We are always on the lookout for new updates, features, and trends in the world of video on social networks and how they might impact cinemagraphs. These days, our eyes are locked onto LinkedIn — yes, the same platform that most people use to look for a new job, network with their peers, or in the case of businesses, connect with customers. There is now a huge audience of professionals and companies using LinkedIn — 500 million and counting — which makes it an ideal place to advertise. This is especially true for B2B marketers, who can directly target their potential customers and any employees who work for them.

LinkedIn has been quietly working away at its ad platform by improving targeting and its analytics. We noticed that some of its recent updates are related to how video is used and displayed on the platform. In the last few months, LinkedIn rolled out the ability to upload video natively to user profiles and business pages that auto-plays, and is just beginning to give advertisers the same feature.

And now, LinkedIn is testing auto-looping video.

Videos on LinkedIn Now Auto-Loop

Click the image to embed this cinemagraph on your site

It was only a matter of time before LinkedIn brought auto-playing, auto-looping video to their platform. Video and other forms of looping content are thriving on social networks like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter because users engage with them the most. They even drive tremendous growth for marketers and agencies; in one report, 73% of B2B marketers said video positively impacts marketing ROI. On a B2B platform like LinkedIn, video helps businesses stand out and generate more brand awareness in their advertising.

Auto-looping video brings businesses one step closer to those goals. It gives them a chance to make and share video content that both auto-plays to capture their customers attention, and auto-loops to keep them watching. The trick is, video needs to be engaging, and should loop perfectly so that your audience doesn’t consciously realize that they’re repeatedly watching the same video. If you can create an effective, perfectly looped video, potential customers are more likely to recall your brand and your message.

Here’s What We Know About Auto-Looping Video on LinkedIn So Far

We first noticed videos auto-looping earlier this week, and have a few findings and observations from our brief time with LinkedIn’s big breakthrough in video capabilities:

• The auto-loop feature on LinkedIn is still in its testing stage. You might only see one of your own videos auto-looping, or maybe it only works with other people’s posts, or both. There’s a lot of inconsistency and there’s a chance the feature will disappear and come back intermittently.
• The auto-loop feature is being tested on both personal and business pages. When LinkedIn first began testing native video, they offered it to regular LinkedIn members first, then they started to roll it out to business pages. We tested videos on both member profiles and business pages, and they auto-looped on both.
• Videos that are between 3 to 15 seconds auto-loop. We tested 15, 30 second, and 1 minute videos. The videos under 15 seconds were the only ones that looped. It’s possible that the length of the video that auto-loops will change when LinkedIn officially rolls it out.
• Videos only auto-loop on desktop. It looks like LinkedIn is only testing auto-looping video on desktop for now. They don’t seem to currently loop on their mobile app.

So how can you get ready for the auto-looping revolution on LinkedIn? It’s time to learn the ropes, and start using video on LinkedIn.

Use Short Form Video Ads on LinkedIn

Source: LinkedIn’s How-to Guide for Captivating a Professional Audience

LinkedIn recommends businesses test video ads as short as 5 seconds, and as long as 2 minutes. The storytelling is so varied when it comes to those lengths; interviews, company culture, punchy product launches, and behind-the-scenes are some ideas they suggest for content that leans towards the longer side. Yet, most of their best tips for sharing video on LinkedIn point towards using micro video. We’re talking about short, snackable video content that communicates the message quickly.

Video designed for LinkedIn should:

• Communicate your message within the first 5-10 seconds.
• Capture attention with visually engaging content.
• Work without sound, as most people will watch ads with the sound off.
• Be less than 30 seconds in length to generate brand awareness and brand consideration.  According to one LinkedIn study, videos under 30 seconds reported a 200% lift in view completion rates. However, you can test long-form video for demand generation.

So, businesses need to use video ads that communicate a message in mere seconds, without sound, and tell an interesting visual story? We have a suggestion that fits LinkedIn perfectly.

Try Cinemagraphs on LinkedIn

May we present: cinemagraphs. This medium is used by marketers and agencies around the world to capture attention, tell a deeper brand story, and drive real results for businesses. They are composed like a photo with a hint of looping motion that brings the scene to life; you can think of it like a living or moving photo.

Cinemagraphs are the perfect fit for an auto-playing, auto-looping ad on LinkedIn because they are only a few seconds in length, require no sound, and use an engaging motion to draw attention. That motion will then loop endlessly, causing your audience to have a “What’s going on?” type of moment, and follow through with an action. We’ve even seen cinemagraph ads drive higher engagement and lower costs for top brands in their Facebook and Instagram ad campaigns. We suspect that businesses will see similar results on LinkedIn.

Here are some key tips for putting cinemagraphs to work on LinkedIn:

• If you have the auto-loop feature: In our tests, we saw that cinemagraph videos auto-looped if they were between 3-15 seconds in length. This length is ideal, because it means the file size is smaller, and the user experience will be better. From what we’ve seen, cinemagraphs only auto-loop on your personal and/or business page. Cinemagraph ads aren’t auto-looping…yet.
• If you don’t have the auto-loop feature: Try using a cinemagraph that is between 15 to 30 seconds in length. Cinemagraphs typically contain a short loop, so using a longer video file simply means your audience can still watch that loop several times, without even realizing it! You can use this cinemagraph video file as your auto-playing ad.
• Your resolution can be as high as 4095×2304, but we recommend 1920×1080.
• Your frame rate can be anything between 10fps – 60fps, but 24-30fps works great!
• You can use horizontal or vertical cinemagraph videos, though vertical video may crop to square in your feed.

We’re excited to see how LinkedIn rolls out the auto-loop feature to users and advertisers alike. This means B2B marketers will need to get even more creative when it comes to their video content on LinkedIn. Cinemagraphs are definitely an effective form of visual storytelling that will help businesses of any size stand out, and make the most of their LinkedIn ads.

Let us know in the comments if you’ve seen the auto-loop feature on your LinkedIn feed!