LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional networking platform, made a significant stride in the digital advertising landscape yesterday evening by announcing a suite of new and enhanced video ad options during its inaugural presentation at the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) NewFronts. This move underscores LinkedIn’s commitment to empowering businesses, particularly in the B2B sector, to connect with their target audiences through engaging and impactful video content.
The NewFronts, an annual gathering where media and technology companies showcase their latest offerings to advertising executives, provided the perfect stage for LinkedIn to highlight the burgeoning role of video on its platform and the innovative tools it is introducing to help brands maximize their marketing efforts.
The Power of Video on LinkedIn
LinkedIn emphasized the remarkable growth of video consumption within its professional ecosystem. According to recent data shared by the platform, the time spent by users watching video content on LinkedIn has surged by an impressive 36% year-over-year. Furthermore, video content is proving to be a highly effective engagement driver, generating 1.4 times more engagement compared to other types of posts. This trend highlights the increasing appetite of professionals for dynamic and easily digestible video content within their professional feeds.
The platform also pointed to the strong performance of its existing video ad formats, noting that in-stream Video Ads are achieving double the average video completion rate. These statistics underscore the potential for advertisers to capture the attention of a highly engaged and professional audience through well-crafted video campaigns.
Introducing Enhanced Video Ad Offerings
While LinkedIn’s presentation didn’t unveil entirely novel ad formats, the focus was on significant enhancements and a strategic alignment of its existing video ad capabilities with evolving user behavior and marketing trends. The key highlights of LinkedIn’s video ad announcements at NewFronts include:
- BrandLink Expansion: The newly rebranded “BrandLink” option takes center stage, enabling marketers to strategically place their video advertisements alongside content from approved publishers and, significantly, B2B creators. This expansion recognizes the growing influence of industry thought leaders and content creators in shaping professional opinions and purchase decisions. By aligning brand messaging with credible voices, LinkedIn aims to foster greater trust and engagement with advertising content. Advertisers can choose from curated collections of video content focused on topics relevant to LinkedIn members and marketers, such as leadership, AI innovation, entrepreneurship, and industry-specific stories. Available formats within BrandLink include pre-roll ads and in-video signage, with opportunities for category exclusivity.
- Elevated Connected TV (CTV) Placements: Building on its CTV offerings introduced last year, LinkedIn highlighted the increasing sophistication and reach of these placements. Advertisers can now extend their LinkedIn video campaigns to a wider audience through integrations with prominent CTV platforms like Paramount, Roku, and Samsung Ads. This allows B2B brands to reach key decision-makers not only within the LinkedIn feed but also in the more immersive environment of connected television, potentially capturing attention with a “bold, broadcast-like presence.”
- Expanded Event Ad Promotion: Recognizing the importance of professional events for networking, lead generation, and brand building, LinkedIn is enhancing the promotion options for its Event Ads. These expanded features aim to help event organizers maximize the visibility and attendance of their LinkedIn events, further leveraging video to showcase event highlights, speaker previews, and calls to action.
Strategic Focus on B2B Marketing
A key message throughout LinkedIn’s NewFronts presentation was its unique position as the premier platform for B2B advertisers. Matthew Derella, VP of LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, emphasized that LinkedIn stands out as the only platform with a massive, purpose-built audience of professionals capable of driving concrete business results at scale.
This focus is particularly relevant in today’s evolving B2B landscape, where younger professionals are increasingly influencing purchasing decisions for high-value, long-term contracts. CMOs are recognizing the power of video as the “love language of the new B2B decision-makers,” and LinkedIn is strategically positioning itself to facilitate meaningful connections between brands and this demographic through engaging video content and collaborations with relevant creators.
Technical Specifications and Best Practices for LinkedIn Video Ads
For advertisers looking to leverage LinkedIn’s video ad capabilities, understanding the technical specifications and best practices is crucial for campaign success.
Technical Requirements:
- File Type: MP4 is the recommended video format.
- File Size: Minimum 75 KB, maximum 500 MB.
- Duration: 3 seconds to 30 minutes (best practice suggests keeping videos between 15-30 seconds for optimal engagement).
- Aspect Ratios: LinkedIn supports various aspect ratios, including 4:5 (vertical), 9:16 (vertical), 16:9 (landscape), and 1:1 (square), with a 5% tolerance.
- Resolution: Minimum width and height of 360 pixels, maximum width and height of 1920 pixels. Specific recommended resolutions vary based on the aspect ratio.
- Frame Rate: Recommended 30 frames per second.
- Audio: AAC or MPEG4 format with a sound rate less than 64 KHz.
- Thumbnails: Custom thumbnails in JPG or PNG format are highly recommended, with a maximum file size of 2 MB and an aspect ratio matching the video.
Text Recommendations:
- Ad Name (Optional): Up to 255 characters.
- Headline: Up to 70 characters (maximum 200 allowed, but shorter is better for visibility).
- Introductory Text: Up to 150 characters (maximum 600 allowed, but conciseness is key).
- Landing Page URL: Required, starting with http:// or https://, with a maximum of 2000 characters.
Best Practices for Effective LinkedIn Video Ads:
- Keep it Concise and Engaging: Capture attention quickly within the first few seconds.
- Optimize for Mobile Viewing: Design videos with vertical formats and ensure text is easily readable on smaller screens.
- Use Captions: Many users watch videos without sound in their feed.
- Start with a Hook: Grab viewers’ attention immediately with compelling visuals or a thought-provoking question.
- Include a Clear Call to Action (CTA): Tell viewers what you want them to do next.
- Target the Right Audience: Leverage LinkedIn’s precise targeting options based on professional criteria.
- Tell a Story: Engage viewers emotionally and make your message memorable.
- Maintain Professionalism: Align your video quality and messaging with the professional context of LinkedIn.
- Test and Iterate: Continuously monitor your video ad performance and make adjustments to optimize results.
The Future of Video Advertising on LinkedIn
LinkedIn’s enhanced video ad offerings at NewFronts 2025 signal a clear direction for the platform’s advertising strategy. By focusing on high-quality, engaging video content delivered to a precise professional audience, and by strategically integrating with creators and CTV environments, LinkedIn is positioning itself as a vital platform for B2B marketers looking to make meaningful connections and drive tangible business outcomes. As video consumption continues its upward trajectory, these new options provide advertisers with more sophisticated tools to leverage the power of visual storytelling within the world’s leading professional network. The coming months will be crucial in observing the adoption and impact of these enhanced video ad features on the LinkedIn marketing landscape.
