When LinkedIn first introduced its mobile-first “Video Only” feed, I was cautiously optimistic.
The idea seemed promising. A TikTok-style vertical scroll of quick, under-60-second clips where creators could educate, entertain, and engage their audiences with concise insights, behind-the-scenes moments, or personality-driven content.
It sounded like LinkedIn’s answer to Reels and Shorts.
But in practice?
After over a year of testing, measuring, and adjusting, the results told a very different story.
Today, I want to share what I discovered, what surprised me, and what I’m officially doing differently when it comes to LinkedIn video content.
More importantly, I’ll help you run your experiment to see what works best for your audience and network.
What is the LinkedIn Video Feed?
If you missed the rollout, here’s a quick refresher.
Roughly a year to eighteen months ago, LinkedIn released a feature on the mobile app called the “LinkedIn Video Only Feed.”
You’ll find it in the bottom navigation bar of the app, listed between Home and My Network. Tapping that “Video” tab opens up a feed of short-form, vertical video content—clips designed to be under 60 seconds.
LinkedIn’s goal was to push more creators toward short-form content in the same vein as TikTok or Instagram Reels. These videos can also be viewed on desktop, but they’re intended primarily for mobile consumption.
There’s one important detail to know.
If your video is 1 minute and 30 seconds or less, LinkedIn treats it as a “short” and places it in the video-only feed.
If your video is 1 minute and 31 seconds or more, it bypasses the video-only feed and appears in the main LinkedIn newsfeed, where most content lives and is interacted with daily.
This difference in placement has a major impact on visibility and engagement. And this is where things got interesting.
What I Tested and Why
Over the last several months, I began actively testing both types of video content:
Short-form vertical clips under 60 seconds that go to the mobile video feed, and longer-form vertical or horizontal videos over 1 minute and 30 seconds that go to the general feed.
I tracked five main areas of performance for each video:
- Impressions, meaning how many users LinkedIn showed the post to
- Engagement, including reactions, comments, and shares
- Comments, specifically those that sparked conversation
- Profile visits, based on follow-up activity
- Overall visibility, including how long the post circulated
The results surprised me.
What the Numbers Revealed
Short-form vertical videos under 60 seconds had low impressions, little to no engagement, and few if any comments.
Longer-form videos over 1 minute and 31 seconds performed significantly better across the board. They had stronger impressions, consistent engagement, meaningful comments, and even led to private messages and new connections.
And these weren’t one-off results. This pattern repeated across multiple posts and formats.
I want to be clear here. The short-form videos were well-edited, visually engaging, and featured strong openings. They weren’t lazy content. I even used high-performing subject matter.
In one case, I posted a short video from a recent bench press competition, something deeply personal that usually resonates well with my audience.
This time, it landed flat. No comments. Minimal impressions. Almost no engagement.
But then I tried something different.
The Exact Same Message, Posted Differently
I took a freeze-frame still of the video, wrote the same text I had included with the original short video, and posted it as a static image post with a written caption.
Within ten minutes, I had six comments, several reactions, and immediate visibility in the feed.
That one post caused me to pause.
How could the same message, the same story, perform so differently simply based on format?
That was the moment the light bulb went off.
Why This Matters to Your LinkedIn Strategy
If you’re a coach, consultant, content creator, or thought leader on LinkedIn, this matters.
LinkedIn may be experimenting with short-form content because other platforms are leaning into that trend. But that doesn’t mean your audience is ready for it, or even aware of where to find it.
The people who follow and connect with you on LinkedIn might not consume content like they do on TikTok or Instagram.
Most of the people in my network aren’t spending time scrolling through the video-only feed at all. I know this because I asked. And because, honestly, I don’t either. I use the main LinkedIn newsfeed. That’s where I consume content and engage with others.
And I suspect many of your followers and peers are the same.
So if your audience isn’t living in that space, no matter how good your content is, it’s likely not getting seen.
That’s a major problem if you’re trying to grow your business through content strategy.
So, Are LinkedIn Video Shorts Worth Doing?
In my experience, no.
Not if your primary goals are reach, engagement, visibility, and conversion.
They might be entertaining. They might showcase personality. They might even feel trendy. But if they aren’t seen, they can’t work for you.
Here’s what I’ve decided moving forward.
All of my videos will be at least 1 minute and 31 seconds. This ensures that they land in the general LinkedIn feed, not the limited-use video-only section.
I will continue to experiment with both vertical and horizontal formats, but I’ll prioritize storytelling, clarity, and message over novelty or trendiness.
I’m focusing on where my audience already is, not where LinkedIn wants to nudge them.
That’s how real visibility and connection happen.
How You Can Test This Yourself
You don’t have to take my word for it.
Here’s a simple experiment you can run on your own.
First, post a short vertical video that’s under 60 seconds. Make it relevant, useful, and well-produced. Publish it via the LinkedIn mobile app.
Second, post a longer video that’s at least 1 minute and 31 seconds. Talk through a process, share a personal insight, or expand on a lesson learned. Post it to your main feed.
Track the results of both videos over the course of one week.
Look at:
- Number of impressions
- Number of comments
- Number of reactions
- Amount of profile views or messages generated
My guess is you’ll see the longer video generate more meaningful visibility and engagement.
If you want to get your message in front of more people and create an opportunity from your content, then a longer video in the general feed is the way to go.
Five Best Practices for Video Success on LinkedIn
If you’re going to lean into video, do it with a strategy that aligns with your audience’s behavior. Here’s what I recommend:
- Keep the video over 1 minute and 31 seconds to ensure it hits the main feed.
- Write a strong headline above the post that captures attention in the first line.
- Always include captions so the video is accessible and scroll-stopping even without sound.
- Include a clear call to action at the end, whether it’s a question, comment prompt, or next step.
- Mix in still images or written versions of the video message for greater visibility.
By combining visual content with written insight, you’re giving your audience multiple ways to connect with your message.
Stop Chasing Features, Start Serving People
At the end of the day, this isn’t just about video.
This is about aligning your strategy with how people behave.
New features will always come and go. LinkedIn may continue to push certain formats, introduce new tools, or change its design.
But your role isn’t to chase features.
Your role is to serve your audience.
So ask yourself:
Where are they spending their time? What format are they responding to? How can you meet them where they are?
For me, that means moving away from short-form video and doubling down on longer-form value in the general feed.
That’s where the conversation happens. That’s where the trust builds. And that’s where your content strategy should be focused.
Want Help Creating Better LinkedIn Content?
If you’d like help creating high-impact storytelling content that performs well in the LinkedIn feed, Nancy and I created a free resource for you.
It’s called the High Impact Post Templates for LinkedIn.
These templates are designed to help you:
- Write storytelling content that resonates with your audience
- Position yourself as a thought leader
- Drive more engagement and visibility
To download your copy, just visit:
www.thetimetogrow.com/ecsposttemplates
Or, if you’re seeing this on LinkedIn or any social platform, just comment with the words “high impact” and we’ll send them to you directly.
What Are You Seeing with LinkedIn Video?
I’d love to hear what you’ve observed.
Are your short-form videos performing well?
Have you noticed a difference between what lands in the video-only feed versus the general feed?
Have longer videos helped you gain visibility?
Let me know in the comments below.
This is how we all learn and get better. We test. We refine. And we grow.
#linkedin #linkedinvideo #linkedinvideoshorts