A recent study highlights the power of video on LinkedIn, revealing that video posts consistently achieve three times the reach of text-based content, particularly when they’re posted in the morning and kept under five minutes. This insight comes from marketing strategist Caroline Giegerich, who conducted a 90-day analysis to test LinkedIn’s claims about video performance.
Key Takeaways from the Study
Giegerich’s analysis, published in Adweek, aimed to verify LinkedIn’s claim that video posts see up to five times the engagement of text content. Here are some of her most compelling findings:
1. Higher Reach with Video: Across the board, Giegerich’s video posts outperformed text posts in terms of reach:
– Even her lowest-performing videos received nearly triple the impressions of her top-performing written posts.
– Her most successful video reached an impressive 774,000 views.
– On average, her video content garnered around 250,000 views per post.
2. Best Practices for Maximum Reach:
– Keep It Short: Videos under five minutes performed best.
– Timing Matters: Posting between 9-11 AM EST yielded the highest results.
– Direct Engagement: Giegerich found a direct-to-camera style worked well, making her videos approachable and easy to understand.
3. Adding Personality: Giegerich discovered that a touch of personality helped her videos stand out. She used engaging sound effects and fun captions, enhancing accessibility and viewer enjoyment. “If Gossip Girl covered tech, she’d be me,” she quipped, describing her unique approach.
Video vs. Text: When to Use Each
Giegerich’s analysis also provided insights into when to use video versus text posts:
– Video for Awareness: Video posts are ideal for creating broad awareness, as they tend to reach a larger audience beyond one’s immediate connections. This makes them great for introducing new ideas, products, or brand messages.
– Text for Engagement: In contrast, text posts often lead to higher engagement within a user’s network. Giegerich found her text posts dominated the top three spots for engagement, though they reached fewer users compared to her video posts. This targeted reach to her network fostered a more engaged and interactive audience.
“One format is more targeted to my network, while the other is being heavily promoted by LinkedIn’s algorithm to reach a broader audience,” Giegerich explains.
The Limitations of LinkedIn’s Monetization for Creators
While LinkedIn’s algorithm is clearly optimized for video, the platform still offers limited monetization opportunities compared to TikTok or Instagram. Currently, LinkedIn offers:
– Sponsored posts and consulting opportunities as monetization avenues.
– A creator accelerator program, which only accepted 100 participants in 2022.
For content creators and marketers, this means LinkedIn may not yet offer the same financial incentives as other social platforms, though it can still be valuable for establishing visibility and credibility.
The Big Picture for Marketers
Giegerich’s findings emphasize that LinkedIn video can be a powerful tool for gaining visibility, but text posts play a critical role in maintaining engagement within an established network. For an effective LinkedIn strategy, she suggests balancing both content types:
– Use videos to reach new audiences and increase brand visibility.
– Leverage text posts to deepen engagement with an existing network and spark conversation.
This balanced approach can help brands and professionals make the most of LinkedIn’s unique platform dynamics and algorithms, maximizing both reach and engagement.
LinkedIn Video Posts Outshine Text by Reaching 3x More Users, Study Shows
