LinkedIn Vertical Video: What You Need to Know
Game-Changer or Gimmick?
As LinkedIn rolls out its vertical video format, a big question emerges: Will professionals actually engage with TikTok-style videos on a business platform?
I asked LinkedIn expert Beth Granger for her thoughts on LinkedIn vertical video. Her biggest criticism is the lack of alignment between her interests and what the platform puts in front of her. Beth says she doesn’t have any interest in many of the short-form videos because they are geared toward job seekers or feature famous people.
“I just went to see it today and actually like the videos way more than the last time?I visited, but many seem to be about graphic design,” she says. “Is that based on keywords on my profile from former jobs many years ago? If so, it hasn't figured out what I'm up to now or interested?in now. I do think the algorithm?will get better and people will get better at doing video for this platform.”
What does Beth want to see in her LinkedIn vertical video feed?
“I do enjoy seeing people I know, people talking about entrepreneurship or people that use humor (the woman that plays corporate HR and an employee and says toodaloo at the end), or videos?that inspire or interest me,” she says.
In this special feature, I break down the pros and cons, plus what creators need to know before diving in.
Inspiring Change Across Borders: Bee Smith’s Journey from Live Streaming to Required Reading
In this week’s BrandStack Podcast, we’re joined by Bee Smith —a mental health counselor, PhD, social media personality, and the author of #BeeInspired: Practical Steps for Living a Life Full of Joy. Bee shares the remarkable story of how her book became part of the curriculum at the University of Reykjavik in Iceland.
Originally written as a personal and therapeutic project, #BeeInspired has now touched lives internationally, particularly among students who learn from its lessons on resilience, forgiveness, and finding joy in life.
Bee also reveals how live streaming on Periscope played a pivotal role in catching the attention of a publisher, transforming her work into an impactful publication. In this conversation with Dale L. Roberts and me, Bee offers insights for aspiring authors on building a global platform and staying true to one’s unique voice.
The Social Shift: Katie Brinkley Advocates Community Over Clicks on Social Media
It’s time we rethink social media. Katie Brinkley , a social media strategist and author of The Social Shift: The Road Back to Community, joined Dale L. Roberts and me recently to talk about how social platforms can be used more effectively.
Katie’s insights challenge the conventional approach of maximizing output and visibility at all costs. She believes that the constant drive for “more” content can dilute a creator’s message and exhaust both the audience and the creator. Instead, she argues for a more mindful approach to social media—one that allows for intentional, value-driven posts and encourages creators to truly listen to their followers. For Katie, it’s about making the platform work for you, rather than feeling obligated to work for the platform.
By shifting the focus from rapid growth to meaningful engagement, Katie has found that creators can foster a stronger and more loyal community. She suggests that building genuine connections online doesn’t require constant posting; rather, it requires the willingness to engage thoughtfully with one’s audience.
Katie’s approach challenges the “more is more” mindset that seems to have overtaken our feeds. Instead, she advocates for something many creators are craving: connection over clicks.
Kim Doyal’s ‘Visual Guide to Substack’ Fills a Major Need
Setting up Substack shouldn’t feel like rocket science, right? That’s exactly why Kim Doyal created the Visual Guide to Substack. Kim has poured her expertise and practical insights into this guide, giving you a step-by-step, visual walkthrough to make Substack setup simple.
Having onboarded her fair share of digital platforms, Kim can spot a solid user experience from a mile away. "The guide was born from my frustrations and my desire to help others skip the ‘figuring it out’ phase and go straight to creating," she said.
And she’s right. Despite Substack’s appeal, the setup process can feel anything but intuitive, even for those with experience.
?? Newsmakers & Milestones ??
Shelly Saves the Day at GeniusLink
Seattle-based video creator and YouTube coach Shelly Nathan (aka Shelly Saves the Day) has accepted a new position with GeniusLink, where she’ll lead YouTube strategy development and implementation as well as content marketing initiatives.
GeniusLink is a service popular with YouTubers and other creators for helping them make more money with their existing affiliate links by transforming regional affiliate links into a single link that routes customers to the appropriate Amazon or Apple marketplace.
“Now you'll have one more familiar face helping all creators make more money online,” Shelly says. “Let me know if I can introduce you to the magic that is GeniusLink if you don't know us yet!”
Shelly brings valuable experience with prominent tech companies to GeniusLink. A YouTube creator since 2017, she previously served as senior manager, video & product expert at TubeBuddy. Before that, she was a technical program manager at Google and a technical program manager & Workfront system administrator at Amazon. Shelly is also the owner of Content Minis, editing live streams and videos into short-form videos for social media.
BrandStack Podcast: New Episodes
Episode 006 — Choose Community Over Clicks with Katie Brinkley
Episode 007 — Bee Smith’s Book Inspires Students Overseas
Guiding creators to success through tailored content strategies | Podcast Host of "Network Effect" and Author of the “Digital Brew” Substack
2 周I'm seeing some good results from my vertical video testing on LinkedIn. I'm adding it to my content strategy plan. I encourage everyone to put together a plan to test your content with your LinkedIn audience.