The Effectiveness of Reels on LinkedIn

A Growing Opportunity

In recent years, LinkedIn has expanded its capabilities beyond professional networking, emerging as a powerful platform for video content. Although LinkedIn doesn’t have a feature like Instagram’s Reels or TikTok, short-form videos perform exceptionally well on the platform, offering brands and individuals a dynamic way to increase engagement. With more users consuming video content than ever, these videos' effectiveness is evident, especially for smaller accounts and niche audiences.

1. Increased Engagement with Video

Video content on LinkedIn is among the top-performing post types, generating significantly higher engagement rates than static posts such as text or images. On average, LinkedIn video posts receive about 42 views per 100 impressions, showing that videos are more likely to capture user attention. This is especially true for smaller accounts (with fewer than 5,000 followers), which tend to outperform larger accounts in terms of engagement rate per follower (Social Media Dashboard) ​(Rival IQ).

One reason video content drives engagement so well is that it allows users to quickly connect with a brand’s message, delivering more information in a shorter time compared to text posts. As LinkedIn users scroll through their feed, videos with strong visual appeal and compelling messages have the power to stop them mid-scroll, increasing the chances of interaction.

2. Videos Drive Interaction

Like Instagram Reels and TikTok videos, LinkedIn videos grab attention within the crucial first few seconds, making short-form content particularly effective on the platform. LinkedIn recommends keeping videos between 15 and 30 seconds to maintain interest and achieve optimal brand awareness results. Short, snappy videos perform better because they get the message across quickly, catering to users' short attention spans.

By delivering a clear message in under 30 seconds, brands can increase user interaction through likes, shares, and comments, leading to higher overall engagement and visibility on the platform. Video content is not just a tool for awareness but also a vehicle for driving meaningful conversations​ (Social Media Dashboard)​.

3. Optimal Video Performance

Optimising videos for LinkedIn involves more than just keeping them short. LinkedIn users often watch videos with the sound off—about 85% of videos are played silently. To counter this, brands should add closed captions and use visual storytelling techniques that can convey their message without relying on sound​.

Additionally, a video’s success on LinkedIn is often determined in the first two seconds. Including a strong hook early on is essential to ensure viewers stay engaged. By front-loading key information and using eye-catching visuals, brands can significantly improve their retention rates, ensuring that more viewers stick around to watch the full video. Videos that convey value quickly and clearly tend to outperform longer or less-focused content.

4. Smaller Accounts Benefit More

Interestingly, smaller LinkedIn accounts (under 5,000 followers) experience higher engagement rates per follower compared to larger accounts. Smaller, more niche audiences tend to interact more with video content, reflecting trends seen on other platforms like Instagram and TikTok. These smaller accounts average around 49 views per 100 impressions for video content, making short-form videos an ideal tool for brands that want to maximise their reach within a specific audience​ (Rival IQ).

This dynamic offers an excellent opportunity for small and medium-sized businesses to use video content as a growth strategy, especially on LinkedIn where niche audiences are likely to engage deeply with the content.

Key Takeaways

• Short-form videos (similar to Reels) are highly effective on LinkedIn, particularly for smaller accounts.

• Videos with a strong hook and closed captions perform significantly better, as a majority of LinkedIn users watch videos with sound off.

• Keeping video lengths under 30 seconds is ideal for maintaining user attention and maximising brand awareness.

• Smaller accounts can benefit greatly from incorporating short-form videos into their strategy, as they tend to achieve higher engagement per follower compared to larger accounts.

Incorporating video into your LinkedIn content strategy—whether through native video posts or ads—can significantly boost engagement, visibility, and brand awareness. With video content continuing to rise in popularity, now is the perfect time to harness its power to stand out in the professional setting that LinkedIn offers.