Who’s Afraid of LinkedIn Videos?

“I’m too old for TikTok; let the young people use it.”

You’ve probably heard this phrase dozens of times when discussing the use of the younger generation’s favorite social network. It’s usually said by people… with more experience. You might be surprised, but I’ve thought the same thing more than once. I’m afraid of TikTok, just as many people are afraid to start posting on LinkedIn. It turns out the same applies to LinkedIn—despite video content being shared 20 times more than other formats on average, most users are afraid to post videos.

The anxiety is irrational, of course, but it has some solid foundations. The expectations for LinkedIn content are that it should be well-crafted and structured, and when it comes to positioning leaders, the standards seem even higher. Nevertheless, the rise of video as the dominant format on most social networks is turning these perceptions upside down and creating social pressure in the opposite direction:

toward low-budget videos in natural settings.

This trend is also supported by the widespread use of mobile video editing apps with AI capabilities, driven by TikTok.

All you need is a good background (a colorful wall with corporate colors or a creative corner in the office) and 5 minutes of quiet to deliver your message.

If you’re already posting at least once a month on LinkedIn, your topics don’t need to be new or worthy of an academic title.

Use your expertise, and instead of posting a text update or a few paragraphs with a photo, simply share them in front of your phone’s camera. For those who post less frequently—think about the most important message you’d like to convey to potential clients or employees, and record it in a 3-minute video.

Of course, it’s easy to say but much harder to do. However, if you lay the right foundation, I’m convinced you won’t give up after the first video! That’s why I’m offering you three rules to stop being afraid of LinkedIn videos and make them an integral part of your content strategy.

The first rule may sound a bit cliché:

add value to something that’s already been said.

Whether it’s an article you read in the media, someone’s LinkedIn update that you’ve already commented on, or, in the best-case scenario, participation in an event or media appearance where you didn’t have enough time to share everything.

Rule 2 is all about variety -

be creative in your approach and presentation of ideas.

I’ll never forget the young man giving LinkedIn business growth tips while slicing pineapples for cocktails (next time, the “victim” was a lime—apparently, mixology helps business consultants too). The last rule is very practical:

invest your efforts in the first 3 to 5 seconds,

as that’s when the audience will decide whether to watch the remaining 30 seconds, 3 minutes, or even 5 minutes.

I’ll finish with one technical reason to try overcoming your fear of recording videos for the professional network. LinkedIn has already introduced a video feed similar to TikTok, where videos play one after the other. Within a few months, it will likely be available on the mobile apps of all users worldwide, opening a new vertical for communication with audiences.

The purpose of this article is for us to collectively overcome our fear of LinkedIn videos, so

let’s set ourselves a challenge:

publish at least one video on your professional network profile within the next month! Try tagging me in your video or simply use the hashtag #TheLinkedPractitioner so we can track our progress toward the goal.

This article was first published in Bulgarian for Forbes Bulgaria . Don't forget to subscribe to the newsletter here!