LinkedIn Native video

The power of video on LinkedIn for accountants

LinkedIn Native videoEveryone’s shouting about the power of video content and you know we love to encourage accountants to dive in too.  No matter what platform you’re sharing your videos on – whether it’s YouTube, Facebook Live, Vimeo, or elsewhere – you’re doing the right thing to take the leap.

Once you’ve done that first video, you now want to know how to get the most views, and which platform is best to use.

There are many options for video which are powerful, and we’ll cover the others in different posts. Today we’ll look particularly at LinkedIn, and the power of “native video”, which means a video you upload directly to LinkedIn itself (not a link to YouTube or another platform).

LinkedIn prioritises video over all other content

When you think about video platforms LinkedIn doesn’t spring to mind in the same way that YouTube or Vimeo do: but it’s a really good resource, not to be overlooked especially when many of your  clients and prospects are on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn launched their native video tool last year: it allows you to upload, or record (on mobile only) your video directly to LinkedIn so it’s shown in your connections news feeds. It means you don’t need to upload the video to another sharing platform to get a URL to then share in your post.

LinkedIn are prioritising video over all other content, especially those videos that are uploaded directly.  So your LinkedIn native video will be shown to more of your audience, than if you added the same video but uploaded it in YouTube and just dropped the url in your post.

If you scroll through your own feed, at least 60% of the content will be video, and the majority of those will be uploaded direct to LinkedIn.

The native videos play much faster than ones from an external source, and they auto-play as people scroll. You can also upload captions directly so they play on the video (text for those who don’t use sound to watch it).

It’s a logical move to put a big focus on video.

Personally i’ll scroll through my news feed and glance at images, maybe read a little of the text as I continue to scroll down. But when I see a video that’s playing I often stop for a few seconds more and watch to see what it’s about, and when there are captions i’ll often watch a little bit more. Video is much more engaging and as an accountant you’ll built trust much faster as people will have a stronger feeling that they know you.

How do I use LinkedIn’s native video tool?

It’s pretty straight forward whether you’re using mobile or desktop. When you use mobile you can record your video then and there or post it through the app, or upload a pre-recorded one.  If you’re using desktop you can only upload your pre-recorded video.

LinkedIn Native video on mobile

Steps from mobile:

  • Open up the App and find the post button, or share box at the top of your news feed.
  • Click on the video icon.
  • If you want to record the video direct this is the place. If not, you can upload your pre-recorded video here too.
  • If you’d like to add some text, or icons you can do that here.
  • Include keywords that relate to the video
  • Share

LinkedIn Native video desktop

Steps from desktop:

  • Open up your LinkedIn, look for the box where you can create your post, write an article, share an article, a photo or a video.
  • Click on the video symbol
  • Upload your video
  • Upload your caption file (if you have one)
  • Optimise with keywords and relevant hashtags in the post so your video is easier to find
  • Share

LinkedIn native video stats

You can then keep an eye on how many people view the video, click through and the engagement.

Criteria to follow for the best video

Here’s a few points to keep in mind before you start.

  • Video duration: The tool lets you add videos from 3 seconds long, up to 10 minutes. The best, most engaging content needs to be under 3 minutes or your viewers will start to drop off.
  • Orientation: You can upload horizontal or vertical but remember the video will be cropped into a square.
  • File size: Minimum file size is 75KB, maximum file size is 5GB.
  • URL: It’s hard to use the video link anywhere else. It’s not a huge issue, so I’d recommend still uploading to LinkedIn directly but also add your video to another platform like YouTube so you can share the url everywhere else, or with your clients directly.

Adding captions to your videos gets you more views

We’ve just tested Rev which transcribes everything you say in your videos, and creates a subtitles file. You can then upload that file along with your pre-recorded video directly to LinkedIn and it brings the two together as the video plays. I absolutely love it!

You can reach even more people as those who don’t watch the video with sound will see what you’re speaking about as well as seeing the video move.

LinkedIn native video with captions

What can my videos be about?

Your videos don’t need to be super professional, but they do need to show your brand and values as a firm. Help your clients connect with you and see you’re human: and how other businesses are thriving because of your expert advice.

Some video topic ideas:

  • Share your office, or location. Give a video tour of where you’re based, give a glimpse into your surroundings. This can help people get to know you. Comerford Foley an Irish firm did this well. Their office isn’t the easiest to find but by showing it in their video visitors get a feel for the location and know they are in the right place when they arrive.

 

  • Share a new app. It’s exciting when you start to offer a new app that’s going to help your clients – like ReceiptBank for expenses and bookkeeping, or cash flow with Float. Show that excitement and rev up your clients too. Remember to make it more about the problem it solves, rather than creating an ad for an app.

 

  • Live event updates. When you’re at events like Xerocon or Quickbooks Connect where there are announcements that will impact your clients, record some key points from the keynotes. Not only does it show you’re on the ball with the latest news, it lets your clients know what’s ahead then and there.

 

  • Meet the team. Isn’t it nice when you put a face to the name? Often people will be emailing back and forward without making a connection, or knowing what someone looks like. Introduce all your team, show your values and personality and you’ll build a much deeper connection.

 

  • Client success stories. Now these are gold dust. Capture your clients journey from when they started with you, to where they are at now. Share the numbers on how they’ve grown, how they now feel since you’ve helped them with their accounts. Stories like this resonate with potential new clients and showcase your skills, expertise and services without you having to “sell”. CH Accountancy have a great example here. They won a Xero award and the prize included having a professional video created alongside a client: but your video can be shot on anything from your webcam during a Zoom call, or your mobile when you’re having your next meeting. The message is what’s important: and remember, your client is the hero. It’s all about them.

We’re often asked about what video equipment you need to start and you can get a full list in this blog. We also have some more tips to help you get that first video under your belt.

Give it a try and let us know how you find it.