Everything Financial Advisors Need to Know About LinkedIn Video for 2019

When it comes to marketing and driving traffic to your advisor website, video is here to stay. Not only is that an important part of your website, but as we have posted in many other blogs, social media is also a driving force when it comes to bringing in new prospects. So, what do you get when you combine both LinkedIn and video? We have got some key tips on everything you need to know about video on LinkedIn this year!

Don’t believe us? Check out some of the staggering statistics:

• LinkedIn video posts generated more than 300 million impressions on the platform earned (source)
• Video posts see an average of three times more engagement than text posts. (source)
• People are 20 times more likely to share video with their connections than any other type of LinkedIn post (source)
• Company page videos are 5 times more likely than other types of content to start a conversation among members. (source)

So, how do you go about integrating video into your digital marketing strategy? Check out the surefire tips below to start boosting your conversions today.

Types of LinkedIn Video

First, it’s important to understand that there’s not just one type of video, there are different types and different ways to go about sharing those video onto your LinkedIn profile and company pages.

1. EMBEDDED

Many brands still choose to upload their videos to a platform such as YouTube or Vimeo and then share the link on LinkedIn. This is simple and it does work, but for many reasons, we’re finding that posting your videos natively to LinkedIn tend to be more effective when it comes to engagement.

2. NATIVE

Ok so you’re supposed to be sharing videos natively but what exactly is “native video,” you ask? It is a video that is uploaded directly to LinkedIn or created on the actual platform. So there is no link sharing from YouTube or another platform in your post. With native videos, LinkedIn allows you to share videos that are up to 10 minutes long, so that’s a great opportunity to include a lot of information to your connections.

It’s so simple, and when videos are shared natively, it will be shared THOUSANDS of more times than simply uploading a link. All that you have to do it is to record the video and upload the raw video (usually an MP4 file) to each platform individually.

All social media platforms have started to prioritize video content, which results in the drastic increase in shares. Unlike videos that have been embedded, LinkedIn native video plays automatically in your feed, which is much more likely to grab the viewers’ attention. It’s such a great way to garner more attention.

Below is an example from the Twenty Over Ten LinkedIn page that shows the difference between an embedded video vs. a native video

3. ADS

Video ads on LinkedIn are sponsored company videos that show up in the LinkedIn feed. If you have budget set aside for advertising, video ad campaigns have greater potential to ↗ your company’s brand awareness and lead generation since they are usually seen by a larger, more targeted audience. 

These ads can be set up by the company page administrator using LinkedIn’s Campaign Manager or you also have the option to sponsor an existing post. These ads can run for up to 30 minutes, which is much longer than the native video content mentioned above.

How to Use LinkedIn Native Video Effectively

Whether you are sharing the video on your desktop or phone, sharing LinkedIn native videos is basically a three-step process. When doing this on your phone, you can record and post in-app and add text, while doing this on desktop requires a pre-recorded video.

How to post on your desktop:

1. From the homepage, click Share an article, photo, video, or idea.

2. Click the video icon.

3. Upload the video you want to share.

How to post from your phone:

1. Look for the share box (iOS) or post button (Android) at the top of the feed.

2. Tap the video icon.

3. Record a video in the app, or upload something you re-recorded.

4. Tap the filters or text button.

5. Add filters and/or text.

Easy enough, right? Once you have posted the video, then you will have access to audience insights, which includes the number of views, likes, and comments that your post is receiving. You’ll also be able to see the top companies, titles, and locations of viewers. This obviously comes in very handy, as you will be able to see the types of videos that drive the most traffic. Once armed with this kind of information you can begin to tailor your content to what works best for your company moving forward.

How to Launch a LinkedIn Video Ad Campaign

Ready to launch your ad campaign? Here’s are some quick tips to setting up a LinkedIn video ad campaign:

1. Log in to Campaign Manager to create your campaign.

2. Select Sponsored Content.

3. Name your campaign.

4. Choose your main objective. Options include: get website visits, collect leads, or get video views.

5. Select video as your ad type format and click Next.

6. Click Create new video.

7. Fill out the form, upload your video, and hit Save.

8. After your video has uploaded, select the video by clicking the checkbox next to it and then hit Next.

9. Choose your target audience criteria and click Next.

10. Set up your bid, budget, the duration for your campaign, and click Launch Campaign.

There you have it! This step-by-step should make this a seamless process

What are the LinkedIn Video Specs?

When it comes to posting these videos, it’s pertinent that you keep these specs in mind. These specifications vary between standard native videos and LinkedIn video ads, so make sure to take note of the differences.

LINKEDIN NATIVE VIDEO SPECS

• Minimum video length: 3 seconds
• Maximum video length: 10 minutes
• Minimum file size: 75KB
• Maximum file size: 5 GB
• Orientation: Horizontal or vertical.
• Aspect ratio: 1:2.4 or 2.4:1
• Resolution range: 256×144 to 4096×2304
• Frame rates: 10 – 60 frames per second
• Bit rates: 192 kbps – 30 Mbps
• File formats: ASF, AVI, FLV, MPEG-1, MPEG-4, MKV, QuickTime, WebM, H264/AVC, MP4, VP8, VP9, WMV2, and WMV3.
• Formats that are not supported include ProRes, MPEG-2, Raw Video, VP6, WMV1as.

LINKEDIN VIDEO AD SPECS

• Minimum video length: 3 seconds
• Maximum video length: 30 minutes
• Minimum file size: 75KB
• Maximum file size: 200MB
• Orientation: Only horizontal. Vertical videos are not supported by LinkedIn video ads.
• Pixel and aspect ratio:
• 360p (480 x 360; wide 640 x 360)
• 480p (640 x 480)
• 720p (960 x 720; wide 1280 x 720)
• 1080p (1440 x 1080; wide 1920 x 1080)
• File format: MP4
• Frame rate: Maximum of 30 frames per second.
• Audio format: AAC or MPEG4
• Audio size: Less than 64KHz

10 LinkedIn Video Best Practices

So, now that you know the specs to use and the types…what are the best practices? Here are ?? top ideas to help you to excel on LinkedIn video!

1. OPTIMIZE YOUR SETUP

Don’t get too excited before you start without making sure you have the ideal setup. Yes, anyone can technically be a “cameraman” these days with the use of mobile devices, but that doesn’t mean everyone is good at it. If you just remember the simple tricks below, then your video will turn out much better!

• Lighting: Choose a well-lit area.?? Natural light is usually your best bet, but artificial light can work, as well. Also, beware of backlighting so that your subjects don’t come out too dark.
• Camera position: Take a test video, and adjust your camera setup, as necessary.
• Camera: If recording from your phone, use the rear camera, and be sure that you keep it steady.
• Background: Avoid a cluttered or distracting background.
• Body language: This is easier said than done, as many people freeze up in front of the camera, but try to maintain a relaxed presence by rehearsing your script. Look directly at the camera, smile, and speak as in natural conversation.

2. DRAW YOUR VIEWERS IN FROM THE START

As we have mentioned in so many of other posts about email marketing or creating a strong website, it’s important to reel your viewer in from the start. We recommend doing this in the first 1-2 seconds of the video, as they often aren’t very long.

3. PUT THE IMPORTANT INFORMATION UP TOP

Generally, if you can’t draw someone in within the first ten seconds, then attention drops off after around the 10-second mark. That’s not very long to have to draw someone in, which is why you need to wow them from the start!

You need to share your message right off the bat, otherwise, your viewers will drop off. If you can knock it out of the park at the start of the video, then this very likely increase your lead generation.

4. DESIGN AS IF THE SOUND IS OFF??

Think about playing a video at work, are you going to use it with sound? Probably not! In fact, up to 85% of social media videos are played without any sound. Because of this, you need to be sure that you are including descriptive images, infographics, use expressive body language and even add captions to your videos in post-production.

5. INCLUDE CLOSED CAPTIONS

This is a great idea since like we mentioned above, most people view LinkedIn videos with the sound off. Your LinkedIn videos autoplay on mute, and will play sound only if a viewer clicks the play button so it pays to add captions to your videos. Thankfully, LinkedIn just added a closed captioning feature, making it simple to captions to your video content in the platform itself. (Pro tip: When using this feature, you’ll need a .SRT file)

1. Click the video icon in the share box on desktop and choose the video you want to share.
2. When the preview shows up, click the edit icon on the top right to see the video settings and then click “select file” to attach the associated SubRip Subtitle file.

6. VARY UP THE SHOT

Are you trying to watch one single shot for the whole video? Definitely not, as this can get very boring ??. Viewers start to drop off if not immediately engaged, so including different angles is a great way to vary it up a bit.

Also, b-roll is a very useful tool when it comes to adding in images or infographics. This will give the viewers something more riveting to view especially during the voiceover sections.

7. CHOOSE THE RIGHT VIDEO LENGTH

It has been suggested that LinkedIn video is kept between 30 seconds and 5 minutes, but the most successful video ads are less than 15 seconds long. This is just a suggestion though and length can vary depending on how you to want to use the video. For strong brand awareness and consideration, LinkedIn suggests keeping it under 30 seconds. Be sure that you do not exceed 10 minutes, as this is as long as a video for this platform can run.

8. CLOSE WITH A STRONG CALL-TO-ACTION

When used successfully, CTAs can be one of the strongest inbound marketing strategies. Benefits include lead generation, increased engagement and lead capture. Popular CTAs include “schedule a meeting” button, “subscribe to a newsletter,” or “download our whitepaper now.”

9. DON’T FORGET THE COPY TO SUPPORT THE VIDEO

As we mentioned above about including closed captions and creating the video as if the sound is off, so don’t miss this opportunity to describe your video and convey a message. Keep it short and sweet though! We recommend keeping your captions to 50-100 characters.

Like in Twitter, LinkedIn hashtags and @ mentioning relevant companies or members in your caption as a great way to increase reach and exposure. Lastly, don’t forget to include a link. If the point is to drive people to your website to check out services and products, then this is very important.

10. USE VIDEO AS A KEYWORD

We have talked about the importance of keywords before, so be sure to use the word “video.” You have taken the time to create this video, so now promote it!

12 LinkedIn Native Video Ideas

Generally, most branded video content on LinkedIn can be grouped into four main categories: culture, products and services, news, and events. You can also analyze blog content and see the best way to go about cross-promoting your work on social media to drive even more traffic to your advisor site.

1. SHARE COMPANY NEWS AND UPDATES

Are there big changes going on at your company? Have you partnered with anyone? Have there been some big promotions within the company? Any of this is worthy of a video! People want to know what is happening

2. ANNOUNCE THE LAUNCH OF A NEW PRODUCT OR SERVICE

Show your viewers that big things are in the works at your company! Give them something to look forward to. If they have enjoyed using something from your firm in the past, then they will probably be looking forward to new things happening.

3. SHOW WHAT IT’S LIKE “BEHIND THE SCENES”

Visitors want to see the people that make things happen. This is the time to humanize your brand and show-off the great people that make your company run so smoothly.

4. OFFER EXPLANATIONS TO VIEWERS

When people come to your website, they are often looking for an answer to something. A video that offers up explanations or simplifies things, such as confusing financial jargon is very helpful. In an industry that can be difficult for viewers to understand, a video is a great way to quickly and effectively teach something.

In the Mythbusters Monday video below, we are discussing the importance of internal linking within your website so that our readers can learn something new when they visit our LinkedIn page.

5. PREVIEW OF AN UPCOMING EVENT

Do you have an important event coming up in the future…maybe an important conference in your industry? A great way to increase enrollment is to show viewers what they can learn if they attend the conference, and a quick video is the perfect way to do this!

6. GIVE INSIDER COVERAGE OF AN EVENT IN THE INDUSTRY

Did you attend an awesome conference and you want to share it with others who may be interested but didn’t get to go? Providing a recap video or some type of coverage that touched on the latest trending topics is a great way to do this!

Twenty Over Ten attended the 2018 FPA Annual Conference this fall, where we had the opportunity to network with other financial advisors in the industry to discuss digital and niche marketing. In the below video, we included a quick recap on “voice search” so that others who may have questions can get information on the topic.

7. INTRODUCE EXECUTIVE TEAM MEMBERS

Doing a quick “get to know” your video of the executive team is a great way to “humanize” your brand, as we have mentioned earlier in this post, as well as, allow members of the team who may not always do the day-to-day activities get a chance to speak to viewers through video.

8. SPOTLIGHT YOUR EMPLOYEES

Want to find out more about the people who will be working with you on a daily basis? Showcasing your employees shows that you care about what they do inside and outside of work. If they received any accolades, did some volunteer activities or anything that might make them stand out, then this is a great time to talk about it.

9. USE CASE STUDIES TO TELL STORIES

If you want to show how you are making a difference, then have clients discuss how great it was to work with your employees and company. Be sure to get approval from clients, and then you could piece together a quick video with clients saying something about your firm. It’s simple and provides a way to “back up” what your company is doing for others.

10. BE SURE TO HIGHLIGHT GOOD THINGS THAT YOU ARE DOING

It’s okay to brag! It’s great to give back to the community, and as a company, it’s also fairly expected to not only do your job but give back socially. If your company volunteered at a food bank, then this is a great time to include a quick clip with pictures and b-roll footage.

11. LET CUSTOMERS KNOW WHAT YOU REPRESENT

What does your company stand for? Do you have a certain niche that you specialize in? Use LinkedIn video to stand out and show the type of work that you do. It can help explain any questions that viewers may have and give a better explanation of what exactly your company does.

12. HAVE FUN WITH IT!

If your company has a fun party or it’s the holiday season, then include this in your LinkedIn video! Visitors like to see that you have work hard but still find time to have fun!