LinkedIn has introduced average watch time tracking for video creators, expanding its suite of analytics tools amid broader platform updates. 

The professional networking site now provides three key metrics to creators: video views, total watch time, and average watch time. 

As LinkedIn VP of Product Gyanda Sachdeva tells Digiday, the platform defines a video view as “two or more continuous seconds of playback while a video is at least 50% visible onscreen.”

The development comes as content creators are increasingly turning to LinkedIn as their platform of choice, with around 250 of them increasing their LinkedIn activity over the past year and just as many planning to do so in 2025, according to research from creator agency Billion Dollar Boy.

Early Data Shows Extended Engagement 

Initial findings from content creators suggest promising watch duration rates on LinkedIn compared to other platforms. 

In a cross-platform test, creator Terry Rice reports average watch times of 22 seconds on LinkedIn versus 20 seconds on Instagram and 5.3 seconds on TikTok for identical video content. 

“This can impact how much brands are willing to pay a creator,” Rice explains to Digiday. “Sure, they may reach 500,000 with a video, but if the average watch time is 3 seconds, they aren’t effectively getting their message across.”

Platform Differentiates Through Professional Demographics 

LinkedIn’s algorithm prioritizes content from users’ professional networks while gradually introducing unconnected content based on engagement patterns. 

“For connected content, we do have look-back windows that are further out so that people don’t miss out on the content from their network,” Sachdeva states. “What we’ve noticed with video is that a lot of this content is not necessarily just relevant for today or this week; it’s evergreen.”

In January 2025, creator Gigi Robinson told Digiday that her video content focusing on creator economy news generated over 52 million impressions. 

The platform considers short-form videos to be under two minutes in length, though this is not a formal definition. Recent updates include improved video search functionality and full-screen vertical video capability for desktop users.

Some creators identify areas for improvement in the new features. The average watch time metric currently requires navigation to individual video analytics pages, limiting creators’ ability to efficiently compare performance across multiple videos. The platform maintains discretion regarding specific algorithmic factors affecting video performance, such as optimal length and posting times.

Sam Saideman, CEO of influencer marketing agency Innovo and LinkedIn content creator, points to the platform’s unique position for reaching business decision-makers. 

“This is an easier way to reach the decision-makers than anything else,” he notes. “Their email inbox is getting 500 emails a day of pitches, but I bet they’re not getting tagged in more than three things a week on LinkedIn.”

Sachdeva indicated that while the primary goal of providing enhanced metrics is to inform creators, LinkedIn begins to explore the implications for marketers.