How to Stand Out on LinkedIn With Video Don't just post your profile. Be sure to grow your personal brand as well. That's where video comes in -- or should.
By Syed Balkhi Edited by Dan Bova
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Most professionals today use LinkedIn to connect with industry leaders to find their next dream job or grow their business. In fact, LinkedIn boasts more than 610 million users in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. But, if you're just completing your profile and applying to jobs or mindlessly sending connection requests to your target audience, you're missing out on the opportunity to grow your personal brand.
Related: 3 Ways to Stand Out on LinkedIn
Instead, concentrating on growing your personal brand on LinkedIn will allow you to stop chasing job opportunities and clients and have them chase after you instead.
Here is where using video comes in. It's an easy and effective way to grow your personal brand on LinkedIn and stand out from other professionals.. And no, you don't need to hire a production crew or even know how to edit to use video on LinkedIn effectively.
So, prepare to get noticed as a thought leader in your industry. Here's how to stand out on LinkedIn using video.
Step 1: Turn on the camera and start talking.
That's right, LinkedIn isn't just for highly produced marketing videos anymore. You may have noticed within the past couple of years the surge of professionals uploading simple videos of themselves shot with their smartphones, and doling out advice orsharing stories.
For instance, one of the most popular LinkedIn members using video to grow their personal brand is Ruby Lee. She has over 25,000 followers and shares videos on everything from side-hustle advice to simple moments throughout her day.
Think about what you're an expert at and what your target audience would be interested in; then share it with them. LinkedIn video doesn't have to be complicated. Just turn on the camera and start talking.
Related: B2B Businesses Hang Out on LinkedIn, Not Instagram. Are You There, Too?
Step 2: Follow LinkedIn video best practices.
While you can bust out your smartphone and create a video for LinkedIn on the fly, you still need to follow LinkedIn video best practices if you want your efforts to be successful. Some LinkedIn video best practices include:
Get to the point. Don't ramble on and make viewers wait around to find out what your video is actually about. They'll click off. Instead, get to the point of your video within the first 10 seconds.
Ensure quality. Don't post a grainy video with bad lighting. Just because you're filming on your phone doesn't mean you don't need to consider quality, lighting, volume and background.
Think about silent viewers. Many users will watch your video with the sound off, so consider burning in video subtitles.
Keep video length relevant. Keeping your videos short (between 30 and 90 seconds) is ideal, but if you're providing useful content to your audience, don't be afraid to make your videos longer.
Use hashtags. Add relevant hashtags to your video posts to widen your reach and let users know what your video is about.
You could be providing the most best advice ever, but if your video isn't optimized for LinkedIn and your audience, it's sure to be a flop.
Step 3: Add interest with filters and stickers.
LinkedIn recently introduced the ability to add filters and stickers to your videos to help you capture the attention of users and keep them engaged. As I've mentioned before, many LinkedIn users will watch your video with the sound off. So, adding filters and stickers to your videos is a great way to engage with those viewers.
As seen in the example below, you can film your video via the LinkedIn app and simply click the filters or text button.
Adding filters, stickers and text to your videos will make your content more fun for your audience and help them easily understand what's going on in the video.
Step 4: Include a call to action.
Even if that video you're posting LinkedIn just talks about what you're having for lunch, don't forget to include a call to action. Think about what your goals are for posting a video on LinkedIn. Are you trying to get more visits to your website? Connect with more like-minded professionals on LinkedIn? Or trying to get more leads for your business? Whatever your goal is, include a call to action to encourage your viewers to take the next step.
At the end of your video, tell viewers what you want them to do next, whether that be to visit your website or just like and comment. Remember, not everyone will watch your video until the end, either, so consider adding your call to action to the post caption, as well.
Related: How to Get Thousands of Views on Your LinkedIn Content
Over to you
Take your personal brand to the next level with LinkedIn video. Whether you want to grow your business or get a better job, LinkedIn video will allow you to show off your expertise as well as your personality. Your target audience members will be able to better connect with you on a human level, which in turn will help them better connect with you professionally.
