LinkedIn Tests ‘For You’ Videos at the Top of Your Feed

In an effort to further personalise the user experience and boost engagement, LinkedIn has started testing a new feature – ‘For You’ videos appearing at the top of user feeds. This move follows the broader trend of social media platforms shifting more towards short-form, video-first content, as seen with TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. LinkedIn’s decision to integrate personalised videos reflects the platform’s ambition to remain competitive and meet the changing content consumption preferences of its users.

Why LinkedIn is Introducing ‘For You’ Videos

LinkedIn, traditionally seen as a professional networking platform, has long been a text-based space. However, in response to the growing influence of visual content across the social media landscape, LinkedIn is experimenting with including more dynamic elements to its feed. The ‘For You’ video feature is designed to display a curated selection of short-form video content that aligns with a user’s interests, behaviours, and professional connections.

Engagement at the Forefront:

The goal is to enhance user engagement by offering content that is not only relevant but also delivered in a visually compelling format. According to LinkedIn, this move is part of an ongoing effort to make the platform more interactive and valuable to its diverse user base, ranging from job seekers to industry experts and business leaders.

The Rise of Short-Form Video Content

LinkedIn’s test of ‘For You’ videos comes at a time when short-form video content is dominating social media platforms. TikTok’s success, in particular, has influenced many platforms to shift towards usually brief, visually rich content. LinkedIn is no exception.

Platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube have adopted video-first approaches to engage with users. In a professional context, video content has been proven to increase user interaction, particularly for brands seeking to showcase products or share industry insights.

How ‘For You’ Videos Could Affect Marketing Strategies

Video content generally performs better in terms of engagement and conversion rates. Social Media Today found that video posts on LinkedIn have five times higher engagement than text-based content.

1. New Advertising Opportunities

For marketers, the ‘For You’ video feature offers new opportunities to reach target audiences. LinkedIn is already known for its high-quality, professional user base, and brands can leverage this feature by creating short, impactful video content tailored to specific professional segments. Given that video marketing has a 49% higher click-through rate compared to static ads, this shift could unlock new ways for businesses to engage with high-value clients.

2. Increased Personalisation

One of the key advantages of LinkedIn’s new feature is its ability to personalise video content to individual users. By tracking a user’s previous interactions, interests, and professional network, LinkedIn can tailor the videos they see, making them more relevant and engaging. For marketers, this is a game-changer, as personalised content is proven to drive higher engagement and conversion rates.

The importance of personalisation in marketing cannot be understated; companies leveraging tailored content often see up to a 20% increase in sales. Brands should take advantage of this by creating content that is highly specific to different professional segments, whether it’s a product demo, a company success story, or an industry insight.

How Brands Are Using LinkedIn Video Effectively

Several brands have already seen success by incorporating video content into their LinkedIn strategy:

1. Microsoft: As a tech giant, Microsoft has effectively used LinkedIn video ads to promote new products and services. Their brief, professionally produced videos, often no more than 30 seconds long, provide key insights into their technology while targeting industry professionals.
2. Adobe: Adobe used video content on LinkedIn to share customer testimonials and to show product demos, catering to creative professionals. This strategy increased engagement rates significantly and helped Adobe position itself as a leader in the design software industry.

These brands demonstrate how video content, when tailored to the professional interests of LinkedIn users, can drive meaningful engagement and brand awareness.

What This Means for the Future of LinkedIn

LinkedIn’s foray into video content is part of a larger trend where social media platforms are becoming more dynamic and personalised. For marketers, this offers a unique opportunity to capitalise on LinkedIn’s high-quality user base by delivering relevant, engaging video content.

As LinkedIn continues to test the ‘For You’ videos feature, it will be interesting to see how it evolves and what new opportunities it will bring businesses, professionals, and advertisers. With video content continuing to dominate across platforms, LinkedIn’s strategic shift marks a significant step forward in staying competitive and relevant in the modern digital landscape.

Sources

• https://digiday.com/marketing/how-linkedin-became-the-talk-of-the-town-even-as-its-emergence-has-been-years-in-the-making/
• https://techcrunch.com/2024/03/27/linkedin-is-experimenting-with-a-tiktok-like-video-feed-in-its-app/
• https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/linkedin-launches-feed-video-carousels/725069/#:~:text=LinkedIn%20launched%20this%20new%20feed,more%20aligned%20with%20video%20updates.
• https://business.linkedin.com/marketing-solutions/cx/21/10/video-ads?src=go-pa&trk=sem-ga_campid.17437487201_asid._crid._kw._d.c_tid._n.x_mt._geo.9045632&mcid=6940436762359984128&cid=&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw3vO3BhCqARIsAEWblcD-kDsSdL7SOeg3oSzpNqcRZ4YhbKnDpP-smeBTChbgkIb3z3QDCh0aAm_xEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
• https://web.swipeinsight.app/posts/linkedin-introduces-videos-for-you-feature-to-enhance-user-engagement-9687