LinkedIn courts creators with new video features
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Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios
LinkedIn has rolled out new vertical video capabilities in an effort to make the platform more creator-friendly.
Why it matters: This is the latest attempt to attack the TikTok niche, as yet another social platform embraces video content.
The big picture: Working professionals are feeling more pressure to build personal brands, and many senior business leaders are flocking to the platform to share quarterly earnings, explainer videos and even their running routines.
Driving the news: The new video capabilities include in-feed design updates, enhanced video search and more video analytics like average watch time.
- LinkedIn users are watching videos on the platform at a rate 36% higher than last year, and videos see 1.4 times more engagement than traditional posts, according to data shared with Axios.
What they're saying: "LinkedIn has evolved beyond networking and job hunting—it's now a content platform that rewards brands and people who create great content," says Roberto Munoz, CEO and founder of Munoz Communications and author of "LinkedIn PowerUp Playbook."
- "With so much AI-generated material flooding everyone's feeds, video has the potential to cut through and build trust by putting a face behind a brand, service or product," he added.
Yes, but: LinkedIn-fluencers might not reach the same large following as those on TikTok.
- LinkedIn says its algorithm is designed for relevancy, not "virality," which means the follower relationship is likely to be deeper, more trusted and often anchored in professional development or industry knowledge and trends.
- For example, roughly 8 in 10 investors say they research a company or executive's LinkedIn presence before making recommendations, per a recent Brunswick Group report.
- Plus, the platform has doubled down on news, while other platforms like Facebook and X have deprioritized it.
What to watch: More PR professionals — who are typically responsible for managing the social media strategy of executives and corporate brands — are flocking to the platform.
💭 Eleanor's thought bubble: There's a level of cringe here that will be hard to break through, but that doesn't mean I won't give it a try ...
Go deeper: LinkedIn doubles down on news as social rivals retreat
