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Best Practices for Creating Video Ads on LinkedIn

LinkedIn ads

Video ads are a key component of any successful marketing strategy. Keep reading to learn more about video ads on LinkedIn, including what they are, why you should leverage them in your marketing campaigns, and the best practices for creating the right content.

What are Video Ads on LinkedIn?

LinkedIn video ads allow you to market to your target audience through video. Whether you use them to share information about an upcoming product launch, educate your audience, or build credibility, LinkedIn video ads can bring your brand to life.

Think of video ads on LinkedIn as a way to promote your marketing content without it looking out of place on the platform. They are a form of sponsored content that displays directly within a user’s LinkedIn feeds, so you can boost organic engagement and growth.

For example, you can sponsor a video post you’ve already shared on your LinkedIn page to increase the number of views and expand your reach. Similarly, you can use the platform’s Campaign Manager to create Direct Sponsored Content that has not already been shared on your LinkedIn feed!

Benefits of Video Advertising on the Platform

You may be wondering, why should I focus my marketing efforts on video advertising on LinkedIn?

The short answer is that video ads are the best way to engage with your target audience. It’s no secret that your customers prefer to watch videos filled with rich images and sound than to read an email filled with calls to action!

A LinkedIn video ad can reach a huge network of decision-makers, which is incredibly valuable in the B2B marketing space. The goal here is to get your video in front of individuals who make the purchasing decision. Getting an ad in front of them can boost their intent to buy by up to 33%!

More than half of LinkedIn’s users watch and engage with videos on their news feeds each day, and this number is only continuing to grow. In fact, a viewer will spend up to three times longer on a video than a standard, static post.

These statistics make a compelling case for marketers to leverage video advertising on LinkedIn. Additionally, a user is 20 times more likely to share a post if it contains a video, so if you are looking for a way to increase exposure and organic engagement, then you have come to the right place!

Another benefit of advertising on LinkedIn is that it boosts your credibility. This is the most trusted social media platform since it targets professionals, and a company with a LinkedIn page is much more likely to build trust and credibility with its customers and prospects.

Likewise, this professional mindset makes it an ideal space to share your serious brand message and position your organization as a leader in the industry.

Best Practices for Creating These Ads

Before you get started on your LinkedIn video ads, you must keep some of these best practices in mind.

Let’s start with the specs:

You are allowed 255 characters for the title of the video ad, so make this count! For the introductory text, you will be limited to 600 characters. Feel free to use up this space but remember the goal should be to keep the focus on the video content.

The optimal file format is .MP4 and LinkedIn recommends that you maintain the file size between 75Kb and 200Mb.

Although you can upload a video anywhere from 3 seconds to 30 minutes in length, it is recommended that you keep your ad to a range of 15 to 30 seconds. The goal is to create an engaging video that grabs your viewer’s attention and gets them wanting more, not to lecture them!

Next, carefully consider your aspect ratio and pixels. To maximize quality, your aspect ratio should be between 1.78 and 0.56. Square videos with an aspect ratio of 1:1 also work well, but be sure to keep the frame rate below 30 FPS.

Note that you should always ensure you get your message across without the audio. Sure, adding sound to your video can enhance the viewer experience, but it is more important to add captions – almost all videos on LinkedIn are viewed without sound, and the platform mutes them automatically!

Set a Goal for your Video Ad

It is not enough to simply string together a video and share it on LinkedIn. Your video advertisement needs to have a clear objective. This objective will not only inform the content but also help you measure its success.

Is your goal to increase brand awareness and get as many people as possible to watch your video? If so, focus on an ad that makes a great impression and describes who you are and what you do in very simple terms.

Other objectives include encouraging viewers to visit your website or make a purchase – or to help you promote a new product line.

Regardless of the goal, make sure that your content aligns with it and that you use the objective as a guide to measuring how well the video ad worked.

Making an Engaging Video Ad

Once you determine what the goal of your marketing campaign is, you must create the video content. You must remember that less is more here – viewers have a short attention span, and if they see your video is 15 to 20 minutes long, they will simply keep scrolling!

Keep your video under 30 seconds, and make sure the first 10 seconds includes everything you want your audience to see. One LinkedIn study found that videos under 30 seconds were 200% more likely to be watched completely – so use that to your benefit.

Also, use visual storytelling to capture their attention and maintain it. Whether you use exciting graphics, interviews with well-known industry leaders, or humor, the goal is to create a memorable experience that viewers will link to your brand.

Don’t forget to include captions and subtitles too! Your viewer likely has their sound off, and they will not stick around if you can’t get the message across without audio.