Out of all the social networks, LinkedIn is by far the one that is least used for marketing. People simply don’t know how powerful it is! LinkedIn is a professional social network, meaning that it’s oriented more to commercial and professional relations than to personal relationships. It’s the best place for professionals to promote themselves, to do networking and get new business.
Let’s review how LinkedIn works
LinkedIn is very similar to your resume or CV. You sign up, create your account and start filling in your professional information that is basically what you would write in your resume: professional qualifications, education, current job, past positions, skills, publications, etc. The cool thing is that LinkedIn actually finds your lost contacts from your email or from mutual contacts you might already have. This feature helps companies get leads and convert them to clients. Many people have recovered a lot of lost contacts over time with this functionality and for that reason alone it has been worthwhile to get on LinkedIn.
Introducing LinkedIn Videos
LinkedIn recently launched LinkedIn Videos, a feature that allows users to upload videos about their work, and get comments from companies and professionals. Currently, the feature is available only on mobile, so you’ll have to download the app, or update it if you already have it. Normally in LinkedIn, you can communicate with other professionals or companies through updates in your timeline or direct messages, but this is very limiting. Sometimes you need to express yourself through another medium. Sometimes “living” the moment through an instant video it’s just more than enough (ask Snapchat why they were so successful). Native Video brings to you the opportunity to share what are you doing in your office, a conference, the release of a new product, or tell your story. This gives you the chance to connect with people and build strong relationships. We know that on some social media platforms, it’s easy to scroll down fast and ignore silly videos. On LinkedIn, people are more serious, which makes them more receptive and interested in what you’re sharing — especially in video format. Research from Cisco Systems found that 75% of business executives watch work-related video weekly, at the least. So, why are you waiting for?
Here are the steps to upload a native video:
1. Download the app. In order to upload the video, you need to download the LinkedIn app on your mobile device.
2. Log in your account.
3. Tap the video camera icon. Once you are in the app, click on the video camera icon you will see in the right superior corner of the screen. Here you can select a pre- recorded video from your camera roll or record a new one in the moment. The video can be up to 10 minutes long- no more
4. Add text: you can add text during the update if you want to describe the video. Once you’re done, click on Post.
It’s actually pretty user-friendly. Tatiana De Almeida, a PR manager on LinkedIn’s corporate communications team provided these four use cases for the native videos:
- Share with people a new product
- Capturing front-seat footage from a live conference or event
- Educate viewers with a quick tip or workflow hack
- Share a hot take on the latest news in your industry
Cheers!