Best Practices for LinkedIn Video Ads

LinkedIn Logo
LinkedIn Logo

LinkedIn's Professional Landscape and Video Ads

LinkedIn is one of the best platforms today for professional networking, especially with a user base that’s expected to grow significantly in the coming years. Yet this growth  is double-edged: as the platform expands, so does the challenge of standing out.

Enter LinkedIn video ads, a powerful tool that lets you capture the attention of an expanding audience. Getting the help of an experienced creative agency lets you use these ads so you can distinguish yourself while connecting with more professionals than ever before.

In this guide, we’ll share the best practices so you can make the most when you advertise on LinkedIn.

Best Practices for LinkedIn Video Ads

The following are the best practices for LinkedIn video ads:

Leverage LinkedIn’s Unique Targeting Capabilities

Wooden block checkmarks and bullseye in the middle

All marketers know the value of reaching the right audience. Many platforms offer the ability to target demographics or interests, but LinkedIn is the only place where you can hone in on specific companies or job titles. From IT professionals in Fortune 500 companies to small business owners in the healthcare sector, LinkedIn lets you combine all kinds of career factors to narrow down your targeting to a granular level:

  • Job titles and functions: Reach professionals based on specific roles. Connect with CEOs, marketing managers, or software engineers. You can directly target users through their job title or function.
  • Industry type, company size and revenue: Want to target management in a mid-sized manufacturing company with over $50 million in yearly revenue? LinkedIn lets you target users based on the industry they work in along with their companies size or revenue. This is particularly useful if your product or service is specialized for certain types of businesses.
  • Skills and endorsements: If your offer is only relevant to professionals with certain skill sets, you can target LinkedIn users based on their listed skills or the endorsements they receive. This is especially effective for products or services that cater to niche professional abilities like tools to assist with specific jobs.
  • Groups and interests: LinkedIn users often join groups related to their professional interests. Just like how you'd craft video ads for social media, you can target groups and reach people actively engaged in specific topics or industry discussions.

Create Content That Will Resonate with Your Audience

Content that resonates on LinkedIn starts with an understanding of your audience’s professional interests. LinkedIn users generally look for content that adds value to their career goals. You can create content with industry insights, innovative solutions, career development tips, or thought leadership. Consider the following content themes:

  • Industry-specific insights: Share content that highlights your expertise in your industry. This could be market analysis, emerging trends, or case studies. For instance, if you're targeting the finance sector, a LinkedIn video discussing the latest fintech innovations or investment strategies can get a lot of engagement.
  • Educational content: LinkedIn users value learning and development. Educational content, such as how-to guides, tutorials, or expert interviews, are highly viewed and downloaded. For example, a tech company might share a tutorial on how to getting the most from their latest software update.
  • Storytelling and case studies: Stories that showcase the real-life use of your product allows your audience to visualize results. Share customer success stories or case studies that demonstrate how your business solves specific problems. This not only showcases your offer but also builds trust with your audience.

Encourage Engagement Among Viewers

Keyboard button saying customer engagement

Experienced video marketing B2B agencies know that engagement on LinkedIn goes beyond just getting views on videos. It's about creating content that encourages interaction and builds a connection with your audience. To achieve this, consider the following:

  • Encouraging comments and shares: Pose questions or prompts in your content that invite viewers to comment. For instance, if your video discusses industry trends, you could ask viewers to share their experiences or opinions. Shares and comments not only increase your ad’s visibility but also offer valuable insights into your audience’s opinions and preferences.
  • Using LinkedIn features: Take advantage of LinkedIn on-platform features like polls or LinkedIn Live to create interactive experiences. For example, a live Q&A session can be a great way to engage with your audience in real-time, addressing their questions and building a more personal connection.

Remember, LinkedIn is like an industry networking event where every engagement is an opportunity to build a relationship with a potential customer or partner. Follow up on comments, answer questions, and use the insights gained from interactions to inform your future content strategy. Use your expertise to create the LinkedIn videos that people want. 

This approach not only improves your current campaign’s performance but also strengthens your brand's presence on LinkedIn over time.

Provide Relevant Content

LinkedIn bids for cost-per-click (CPC) or cost per thousand impressions (CPM) can be higher than other social networks. CPCs range from $5 to $10 and CPMs from $5 to $40. The more specific your targeting criteria (see above) or the more competitive your target niche, the higher the costs will be. 

If you are going to spend a significant amount of money to get in front of the right people, then it is imperative to have the most relevant content. If you are targeting a small group of people, then you need to make a strong first impression.

If you have the budget, then LinkedIn is the method to reach your perfect customer, but you need to put high-value content in front of them or it’s all for not. A high-quality, professionally produced video is one of the best ways to stand out from your competitors.

LinkedIn Video Specs for the Best Ads

  • Formats and quality: LinkedIn supports MP4 and MOV files. Ensure your videos are in high resolution (1080p) to capture attention.
  • Aspect ratio and length: For desktop, use a 16:9 aspect ratio, and for mobile, a 1:1 square format is ideal. Keep your videos concise, ideally between 30 seconds to 1 minute. But if you've got a compelling story that needs more time, don’t hesitate to stretch it to 2 minutes.
  • Subtitles and optimization: Remember, most LinkedIn users will watch your video without sound. Make sure your message comes across clearly with subtitles and mobile-friendly visuals.

Crafting Impactful LinkedIn Video Ads With Filmkraft

Woman with tractors at the back

At Filmkraft, we treat LinkedIn as more than just a platform, it's a hub of professional opportunity. Our expertise lies in creating video content that not only aligns with your brand's messaging but also speaks directly to your target audience on LinkedIn. We focus on crafting videos that are not just visually stunning but also strategically sound to ensure they resonate with the sophisticated LinkedIn audience. Above all, we create every video with the goal of driving tangible results for your business.

If you’re ready to explore using video on LinkedIn as a marketing channel, schedule a quick call with us today!