Update June 2023: LinkedIn is removing the ability to create profile videos on June 26th, 2023. Any profile video that was uploaded before the deadline will still be viewable on LinkedIn, you just won't be able to change it afterward.
What is a LinkedIn profile video
LinkedIn has a lot to offer when it comes to attracting new customers and clients with B2B-focused content marketing.
Two of LinkedIn's new and exciting features are the LinkedIn Creator Mode and the recently released LinkedIn Profile Video.
They allow you to record a 30-second video clip of yourself that you can add to your LinkedIn profile. The story is displayed as a frame on top of your regular profile picture. You can think of it as a pinned Instagram Story (or an Instagram Highlight!), but on LinkedIn.
Adding a LinkedIn Profile Video is one of the best ways to make your LinkedIn profile stand out from the crowd, by welcoming visitors of your LinkedIn profile and sharing your skills and experiences in a short, easily digestible video clip.
Why should you have a LinkedIn profile video?
Why your business should be on LinkedIn
LinkedIn is the world’s largest social media network for businesses and professionals on the internet.
The professional network LinkedIn has more than 1.1 billion members in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. It's an excellent resource for finding decision-makers and creating an online presence.
With more than 180 million senior-level influencers, 63 million decision-makers, and 10 million C-level executives, LinkedIn has one of the best ratios of audience seniority among all social media networks.
LinkedIn also hosts business profiles of almost 72.3 million companies.
If you're not on LinkedIn, you're missing out on one of the biggest opportunities of our generation.
In short, LinkedIn is an incredibly powerful tool to drive organic traffic to your LinkedIn personal profile and there is no better way to make a great first impression than by sharing an engaging welcome video on your profile.
How can LinkedIn profile video help your business
Think of your personal LinkedIn profile as your LinkedIn landing page.
The longer someone stays on your profile, the more likely they are to reach out to you and initiate a business relationship.
In most cases, LinkedIn profiles are very boring, so visitors only spend a few seconds on them before clicking the back button.
It allows you to reduce your profile bounce rate dramatically by engaging visitors with an engaging 30-second video clip.
With a LinkedIn profile video, you can highlight and demonstrate aspects of yourself that cannot be expressed in words, such as your personality, energy, and likeability.
The best way to double the number of connection requests and In-Mails you receive is to create your LinkedIn profile video today.
How do I access my LinkedIn profile video
Open the LinkedIn mobile app, visit your profile, and then click on your LinkedIn profile picture.
If you see a big + sign next to it, congratulations, you can now add a video to your LinkedIn profile.
What Is the recommended format and dimension
The aspect ratio of your LinkedIn profile video has to be vertical with a 9:16 ratio, or more precisely, a resolution of 1080 pixels in width and 1920 pixels in height.
LinkedIn recommends a frame rate of 30 frames per second and square pixels (Don't worry about it, 99.9999999% of all video apps use square pixels by default 🙂
The video should be exported as an MP4 file with the H264 video codec.
Creating your LinkedIn profile video
Open the LinkedIn mobile app
Currently, it is only possible to create or upload LinkedIn profile videos on the LinkedIn mobile app for iPhone or Android.
Navigate to your LinkedIn profile
First, open the LinkedIn app on your phone and click on your profile photo at the top left corner.
Open the profile photo menu
On your LinkedIn profile, look for your profile photo. There should be a + icon on the bottom left corner of it. Click on it to open the profile photo menu.
Click on add LinkedIn profile video
Your LinkedIn profile menu will slide up from the bottom. Click on add profile video.
Record or upload your LinkedIn profile video
By default, LinkedIn will turn on your selfie camera. If you press the red button, you can record your video right away.
If you want to upload an existing video, select it from the media library of your phone.
To return to your LinkedIn profile, click the x icon at the top left.
Add text or stickers to your LinkedIn profile video
After recording or uploading your video, you can add additional text or stickers to your video as an overlay. You will find the buttons for both at the top right corner.
Once you're done, click on the blue arrow at the bottom right corner to continue.
Position your face
You will see a circle and a few grid lines. Put your finger in the middle of the circle and move your LinkedIn profile video up or down to center your face in the middle.
This will become your video preview.
Once you're happy, click on the Add to Profile button at the bottom.
Review your LinkedIn profile video
After adding your video to your profile, you will be redirected to your LinkedIn profile. Have a look at your profile photo.
If you can see a colorful orange circle around it, that means that your LinkedIn profile video has been successfully added to your LinkedIn profile.
How can I reposition my LinkedIn profile video preview?
Whenever you or someone else opens your LinkedIn profile, your profile photo will display a muted video preview of your LinkedIn profile video.
If you didn't position it correctly while creating your profile video, you can easily reposition it. Just click on the colorful circle and select the Edit Preview button.
Then simply position your face into the circle and save your preview.
How can I change or replace my LinkedIn profile video?
Changing or replacing your profile video is very easy and follow the same steps of creating a new one.
How can I delete my LinkedIn profile video?
You can delete your profile video on both the LinkedIn mobile app and on the Desktop.
On the mobile app, open your LinkedIn profile, click on the colorful circle around your profile photo and then click on Delete and confirm.
On the desktop, open your LinkedIn profile, click on the circle around your profile photo, and select View or edit profile video.
Next, click on the recycle bin icon at the bottom right to delete your video.
Who can see my LinkedIn profile video? How to change the privacy and visibility settings?
To change who is able to view your LinkedIn profile video, visit your LinkedIn profile on your LinkedIn phone app.
Click on the colorful circle around your LinkedIn profile photo. Then click on the blue button with the eye icon.
This will open up the profile video privacy menu, giving you two choices.
Allow all LinkedIn members to view your video, or only limit it to your first-level connections.
What makes a good LinkedIn profile video?
What is the best way to deliver an excellent first impression on LinkedIn? Adding an engaging profile video.
There are a little over 75 words in a 30-second introduction video. Choosing your words wisely is essential.
There isn't much wiggle room. Any more words, and you'd be talking too fast.
Speak slowly and clearly. You are much more likely to get your message across and get people to take action.
I recommend writing a word-by-word script for your LinkedIn profile video.
Use my template script below and adjust it to fit your needs.
The key is to find the right balance between sharing what you have to offer and who you are as a person.
In this way, you can build trust with potential customers and help them understand what it's like to work with you.
By getting to know you better, they will likely be more engaged with your ideas and more willing to buy from you.
Combine all of this in an engaging and confident manner, and you have a winning formula.
LinkedIn profile video script template
If you don't know how to write your own profile video script, feel free to get inspiration from my template and adjust it to your situation.
You should begin your video by introducing yourself, stating your name, and explaining what you do and who you work with.
Hi, I'm Tim Queen. I'm a marketing strategist who helps businesses to utilize LinkedIn, YouTube and blogging to attract new customers and clients with effective content marketing.
You will then want to direct your viewers to your main call to action. Ask for one action that will allow you to segment, qualify, and add people to your sales funnel.
If you want to learn how to grow your business with LinkedIn, download my free LinkedIn Hashtag Guide from my highlights page. You can find the download link in the Featured section of my profile below.
Last but not least, end your video with a second call to action and greeting.
Or, if you want a complete A-Z client attraction system, check out my LinkedIn Accelerator Program. You'll find the link - as always - in the Highlights section below. See you soon. Bye.
Recording, editing & uploading your LinkedIn profile video
You are now ready to record your video based on your script.
Place your script above your camera if you do not have a teleprompter. If you can memorize it, that's even better. 🙂
Be sure to plug your external microphone into your camera before you press the record button.
This is how I like to record my videos.
Press the record button.
Reading off your script, again and again, will help you become comfortable with it.
Then it's time to switch from reading to speaking it from memory.
You don't need to worry if you mix up a few words. It is often necessary to adjust scripts during filming to ensure a better flow.
It is easier to direct your energy to the camera if you speak from memory.
You should record yourself several times until the delivery is as charming and confident as possible.
Use your favorite video editing program to select the best version for your video.
Export it as an MP4 and send it to your phone so you can quickly upload it via the LinkedIn mobile app.
Make the most out of your LinkedIn profile video.
Add music
You can enhance your LinkedIn profile video by incorporating music into your video.
In the same way that changing your LinkedIn profile's colors and images make it more engaging to your viewers, adding music to your profile makes it more entertaining and interesting.
Viewers will love it and enjoy the immersive experience.
Check out my Recommended Resources page to get a list of awesome royalty-free music options.
Add subtitles
Video subtitles offer significant performance benefits.
80% of consumers watch more video content when subtitles are available, and it isn't due to hearing impairments.
Having subtitles makes it easier for viewers to follow along and retain more information, particularly for those with accents or who own a domain with unusual spelling.
Adding subtitles also increases the likelihood that viewers will keep watching your video all the way to the end, making it more likely that they will take action and contact you.
In a study, ads with subtitles increased ad recall by 8% and memory quality by 10% over those without subtitles.
LinkedIn profile videos don't support native subtitles yet, but you can burn them into your video.
Conclusion:
A 30-second video of yourself can go a long way toward making a positive first impression on a prospective client.
It's a great way to introduce visitors to your LinkedIn profile, add your own personality, and make your LinkedIn profile stand out.
Be sure to write your script, don't worry too much about the camera, and capture the attention of your viewers with your most charming and confident video take.
LinkedIn profile videos are just one of the many ways to promote yourself on LinkedIn. If you want to learn more, make sure to download my free LinkedIn Hashtag Guide and check out my LinkedIn Accelerator Program.
