LinkedIn has launched a new ad campaign in the U.K. which aims to highlight the benefits of its recently updated video feed.
The campaign, entitled “Know-How That Sticks,” was created in collaboration with VCCP London, and aims to showcase how younger professionals, in particular, can make use of LinkedIn’s video feed in their career progression, via three short video promotions.
Conceptually, the videos look to provide a way in to LinkedIn’s professional knowledge base for younger audiences, who often feel lost when starting out in their industry.
And given the popularity of short-form video content among younger audiences, it makes sense for LinkedIn to lean into this element, while also putting more emphasis on its growing database of video uploads. Indeed, LinkedIn recently reported that it’s seen a 34% increase in video uploads year-over-year, while video posts 40% generate engagement compared to text updates.
LinkedIn recently added a new dedicated video tab in the app, which guides users through to a TikTok-like interface of full-screen, scrolling video updates.
But I don’t know, I’m not sure that this is going to work out for LinkedIn as it probably hopes.
Much like Stories, which LinkedIn also tried, the problem for LinkedIn is that the content that gets posted to the app doesn’t translate that well to trending content formats. Because, basically, it’s boring, because how many times have you read one of those self-promotional, inspirational, career guidance posts in your LI feed and thought “You know I would really love to see this in video form”?
I’m guessing never, and the challenge that LinkedIn has, despite now hosting more video content, is that the majority of the videos being uploaded to the app are not entertaining, and are just those same wannabe career advice influencers pumping out “Top Tips” content, that’s not that engaging.
But then again, LinkedIn is always refining its algorithm, and it keeps saying that it’s generating “record levels” of user engagement. So maybe, over time, it will be able to create a customized, personalized feed of video content to engage each user.
But I’m not confident. And regardless of ad campaigns to help to raise awareness of its video posts, if the actual videos themselves are not engaging, young users won’t keep coming back.
But video generates more engagement, and young people are more likely to engage with video content, so it makes sense, conceptually, for LinkedIn to angle its push around this element.
I’m just not sure it has the content of algorithm to back it up at this stage.
