Videos do a better job of engaging the audience and boosting a brand’s social media presence compared to any other content format.
They involve more sensory participation from a viewer – auditory and visual – than images or text that solely involve sight.
This has been found to drastically increase attention span, engagement, and retention times.
Observing trends led social media giant LinkedIn to find out in 2017 that videos generate 20 times more shares compared to other content formats on their platform.
This led them to prioritize video features ever since – a trend that has continued well into the second half of 2020.
Based on research and internal usage figures, certain video formats have been found to perform better on the platform.
The recommendations for 2020 include, but are not limited to –
1. Industry Insight Videos
Professionals utilize LinkedIn to augment their network, showcase their expertise, and consume information relevant to their field of interest. Effective industry videos, made for business to business promotion, make the user look knowledgeable and up-to-date with the latest trends and are thus, content worthy of being shared instantly. They serve as a potent tool for business to business video marketers to make an impact on their target audience by increasing brand and individual recognition.
2. Trending News Videos
Trending news videos also have an inherently shareable nature as they make the sharer appear to be on top of their game. Speed is of the essence on social media, so a prompt video when the news is still developing is better than a perfect content made after all the buzz has faded away. Brands that keep an eye out for trending news in their industry are likely to witness an increase in information consumption among their target audience if they act on time and promptly generate a video worthy of being shared.
3. Event Promotions
Business leaders who attend industry events or whose companies organize such events share videos from these gatherings after applying some jazzy edits and post-production magic to highlight their contribution to the field. These videos are excellent tools to help an individual or a business come across as a leader in their respective field and increase brand presence and recognition.
4. Event Recaps
Recap videos are great for reaching out to viewers by providing a carefully curated retelling of the event in question not only for those who could not attend it but also for the recollection of those who did. They need to short and meaningful with enough impact to ensure the viewer takes away something from them.
5. Promotional Videos
The online video space is already chocked full of advertisements and promotional content, but it remains the best way to garner interest and boost the launch of a new product or service. Advertisers however need to ensure their content has an edge over that of their peers. Effective promotional videos go beyond merely showing the product in question and highlights its special features, and explain how consumers can use it to meet their requirements better as compared to similar, existing products.
6. Company Introduction Videos
A great way of telling a story, this kind of content has proven to be especially useful in recruitment processes by showcasing the perks and benefits prospective employees stand to gain. They are also used to tell inspirational stories about a company or its products to build connections with consumers.
7. Webinars
In a world caught in the throes of a global pandemic, all aspects of life have shifted online, including business and work. Webinars have emerged as an effective tool to interact with a large audience. Marketing agencies are increasingly looking at helping their clients host webinars to engage with their target audiences and build fruitful personal connections in a virtual world.
The topics of webinars going live include general interactions, exchanges focussed on specific aspects of business, question-answer sessions, etc.
Statistically, 51% of video marketers have used LinkedIn videos as part of their campaigns and 84% of them have found it to be effective in expanding their business.
The platform has also witnessed steady annual growth in video usage since the inception of LinkedIn videos in 2017, thus proving its efficacy.