LinkedIn: the latest video updates and algorithm changes you need to know

As we reach the end of Q2, it’s fair to say that LinkedIn has re-jigged how content works quicker than I can tell Alexa to play Sabrina Carpenter.

Over the past few months, the platform has made notable changes to its algorithm and is placing significant emphasis on the types of accounts that get prioritised in your newsfeed.

At Aberfield, we’re consistently on top of the latest platform updates to ensure our client’s content gets the strong engagement rates it deserves, and more importantly, continues to reach the audiences who they want to influence.

So, while I sit in the office with my espresso, here’s a taste of the latest changes you should keep on top of to make sure your potential customers say please, please, please to your services. (Note to editor, is that too many Sabrina references?*)

Video content is no longer a ‘nice to have’

Format matters more than ever on LinkedIn and you’ll likely have seen an increase in video appearing on your feed already. As the platform evolves to keep up with other social media giants, effective video is crucial to increasing your engagement rates and brand awareness.

In fact, video view time in the app has increased by 36% year-over-year and video content now generates 1.4x more engagement than other post types.

Providing a human element to your posts through video allows your audience to connect with your content and gives you an opportunity to demonstrate your expertise in a relevant way.

To put it simply, sharing video content on LinkedIn is no longer a ‘nice to have’. It’s a must.

Best practice for B2B video content

It could be its own blog, but LinkedIn shared 13 tips on how to make the most of video in the app. You can read its full notes here, but in terms of the topline information, here’s what we learned:

1. Plan for mobile viewing – vertically-oriented videos (9:16) see a 24% lift in click-through rate, while selfie-style videos generally see higher engagement. ‘Talking heads’ style videos, sitting down to discuss an industry trend or even providing a short guide to a conference, could even land you top of the newsfeed.
2. Subtitles, subtitles, subtitles – LinkedIn says that 92% of people watching videos on mobile do so in “sound off mode”. Make sure you add captions to your video!
3. Consider your audience’s time – The optimum run time for native video in the LinkedIn feed is under 2 minutes. LinkedIn now recommends keeping ads between 15-30 seconds for awareness campaigns and keeping deeper campaigns under two minutes. Keep it short and snappy and make those first six seconds count. Ask yourself, how am I encouraging my audience to stop and watch?

While video isn’t always the best format for detailed communications, compelling content can deliver great results. Learn more about what Aberfield can support with here.

Company pages organic reach

The final change on LinkedIn in recent months has been well rumoured and certainly had our very own LinkedIn wizards shaking in their boots.

A Company Page will always have its place in a solid LinkedIn strategy, but we’re increasingly helping clients across all industries learn how they can use their leadership team and senior employees to get across key messages using their personal LinkedIn profiles.

Why? The overall company page reach is very low and reported in various places as between 1-3.84%.

The platform is now encouraging brands to pay for ads and Premium Company Pages. It has also reduced the size of links in organic posts as another nod to prioritising engagement between people – not brands – in the feed.

We’ve delivered some great training sessions with clients recently that equip attendees with the tools they need to optimise their profiles on LinkedIn and get comfortable posting, and many are already seeing it lead to better results when used alongside their Company Page strategy.

We love running these sessions, whether virtually or in person, so if you’re wanting to maximise results on LinkedIn, get in touch at hello@aberfield.com

*The editor of this blog does not endorse the number of Sabrina Carpenter references mentioned in the introduction of this blog.