How to Post a Reel on LinkedIn

Posting a Reel to LinkedIn is one of the most effective ways to humanize your professional brand and capture attention on the platform. It's not only possible, but it’s becoming an essential part of a modern content strategy. This guide will walk you through exactly how to post a Reel on LinkedIn, why it works so well, and the best practices for creating video content that resonates with a professional audience.

Why Bother Posting Reels to LinkedIn Anyway?

For years, LinkedIn was the home of text-based posts, resumes, and formal company announcements. That landscape has dramatically shifted. Today, the LinkedIn feed is vibrant with visual storytelling, and short-form video is leading the charge. If you’re still on the fence, here’s why you should add vertical videos, or “Reels,” to your LinkedIn content mix.

• It Humanizes Your Brand: Professionals buy from and work with people they know, like, and trust. Short-form video is the fastest way to build that connection. It allows you to showcase your personality, your team's culture, or the real-world impact of your products, moving beyond the polished corporate-speak.
• Increased Engagement and Reach: Like all social platforms, LinkedIn's algorithm prioritizes content that keeps users engaged. Video consistently outperforms static images and text-only posts. Native video - content uploaded directly to the platform - gets a significant boost in the feed, giving your message a better chance of being seen by your network and beyond.
• You Can Explain Complex Ideas Simply: Some concepts are just easier to show than to tell. A 60-second video can demonstrate a software feature, explain an industry trend, or break down a difficult topic more effectively than a 500-word article ever could.
• Stand Out from the Noise: While video is growing on LinkedIn, the platform isn't as saturated as Instagram or TikTok. Posting high-quality, valuable Reels gives you an opportunity to stand out as an authority and an innovator in your space. People remember engaging video more than another block of text.

The Technical Part: A Step-by-Step Guide to Posting Your Reel

First, let’s get a small but important detail out of the way. LinkedIn doesn’t have an official feature named "Reels." When we talk about posting a Reel to LinkedIn, we're talking about uploading a short-form, vertical video (9:16 aspect ratio) that you likely created for Instagram Reels, TikTok, or YouTube Shorts. The process is straightforward, whether you're using your phone or your computer.

Option 1: Posting Directly from the LinkedIn Mobile App

Posting from your phone is the quickest way to get your video live, especially if you’ve just saved it from another app like Instagram or CapCut.

1. Start a New Post: Open the LinkedIn app and tap the Post button in the bottom navigation menu.
2. Add Your Video: From the menu that appears, tap Add media. This will open your phone’s photo and video gallery.
3. Select Your Video File: Navigate to your gallery and select the Reel video file you want to upload. Tap Done or the checkmark icon.
4. Write Your Caption: LinkedIn will take you to the post composer screen, where your video is ready to go. This is where you'll write your post's text. We'll cover what makes a great caption later in this guide.
5. Add Hashtags and Mentions: Type in a few relevant hashtags and use the "@" symbol to tag any people or company pages you mention in your video or caption.
6. Post It: Once you’re happy with your post, tap the Post button in the top right corner. Your video will process and appear on your profile and in your network's feed.

Option 2: Posting from LinkedIn Desktop

Posting from a computer gives you a bit more control and can be easier if you're working with files stored on your desktop.

1. Start a Post: Navigate to LinkedIn.com and click the Start a post box at the top of your feed.
2. Select Media: In the pop-up window, click the Media icon (it looks like a small landscape picture).
3. Upload Your Video: A file explorer window will open. Locate your Reel video file on your computer and select it for upload.
4. Add Important Details: Once uploaded, you'll see a preview. This is where you can write your caption and add hashtags. Desktop offers two extra helpful features:
   • Thumbnail: You can upload a custom thumbnail image. This is a great way to create a more polished look for your video before it starts playing.
   • Accessibility: Click the small pencil icon to add alt-text, which helps screen readers describe your video to visually impaired users.
5. Click Post: After everything looks good, click the Post button to publish it.

Don't Just Repost: Adapt Your Content for a LinkedIn Audience

The single biggest mistake people make is taking a trending video from TikTok and dropping it onto LinkedIn without any changes. LinkedIn is a professional network. While your content should be engaging and authentic, its purpose should align with professional development, industry insights, or business growth. What works on one platform might not land the same way on another.

Content Ideas That Work on LinkedIn

Stuck on what to create? Here are some proven formats that perform exceptionally well on the platform:

• Educational Quick Tips: Share a "how-to" guide or a quick tip related to your expertise. For example, "3 ways to improve your email open rates" or "A 60-second guide to building a pivot table in Excel."
• Behind-the-Scenes Glimpses: Your audience loves to see the human side of business. Show a 'day in the life,' a quick office tour, the process of making your product, or your team preparing for a big event. This builds trust and transparency.
• Industry News & Commentary: Did a major news story break in your field? Use a Reel to share your instant reaction and expert analysis. This positions you as a timely, informed authority.
• Career Advice & Mentorship: Share valuable lessons you've learned throughout your career. Talk about a common mistake people make in your industry or offer advice to those just getting started. It's a great way to give back and build your personal brand.
• Mini Case Studies: Turn a customer win into a quick Reel. Use dynamic text on screen to show the Challenge, the Solution, and the Result. It's a powerful way to provide social proof without a lengthy document.

Production Quality & Best Practices

You don't need a Hollywood budget, but a few simple touches go a long way.

• Subtitles Are Non-Negotiable: The vast majority of LinkedIn users scroll their feed with the sound off, especially in an office environment. If your video doesn't have open captions (burned-in subtitles), your message will be lost. Use an app like CapCut, Captions, or even Instagram's sticker feature to generate them before saving the video.
• Good Light & Clear Sound: Stand facing a window for natural light. Use a simple lavalier microphone or even your phone's earbuds for clearer audio. Muffled sound makes a video feel unprofessional and hard to follow.
• Hook Them in 3 Seconds: The start of your video is everything. Begin with a provocative question, a bold statement, on-screen text that states the video's primary value ("This common mistake is costing you sales..."), or visually interesting B-roll.
• Keep it Concise: While LinkedIn accepts videos up to 10 minutes long, the sweet spot for a "Reel" is between 30 and 90 seconds. Be respectful of people's time and get straight to the point.
• Include a Clear Call-to-Action (CTA): What should the viewer do after watching? End your video with a simple verbal or on-screen prompt like, "What do you think? Let me know in the comments" or "Follow me for more daily marketing tips."

Crafting the Perfect Post: Captions, Hashtags, and Engagement

The video itself is only half the battle. How you package it within the LinkedIn post is just as important for driving reach and starting conversations.

Writing a Compelling LinkedIn Caption

Your caption provides context for the video. Think of it as the introduction that convinces someone to stop scrolling and watch.

• The First Line is a Hook: Only the first couple of lines of your post are visible before a user has to click "see more." Make them count. Pose an intriguing question or summarize the main takeaway from your video.
• Use White Space: Don't write a giant wall of text. Break your caption into short, scannable paragraphs of one or two sentences each. This makes it much easier to read on a mobile device.
• Tell a Story: Your caption can expand on the topic in your video. Share a personal anecdote or provide an extra data point that makes your video even more valuable.
• End with a Question: The easiest way to encourage comments is to ask for them. A simple, "Have you tried this before?" or "What's the best piece of career advice you've ever received?" can kickstart a discussion.

Using Hashtags Strategically

Hashtags on LinkedIn help categorize your content and expose it to users who don't follow you yet. But don't go overboard.

• Be Specific and Relevant: Use 3 to 5 highly relevant hashtags. Avoid a laundry list of 20+ tags like you might on Instagram.
• Combine Broad and Niche Tags: Use one or two broad hashtags (e.g., #leadership, #digitalmarketing) and two or three niche hashtags that are specific to your topic (e.g., #b2bcontent, #projectmanagementtips).
• Create Your Own: Consider creating a branded hashtag for your personal brand or company (e.g., #MarketingWithMaria) to group your content.

Final Thoughts

Adding thoughtfully created short-form videos to your LinkedIn strategy is a surefire way to build your brand, share your expertise, and connect with your audience in a more authentic way. It’s no longer just an option, it's a key part of staying relevant on the world's most important professional network. By following these steps, you can move beyond simply reposting content and start creating videos that truly make an impact.

Here at Postbase, we built our platform for the reality of modern social media, where video is king. Since we designed everything around formats like Reels, Shorts, and TikToks from day one, uploading and scheduling your short-form video content across all your platforms - including LinkedIn - is seamless. Instead of wrestling with tools that treat video as an afterthought, you can plan your entire video calendar visually and trust that it will publish reliably, every time. With Postbase, you get your time back to focus on creating great content.