Reel change is coming! Will you be left behind or jump ahead of the pack?
LinkedIn, as we all know is the go-to platform for professional networking, and they're making gigantic strides towards integrating short-form vertical videos aka "reels" into they're platform. This move comes as social media sites like TikTok, Facebook and Instagram have seen a massive trend where short, engaging video content is dominating user engagement. By embracing this format, LinkedIn aims to modernise its user experience, providing professionals and businesses with fresh opportunities to engage audiences.
Here's why LinkedIn’s shift towards short-form video is a smart strategic move and how you can ride the wave to success:
Increased Engagement and User Retention
Short-form videos are rapidly becoming the primary format for content consumption across all social media platforms. Studies have shown that short videos - often between 15 to 60 seconds - capture attention quickly and maintain user engagement better than longer formats.
A 2023 study by Wyzowl indicated that 73% of consumers prefer watching a short video to learn about a product or service, compared to text or images.
That clearly shows a huge demand for bite-sized, easily digestible content. Which fits well within LinkedIn’s professional environment, where users are often pressed for time and are looking for content that is concise, informative, and engaging.
Those are some keys we'll revisit later in this article.
Reaching New Audiences
LinkedIn's reels are expected to make it easier for professionals, brands, and influencers to connect with younger demographics who are accustomed to platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
Gen Z and Millennials are increasingly seeking business opportunities and professional growth, and short-form content will appeal to their fast-paced digital habits.
In statistics that might shock most, LinkedIn reports that the platform has over 930 million members globally as of 2024. In particular, Millennials and Gen Z users make up over 60% of LinkedIn’s user base. By focusing on short-form video, LinkedIn can further capitalize on this growing demographic's content preferences.
So if you're creating content and want to keep in front of the eyes of over 60% of LinkedIn users, than you have to jump onboard and start creating the content they're seeking.
Improved Brand Visibility and Marketing Potential
For businesses and professionals alike, LinkedIn reels open up new opportunities for showcasing their products, services, or expertise in a fresh, dynamic way. Traditional long-form content on LinkedIn often requires more time and effort to produce and consume, but short videos can be created much faster (you can even start by pulling content from your previous long-form content) and consumed in just minutes.
The use of reels will allow brands to develop quick, visually appealing stories, updates, or announcements that can be shared broadly and easily.
And no you don't have to do silly dances to go viral on LinkedIn as the algorithm will be focused on professional, quality and informative content. Going viral for sharing actual knowledge, how good is that!
These are the use cases that have been showing promising results in the beta testing have been:
Employer Branding: Companies using reels to share insights into company culture, feature employee testimonials, or give quick updates about career opportunities.
Thought Leadership: Professionals sharing bite-sized snippets of advice, industry insights, or even reactions to industry news.
Product Showcases: Companies leveraging short videos to demonstrate products or highlight key features, increasing product awareness in an engaging way.
As LinkedIn rolls out short-form video in beta, initial results have shown promising engagement metrics.
According to internal LinkedIn testing data from early 2024, vertical video content resulted in 15% higher engagement rates than traditional LinkedIn posts.
These beta-tested videos also saw increased interactions, such as shares and comments, which shows that users are receptive to this new format.
This shows that professionals are keen to consume fast, valuable insights, and businesses that capitalize on this trend are likely to see higher engagement levels.
Enhanced Video Analytics and Insights
LinkedIn is expected to integrate advanced analytics for short-form videos, giving professionals and businesses a better understanding of their content's performance. This includes insights on video completion rates, engagement, and demographic breakdowns of the audience.
This is great news as a strategy we often undertake with our clients is to have them post marketing ideas within their short-form content. Want to know what hooks will capture the most attention? Test it out in a reel.
It gives you the ability to see what resonates with your audience, before you start to roll out paid marketing campaigns and do the split testing etc all with reels content. It'll help you refine your strategy and maximize your impact on the platform.
BONUS, you can still scoop up sales from reels. As a small example, a client of our using this strategy on other platforms increased their sales from $3,000 per month to $30,000 per month after just 3 months.
As reels become fully integrated into LinkedIn, more sophisticated tools for tracking audience engagement and video performance will likely be introduced, giving you more powerful ways to measure ROI and adjust strategies.
A Strategic Evolution
LinkedIn’s move toward short-form vertical videos is not just a reaction to social media trends - it’s a strategic evolution aimed at keeping professionals and businesses engaged in a fast-moving digital world. The success of LinkedIn reels in beta testing indicates a significant demand for this format, and its broader rollout promises to enhance content diversity and reach on the platform.
Whether you’re a business looking to boost your brand visibility or a professional aiming to share insights quickly, the introduction of reels on LinkedIn presents a valuable opportunity to stay ahead of the curve.
As this feature continues to evolve, users who adopt and master this content format are likely to gain an edge in building stronger connections and driving more meaningful engagement.
If you'd like support in developing your content strategy, valuable insights into how to produce high quality content in less time and have our team of professional editors help create your reels than you are welcome to message me for advice or jump on a free call.
To all you trailblazers, I wish you all the best.
Aaron
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