LinkedIn’s push into video content is showing results, according to new research by marketing expert Caroline Giegerich.
Her analysis, published in Adweek, tests LinkedIn’s claim that video gets five times the engagement of text posts.
She writes:
“Curious to test LinkedIn’s claim that videos receive five times more engagement, I wanted to see if the hype held up. Additionally, with a staggering 84% of marketers utilizing video in their content strategies, I wanted to go deep and understand the real value of the format.”
Key Findings
Giegerich’s 90-day analysis revealed video posts consistently achieved higher reach than written content:
- Her lowest-performing video posts garnered nearly triple the impressions of top-performing written posts
- Her most successful video reached 774,000 impressions
- Her video posts averaged around 250,000 views
Giegerich found the most success with:
- Videos under 5 minutes
- Direct-to-camera approach
- Morning posts between 9-11 AM EST
Additionally, she notes adding personal flair to videos may have aided their performance:
“In terms of the content itself, I keep my videos under 5 minutes and speak directly to the camera about technology in terms everyone can understand to make it accessible.
I also post in the morning between 9 – 11 AM EST. If Gossip Girl covered tech, she’d be me. Over time, I added fun sound effects and captions with Capcut.”
When To Use Text Posts
Giegerich says that video works best to create awareness at the top of the sales funnel. Once people are aware, text posts are more valuable.
She states:
“My written posts dominate the top three spots for engagement, even though my video posts drive significantly more awareness. For example, my top-written post by engagement drove 68 times fewer impressions than my lowest-performing video post.”
Based on her testing, text posts received more targeted distribution to her connections, while videos were recommended to people outside her network.
Giegerich adds:
“One format is more targeted to my network and the other is being heavily fanned by the LinkedIn algorithm to an audience outside of my immediate network.”
Limited Monetization Opportunities
The study highlights LinkedIn’s limited monetization options compared to its competitors:
- The current program offers sponsored posts and consulting opportunities.
- The creator accelerator program is restricted to only 100 participants, selected in 2022.
- The platform lags behind TikTok and Instagram when providing incentives for creators.
What This Means
LinkedIn’s algorithm tends to favor video, but Giegerich’s research highlights that video and text serve different roles.
Video posts excel at broad awareness and can achieve higher impression counts, though their performance is often unpredictable.
In contrast, written posts foster stronger engagement within established networks.
For marketers, Giegerich suggests a balanced approach: use video for visibility and maintain written posts for engagement.
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