FOR CONSULTANTS & ADVISERS
How does video marketing for consultants build trust?
Why video helps advisers win trust, which types of film work, where to use them and how to feel comfortable on camera.
Formats and specs, the right length, strong hooks, captions and posting habits for consultants using LinkedIn video.
A good LinkedIn video is short and captioned, and it opens with a clear reason to keep watching. Upload it directly as an MP4, square, vertical or horizontal. Keep most posts to a minute or two and say who it’s for in the first line. Add captions, post when clients are online and reply to comments quickly.
LinkedIn is where plenty of consultants meet prospects and peers, along with the people who refer work to them. A LinkedIn video lets people see how you think as well as what you do, and making a short one is easier than most people expect. If you’d prefer to have the filming planned and shot for you, take a look at our videography for consultants service.
These LinkedIn video tips stick to the hands-on side. We’ll go through the technical limits and what to say at the start. After that come captions and posting. It’s written for independent consultants and advisers. If you want to become a full-time creator, this isn’t that guide.
LinkedIn publishes its requirements for uploaded video, and they’re generous. Its video requirements say files can be up to 5 GB and up to 15 minutes long, with a minimum of 3 seconds on desktop. MP4 and MOV are both accepted among other formats. Resolution can run from 256 by 144 up to 4096 by 2304.
| Setting | LinkedIn requirement |
|---|---|
| File size | 75 KB to 5 GB |
| Length | Up to 15 minutes |
| Aspect ratio | Between 1:2.4 and 2.4:1 |
| Frame rate | 10 to 60 fps |
| Formats | MP4, MOV, AVI, WEBM, MKV and others |
Those are limits. They aren’t recommendations. In real life, export an MP4 at 1080p and pick the shape that suits the message. Go horizontal for a conversation or a talk, and square or vertical for a quick tip filmed on your phone. The requirements can change, so check the page before any big upload.
As short as it can be while still doing the job. For a single idea, like the answer to a client question, aim for somewhere between 30 seconds and two minutes. Case studies and talks can run longer. Give people a reason to stay, though, with a clear opening, one point at a time and an obvious end.
The 15-minute ceiling isn’t a target. If your talk is longer, cut a short clip from it for LinkedIn and link to the full version on your website.
Viewers decide within a few seconds whether to keep watching, so your opening sentence counts for far more than polish does. State the problem or the question or the result. Then say who it’s for.
Cut the long greeting and the logo animation. Put your name and role in the post text or in an on-screen caption instead of spending the first seconds on them. Then make one point and give one example. Finish with a single clear next step, such as a question for viewers to answer.
Yes, almost always. Lots of people scroll with the sound off. Captions also make your video accessible to viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing, and that gives clients a reason to trust you’ve thought about them.
LinkedIn’s help centre says you can attach an SRT caption file on the desktop site when you post a video on a personal profile or a Page. That page is fairly old, and the options in the posting screen may have moved on since, so go by what you actually see. A simple alternative is to burn the captions into the video while you edit it. That way you control how they look too.
Whichever route you take, read the captions through for mistakes. Names and technical terms are where they usually creep in.
You don’t need a new idea every time. Three or four formats will take you a long way. Try a short answer to a client question or a clip from a talk. A client story works well, and so does your take on something happening in your sector.
Put your point in the first line, since that’s what most readers see first. Keep the rest short. Add the link to your website in the comments or at the end of the post, not at the start.
Early comments often get the conversation going, so publish at a time when you can reply for the first half hour. Look at when your own contacts are active, which is usually working hours on weekdays, and be consistent about it. Replying properly to comments and following up with the people who engage tends to count for more than the exact hour you post.
One good video a fortnight beats five in one week and then silence. Film several clips in a single sitting, then schedule them.
Video works best as part of a bigger plan. Our guide to marketing for consultants shows how your profile and website fit together with your content.
We film and edit short talks and introduction films for consultants, along with client stories. Find out more about our videography for consultants. We agree a clear brief, scope and fee with you before any work begins.
For most consultants, uploading directly is better for viewers, because the video plays in the feed and nobody has to leave LinkedIn. A YouTube link suits longer talks. If you share one, put a short clip or summary in the post so people have a reason to click.
Anything between 1:2.4 and 2.4:1, which is the range of aspect ratios LinkedIn accepts, so square, vertical and horizontal videos all work. Use horizontal for talks and interviews, and square or vertical for short tips shot on a phone. Export as MP4 at 1080p unless there’s a reason not to.
No. For short tips, a recent phone on a tripod in natural light, with a small clip-on mic, is enough. Sound counts for more than picture, so test it first. Save professional filming for videos that will live on your website, like your introduction film.
Go for a rhythm you can keep up, such as once or twice a month to start with. Regular, useful posts build recognition over time. Bursts followed by silence don’t. Filming several clips in one session makes it much easier to stay consistent.
Yes, but think about where it goes. Lots of people put the link in the first comment or near the end of the post, so the opening lines stay focused on the video. Make sure the page you link to carries on with the same topic.
Why video helps advisers win trust, which types of film work, where to use them and how to feel comfortable on camera.
What thought leadership is for consultants, how to find a point of view, which formats suit you and how to prove your expertise.
How independent consultants can rank for the services and problems they solve, using topic pages, genuine expertise signals and earned links.
Four quick questions, and we’ll show you where we’d start. Your answers come straight to us with your message, so you won’t have to explain it twice.
A 30-minute introduction call on Microsoft Teams, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Your answers come with the booking, so we’ll be ready for you.
Prefer to talk it through? Make an appointment for a 30-minute call on Microsoft Teams, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
A closer look at the work behind each part of your plan.
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