Today on social media, especially on LinkedIn, we see more and more content that organizations create to attract attention to themselves. Employee advocacy programs are also becoming more and more popular. Employees are encouraged to create more content as they are the ones who can reveal the organizational culture, talk about its values, and educate about products and services the best. Employee-created content appears more reliable and organic and can reach bigger audiences.
However, we also see that most of the content on LinkedIn is text-based with static visuals, such as personal or associative photos, graphs, or other illustrations. Even though video content became king on many other social media platforms quite a while ago, on LinkedIn, it is still fairly unusual, especially in the context of personal accounts.
The possibilities of video content on LinkedIn
Why is it worth experimenting with video content beyond Instagram and TikTok? First of all, video content still isn’t wildly popular on LinkedIn, meaning that it will allow you to stand out from the crowd of other content creators. Additionally, video content keeps the audience engaged for a longer time, helps to get to know the author better, and introduces the brand or organization they represent more thoroughly. Besides, both LinkedIn and search engines’ algorithms love video content. Finally, video content is already “digested” – yes, it is harder to create, but it is much easier to consume.
Ronaldas Burokas has been working in video content creation and marketing for over a decade. He is also the founder of a video marketing studio “Video Marketingas” which provides filming courses to companies and individuals. He says that video content helps make the message you wish to broadcast more vivid and memorable. One of the reasons is our body language which adds one more dimension to the communication and allows for transferring some non-verbal cues. Also, most people have a unique voice which can become your distinctive feature. This is very important when developing a personal brand and aiming for better recognition through sound. Eventually, it can become your signature and make positive associations. Remember, when it comes to video content, the sound is as important as the view.
In addition to the benefits of video content mentioned above, it is also worth noting that video content can generate more leads to a website and more sales. This makes video content one of the leading marketing components for B2B brands to invest in.
What stops us from creating video content on LinkedIn?
Even though there are many benefits of video content, people still shy away from creating video content on LinkedIn. Lives, reels, stories, and other video formats have become common on Instagram, and yet, LinkedIn is the place where people still avoid sharing videos because this platform is considered to be a professional network, prompting more careful behavior.
Ronaldas also notes that professionals are often afraid to make video content for their personal accounts as they lack basic knowledge and skills about video making. “Having at least minimal knowledge about technical equipment can cause a significant increase in the quality of the video content. For example, by using a prompter, content creators can read their text and look at the camera at the same time. And looking at the camera means looking your audience into the eye. Using a prompter, we can keep eye contact and share our thoughts more smoothly, thus increasing the trust of our audience.
The founder of the videomaking studio also says that not having clear goals and not knowing what results to expect from video content can stop from creating it, too. However, Ronaldas says more and more people start seeing it as an opportunity. “What encouraged me to create these courses was the need that arose from progressive companies that see the best global practices where employees are involved in the videomaking process. I often face prejudice that only agencies and videographers can create video content, which is too expensive. However, nowadays, you can make great content using only your phone and with minimal knowledge. It is also nice to see that the communication and marketing departments of various companies, organizations and businesses are eager to learn to make the video content themselves. Not everyone has the chance to use the services of a professional agency or creator. Besides, the employee-generated content has great value, even for the agencies. With professional postproduction, it can deliver incredible results. Sometimes, employees create content spontaneously and unexpectedly, and that is also great.”
Ronaldas tells us that today, companies can stand out by encouraging their employees to create and share video content on LinkedIn, as it still remains fairly unusual on this platform. He also revealed to us a little experiment he did a short while ago – he uploaded identical videos to both YouTube and LinkedIn accounts that have a similar number of followers. The result? The video that was on LinkedIn had 20 times more organic views than on YouTube.
How and where do I start?
Those who are considering creating video content on their personal LinkedIn accounts should follow the steps below:
- Think about the main message and goal of your video. Maybe you wish to share your experience in an organization, its culture and use this information to introduce your audience to new career opportunities?
- Think about the structure and scenario. When you know your goal and message, write down what you’ll say (if you intend to talk in the video). Copywriting skills will be handy here.
- Plan the filming process. Make a list: what, where, when and with whom / what will you record, and how it should look visually. We call it planning, framing, and so on, but technical jargon isn’t really relevant at this point.
- Ensure proper technical fulfillment. Proper lighting, clear sound recording, and a stable camera are the key things you should take care of.
- Practice speaking to the camera. When talking to the camera, imagine that you’re talking to a person – this will help you look more natural. Repeat as many times as you need until you don’t feel any discomfort. Speaking to a camera is an acquired skill. Also, make sure you’re more expressive, as this makes the recording livelier.
- Analyze audience engagement and experiment. Watch the numbers and make conclusions – having some basic knowledge of digital marketing will help you here.
Ronaldas recommends starting small: the first video shouldn’t be too long or complicated. “When making videos, content is key, but presenting it in an aesthetically pleasing way also matters. In school, we learn how to write letters, join them into words, and turn words into sentences. But nobody teaches the technical nuances of telling a story visually. To those who are only just beginning to make videos, frame composition and frame per second number might sound like swear words. I help people familiarize themselves with these words. When you have a technical knowledge basis of videomaking, creating content and testing its effectiveness becomes very easy. Write, film, edit, test, repeat.”
You may find this article in the Lithuanian language here. This article was published on Delfi M360 website.