emotional context (Content Marketing Institute, 2018).
How do you do it?
Create short, content-rich videos that demonstrate capability and culture:
- A project walkthrough showing a successful implementation
- Brief commentary on a new report or trend in your industry
- Personal insights on leadership, process, or innovation
Pair these with LinkedIn’s targeting tools: job title, seniority, company size, and industry. This ensures videos reach relevant viewers, turning impressions into influence (LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, 2018; eMarketer, 2017). Sponsored video ads further enable content promotion to highly filtered audience segments, ideal for nurturing B2B pipelines.
Why do they care?
Decision-makers have limited time and a high bar for trust. Native video on LinkedIn addresses both. It enables top-of-funnel education and mid-funnel engagement without leaving the platform. It’s a way to build rapport at scale — all within a business-first environment (Demand Metric, 2016).
B2B vs. B2C: Who Wins with LinkedIn Video?
LinkedIn’s user base skews heavily toward business professionals. According to a 2018 study by Pew Research Center, over 50% of college graduates in the U.S. with incomes over $75,000 use LinkedIn. This makes it ideal for B2B targeting. The platform boasts high engagement from executives, decision-makers, and hiring professionals — the very people driving business investments (Pew Research Center, 2018).
B2B companies benefit most from this ecosystem. Content like explainer videos, thought leadership pieces, and testimonials can influence buying cycles that are longer, more complex, and involve multiple stakeholders (Salesforce, 2018). Unlike B2C where emotion and trendiness drive clicks, B2B relies on credibility, consistency, and clarity — all things video delivers when done right.
That said, B2C isn’t entirely out of place. High-end services (like financial planning or real estate), education providers, and career-related products can still perform well. But mass-market brands may find LinkedIn’s CPC and targeting too narrow for true consumer-scale returns (HubSpot, 2018).
Fictional Ideas
Imagine Mia, a digital marketing strategist based in Chicago. She’s struggled to stand out on LinkedIn with blog links and static posts. Starting in April 2018, she pivots to posting native videos — 45 seconds or less — offering SEO tips and marketing strategy hacks. She uses LinkedIn’s Sponsored Video Ads to reach marketing leads at agencies in the Midwest.
In just a few weeks, Mia starts receiving direct messages from agency owners asking about her consulting services. Her videos build trust faster than articles ever did. She launches a newsletter to capture leads, and over time, builds a loyal base of subscribers and followers. LinkedIn video turns her into a visible, credible authority.
References
- LinkedIn Marketing Solutions. (2018, April 17). Introducing video for sponsored content and company pages.
https://business.linkedin.com/marketing-solutions/blog/linkedin-news/2018/introducing-video-for-sponsored-content-and-company-pages - Content Marketing Institute. (2018). B2B Content Marketing: Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends—North America.
https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/2018_B2B_Research_FINAL.pdf - Aberdeen Group. (2017). The Impact of Video Marketing on B2B Sales.
https://www.aberdeen.com/techpro-essentials/the-impact-of-video-marketing-on-b2b-sales/ - Demand Metric. (2016). Video Content Marketing Benchmark Report.
https://www.demandmetric.com/content/video-content-marketing-benchmark-report - HubSpot. (2018). State of Inbound Marketing.
https://www.hubspot.com/state-of-inbound - eMarketer. (2017). LinkedIn Ad Revenues and Video Engagement Metrics.
https://www.emarketer.com/Report/LinkedIn-Advertising-Outlook-eMarketer-Forecast-2017/2002131 - Pew Research Center. (2018). Social Media Use by Demographic Groups.
https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/03/01/social-media-use-in-2018/
Salesforce. (2018). State of Marketing Report.
https://www.salesforce.com/form/pdf/state-of-marketing-2018/
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