LinkedIn study reveals how B2B video ads can gain +129% engagement lift
LinkedIn’s Creative Labs released a comprehensive study on B2B video advertising – analyzing more than 13,000 video ads to uncover what actually drives engagement, connection, and business impact.
Driving the views. Video is now the dominant force in B2B content. On LinkedIn, it’s shared 20x more than any other format. But many marketers are still flying blind when it comes to video ad strategy. LinkedIn’s research provides a data-backed roadmap.
The big picture. The report, The Art & Science of Video, makes one thing clear: performance isn’t driven by flashy production or big budgets. It’s driven by creative intent — videos that are emotionally resonant, culturally aware, and strategically crafted consistently outperform the rest.
By the numbers:
- +129% engagement from cinematic, narrative-driven brand videos.
- +103% higher dwell time from short, vertical “real talk” videos.
- +111% more engagement when memes are used in a B2B context.
- +78% lift in engagement when authentic emotion is present.
- 73% of video completions are influenced by how the story is told.
Zoom in. Five key creative drivers of high-performing B2B video ads
- Cultural coding: Top-performing videos reflect the audience’s world – from workplace humor to local references. These cues make content feel relevant, familiar, and harder to scroll past. Videos using memes, for example, saw over 100% more engagement.
- The human touch: Authenticity isn’t a buzzword – it’s a performance lever. Ads featuring unscripted moments, real employees, or founders speaking directly to camera saw stronger performance across all key metrics.
- Expert takes: Effective B2B video ads weren’t corporate or overproduced. They featured named subject matter experts sharing insights in a conversational tone driving a 40% lift in engagement compared to generic, formal delivery.
- Attention hacking: In a mobile-first world, attention is won in the first few seconds. Successful ads used bold visuals, clear sequencing, and mobile-native formats to stay scroll-resistant and thumb-stopping.
- Inspiring imagination: The best ads moved beyond product features to tell emotionally rich stories. These videos helped audiences see themselves in a future state and drove 36% more engagement than function-first content.
Formats that performed. LinkedIn identified two high-performing video formats based on funnel stage:
- Blockbuster brand films: Horizontal, cinematic stories that build top-of-funnel awareness and brand belief (+129% engagement)
- Real talk videos: Vertical, mobile-first clips with real people and real opinions, ideal for driving mid- to lower-funnel action (+103% dwell time)
Why we care. This report provides data-driven insights into what actually drives performance in B2B video ads – not assumptions or trends. With LinkedIn analyzing over 13,000 ads, the findings reveal how specific creative choices like authenticity, cultural relevance, and storytelling can deliver up to +129% higher engagement.
In a landscape where attention is scarce and competition is high, this research offers a clear, actionable blueprint for making video ads more effective and impactful.
Bottom line. LinkedIn’s data shows that high-performing B2B video ads aren’t about production polish – they’re about emotional truth, cultural fluency, and intentional storytelling. As audience expectations evolve, video isn’t just a format. It’s the strategy.
