how to get your executives on camera in 2025

Have you seen this guy?

Well, unless you’ve been living under a rock and avoided LinkedIn for the last 6-12 months… you’ve definitely seen him.

Adam has pretty much cracked the “founder talking video content” code on LinkedIn and it’s resulted in his startup, RB2B reaching $3M ARR in a matter of months.

He’s one of the now many executives that’s realised the power of posting talking head videos on LinkedIn and what it can drive from a pipeline and brand awareness perspective.

I mean, I say “many” but in reality… there’s still so few company executives and founders that are:

A) Posting on LinkedIn.

And…

B) Posting video content on LinkedIn.

But recently, I’ve had a lot of messages from marketers asking me how they can get their execs on camera for thought leadership content next year… so I thought I’d make that the focus for this weeks newsletter.

1. “How do I convince my founder to create video content for LinkedIn?”

The big question!

Here’s the reality: even if you streamline production and remove all possible friction (which I’ll cover shortly), if someone simply doesn’t want to be on camera, you’re unlikely to convince them otherwise.

The first step, then, is to identify someone in your company who genuinely wants—or is at least willing—to be on camera. Ideally, this is the founder or a key executive, but it’s far better to feature a non-exec who’s comfortable and engaging on camera than an exec who dislikes it.

Once you’ve found the right person, having a seamless production process is essential. A smooth setup not only gets them on board but helps keep them enthusiastic about creating video content over time.

Let’s dive into how to set up that process in the next section.

2. How to create a practical, low-lift video production system.

If you want your execs to consistently show up on video, make it easy for them.

This means creating a system that requires minimal time and effort from them.

The most effective way to do this (and how we handle it at Sway) is by running structured video interviews.

This interview could take the form of a video podcast, allowing for a more casual conversation flow, or a focused interview with well-defined talking points. Either way, a 45-minute to 1-hour interview can yield 10–20 short videos—enough for a month’s worth of content.

When setting up, remember: do not overthink it.

Yes, it’s important for execs to look good on camera, but you don’t need a full production crew to achieve this. Here’s a streamlined setup we recommend:

• Camera: iPhone 15 (or newer)

• Lighting: Neewer Ring Light

• Microphone: Lapel mic or Shure MV7 (for a podcast feel)

• Background Light: Optional (find an easy-to-use model)

Here's how this setup looks for one of our clients:

Can you upgrade this setup? Absolutely.

But is it practical or sustainable for busy execs? In our experience, no.

Most execs work remotely and need a straightforward setup they can turn on and off easily. They won’t want to fuss with a DSLR or complicated gear.

When the setup is simple, execs are also more likely to create video content independently, without needing extra support.

Takeaway: Keep it simple. One structured video interview each month using an iPhone and a streamlined setup (with polished editing) can produce a steady stream of impactful video content.

3. How to pick content topics.

There are three main content buckets to focus on for executive videos:

• Industry Insights

• Product Deep Dives

• Customer Success Stories

Industry Insights: If your executive has deep expertise and a strong grasp of the industry, focus on this content angle. During interviews, ask questions that draw out their boldest insights and opinions on industry trends, and how your company’s vision and solutions fit into the market landscape.

Product Deep Dives: This approach works well for product launches or feature updates. It allows you to capture clips of the executive explaining key features, core use cases, and the unique value of the product. These clips can then be turned into ad creative for your paid campaigns.

Customer Success Stories: These videos perform especially well on LinkedIn. They show an executive or founder sharing how they helped a client (even anonymously) make a meaningful transformation or solve a complex problem. Real-world stories and scenarios work really well on LinkedIn. They’re a lot more actionable for the audience vs general advice content posts.

Thanks for reading this edition of the Video First Newsletter!

Next week I’ll be dropping a full roadmap breakdown for how to plan your 2025 video strategy. It’ll be super in-depth… stay tuned and don’t miss it :)

- Joe, Co-Founder of Sway (video agency for SaaS)