Video is central to how we connect and learn in the world of virtual work. It can also be a powerful way to promote yourself and your business to attract a consistent stream of ideal clients. Videos provide us with a more personal peek into the qualities of those on the other side of the screen, even when we’ve never met them irl.
For these reasons and more, service-based business owners have begun to increasingly utilize digital tools such as video marketing to engage potential clients and bring their stories to life. And because so many people use LinkedIn to create business partnerships, using video on LinkedIn can help you stand out from your peers and connect with clients that value your services.
Why video marketing?
Marketing yourself and your business is all about capturing the attention of your target audience. It’s really no different when you’re looking for clients on LinkedIn.
What makes you unique? What’s different about the services you provide that sets you apart from the competition? Not only can video help you communicate this to your prospective clients, but it’s also a sought-after skill among marketing professionals today.
Everyone has a resume with a list of their skills and expertise, but it can be hard to showcase soft skills and other aspects of your personality through text. In fact, 75% of professionals say that they find it difficult to assess whether a person embodies the skills and traits they are looking for in a business partner from a standard resume.
Video has become widely recognized as a tool for collaboration as more organizations make the permanent shift towards hybrid work. Digital networking fits into this dynamic very well, because it’s almost like getting to know your peers and colleagues face to face. Leveraging digital networking tactics including video marketing removes the need for people to be in physical proximity in order to build professional relationships with people all around the world.
In addition to a video marketing strategy, it’s important to utilize other tools to facilitate your virtual networking. For example, you should consider client management software that comes with critical features such as project collaboration, file sharing, and more. Going digital with networking and project management makes things more efficient, but it can be easy to let relationships slip without that face-to-face contact. That’s where video comes in.
Where to use video marketing on LinkedIn
LinkedIn has several places where professionals can share video to promote themselves and connect with their audiences:
Cover Story
Your cover story is a 30-second video that appears on your page to serve as the first impression your connections will experience. This is where you can introduce yourself, what you do, what you’re working on and what matters to you.
When making videos, it can be helpful to outline your key talking points ahead of time so you come across as professional and confident. Identify what message you want to convey to your connections and be sure to include information about your background, expertise and goals. You can also include a call to action for viewers to send you a message or visit your website.
Experience section
Professionals on LinkedIn can also demonstrate their skills with videos in the experience section. It can be hard to capture the extent of your knowledge in a few short words, so video can help overcome obstacles when it comes to describing the nature of their skills and experience. Although you can’t post videos directly, you can link to outside videos, such as:
- Recordings of you speaking at events or conferences
- Clips of you in action at work
- Webinar snippets
- Interviews for media outlets
You can also share LinkedIn newsfeed videos to the experience section by tapping the three dots at the top right of your published post. Select “Copy Link” and add it to your Experience section.
Featured section
This section is for showcasing your professional experience and knowledge with outside links to articles, media, and LinkedIn posts. This is another great place to share a short video where you talk directly into the camera or a short animated explainer to catch your audience’s attention. LinkedIn is just one of the many platforms that allow users to share a story via video and other rich media, so you can include outside posts here if you choose.
If you already have professional videos posted across multiple platforms like Vimeo, Youtube, Twitch or Dtube, consider linking those here. Not only do you already have video evidence of your industry expertise, but you are also showing your connections where else they can find you for more info on your work.
Newsfeed
The newsfeed is a great place to share short videos to break up the monotony and attract your connections to your posts. Add background music, text, and interesting transitions to give your videos a professional feel.
Consider posting professional videos, such as:
- Product and service demos
- Answers to commonly asked questions
- Insider views into your work day and team members
- Customer testimonials
- Business announcements
Regularly posting videos to your newsfeed can help build trust in your brand and legitimize your work.
Messages and connections
A less conventional way of utilizing video on LinkedIn is to improve person-to-person communication with video messages. After all, a video message is almost equivalent to having a short conversation in person.
Building lasting relationships with connections and prospects hinges on conversations and friendly interactions. Sending a short, informal video message can be a great way to separate yourself from your peers and make a lasting impression.
You have worked hard for what you’ve achieved, and sharing those achievements can help take your business to the next level. Video is a wonderful way to engage with your network on LinkedIn, spotlighting you and your business so you can show how you can help your clients. In this way, putting yourself on the map with video marketing can help you grow as a professional and reach your career goals.
Photo by @Stoyanovska/Twenty20