Smarter, Not Harder: Using Simple Video Content to Boost Engagement

Attention is harder to earn than ever—but video still cuts through. Movement, music, and human faces slow the scroll in ways static images rarely do. On LinkedIn, video consistently outperforms image-only posts, earning roughly three times the reactions and making it one of the most reliable tools in a B2B marketer’s kit.

The challenge isn’t proving video works; it’s figuring out how to use it well without blowing your budget. Like photography, video often feels like a "go big or go home” medium—sweeping creative direction, studio lighting, and fancy gear.

But here’s the secret: most B2B brands are sitting on more raw material than they realize. The key is to get smarter about how you use it. Even a 15-second clip of your team laughing over a tech hiccup can get more engagement than a polished three-minute talk.

Play in Your Sandbox

In our remote-first work world, virtual conferences and webinars are standard. Most are recorded by default, giving you an on-demand library you may not be fully tapping into. You may not be hosting South by Southwest, but your team is running valuable webinars year-round—and those recordings are a gold mine.

After a webinar (or video podcast), scrub through the recording and pull a few strong moments to showcase on LinkedIn. These clips extend the life of your content, reinforce thought leadership, and reach audiences who didn’t attend live.

Things to consider:

• Optimize for silent viewing. Add captions and visual cues whenever possible.
• Think mobile first. With 60% of LinkedIn video views happening on phones, square cropping works best.
• Keep it short. Aim for under two minutes, ideally closer to 60 seconds.

Bring Facts and Figures to Life

Short, animated clips are another simple but high-impact tool. While full-blown motion graphics can get complex, lightweight animations—think a statistic sliding into place or a visual that moves just enough to guide the eye—make data instantly more digestible. These clips grab attention, deliver a fast takeaway, and can pull double duty in social posts, sales decks, and other digital collateral.

Things to consider:

• Let the visual be the hook. Keep the animation focused and let the caption carry the context.
• Stay on brand. Tools like Canva make it tempting to experiment, but every animation should feel like it belongs in your brand universe.

Breathe Life into Your Content

In-person events are so back—and they’re one of the richest opportunities to capture human-centered video. People connect with people. Footage from your booth, sessions, behind-the-scenes moments, and the overall conference buzz add warmth and authenticity to your feed. These clips work great for mid-event updates and post-event recap content.

Things to consider:

• Create motion. Even if you forget to shoot live video, you can build a simple reel from still photos. The movement alone helps engage the audience.
• Add an action. Where appropriate, pair your posts with a next step—connect with the team, explore the recap, or register for the next event.

As marketers, we know how overwhelming consistent content creation can feel. But a standout video doesn’t require a blockbuster budget. With a little intention—and thoughtful recycling—you can turn everyday moments into scroll-stopping content.