There are many marketing channels out there, but your time and resources are limited. Is LinkedIn Live worth adding to the mix? We think so.
Here is a quick rundown of what LinkedIn Live is, the top three LinkedIn Live benefits, and a few marketing ideas to help you get started.
What is LinkedIn Live, and who can use it?
LinkedIn Live is a free streaming feature that allows users to live stream from their LinkedIn profile. The live streaming platform has since LinkedIn introduced it in February 2019, offering some great benefits to users.
A LinkedIn account must meet a number of criteria to be eligible for live streaming. For example, the member (or page) has to have at least 150 followers (or connections), recent shares of original content, and a good record of following LinkedIn’s policies.
Members and pages must first apply and get approved to access live streaming on LinkedIn. Then, to start streaming, users have a few options to choose from: either stream using a third-party tool (such as StreamYard, Restream, or Switcher Studio) or set up custom RTMP streaming using an encoder.
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The benefits of LinkedIn Live
It’s no secret that live video helps build deeper connections with audiences and drives higher engagement than VOD content. For example, LinkedIn reports that, on average, live video gets seven times more reactions and 24 times more comments than native video.
That said, many other platforms offer live streaming. So why use LinkedIn Live specifically?
Professional credibility
What sets LinkedIn Live apart from the rest is its professional context. By streaming using your real identity or company’s LinkedIn page, viewers are more likely to regard your content as trustworthy. Case in point, LinkedIn was ranked the most trusted social media platform.
For similar reasons, engagement on LinkedIn also tends to be better. The lack of anonymity discourages things like negative comments and trolling, and encourages a more meaningful discussion.
High-precision audience targeting
Another major benefit of using LinkedIn Live is that it exposes your content to LinkedIn’s largely professional user base. For B2B marketers especially, this can mean a big improvement in lead quality compared to other social media and live streaming platforms, where audiences are often more general.
One-stop shop for virtual events
LinkedIn Events is another free LinkedIn feature that gives you the tools to create, manage, and host fully virtual events. LinkedIn Events offers the tools to help you stimulate engagement and networking before, during, and after the event; capture attendee emails; and receive detailed post-event analytics.
Recently, LinkedIn integrated LinkedIn Live with LinkedIn Events. Now you can run a virtual event and live stream to your attendees all in one place (before you could only stream to LinkedIn Events using third-party tools). This creates a more seamless virtual event experience for you and your audience.
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Learn how Microsoft used Epiphan Connect to elevate its all-hands event into an engaging video experience.
Watch videoLinkedIn Live marketing ideas
As you can see, LinkedIn Live has a lot to offer. But how do you start reaping its benefits? Here are a few ideas to help you get the most out of LinkedIn Live.
Experiment with live formats
There’s a variety of formats suited to LinkedIn Live. You can use the live platform to showcase thought leadership and innovation, demonstrate knowledge, stream events and celebratory moments, and more. Here are just a few format examples:
- Q&A sessions and interviews
- Fireside chats and panels
- Product demo and product launches
- Big events or celebrations
- Keynotes, panels, or presentations
By experimenting with different topics and formats and analyzing key metrics, you can learn more about your audience’s preferences. Keep in mind that professionally oriented content works best.
LinkedIn Live in action
Here are a few notable examples of organizations that have used LinkedIn Live to great success:
- In 2019, MIT streamed their commencement ceremonies for bachelor’s and master’s candidates, gathering thousands of reactions and comments.
- Microsoft streamed CEO Satya Nadella’s keynote at its premier developer conference, attracting lots of live interactions in the comments section.
- Hootsuite leveraged LinkedIn Live to showcase career opportunities with their sales team.
Take advantage of the integration with LinkedIn Events
Consider running your next virtual event on LinkedIn Events, leveraging LinkedIn Live to enhance interactivity and networking. Together, LinkedIn Events and Live can provide a more integrated experience for you and your audience, and here’s why.
- You’ll have all your professional connections in one place, making it easier to invite attendees (compared to using external virtual event platforms).
- LinkedIn algorithms prioritize Events in the newsfeed, so your event will benefit from enhanced discoverability.
- You’ll be able to take advantage of all the aforementioned features including better networking, lead generation, and detailed analytics.
Consider series-based content
Content series are effective because they teach your audience to tune into your page at a specific time (meaning you can spend less time on marketing). As Marissa Kraines, Director of Social and Content Marketing at Salesforce, puts it in a case study by LinkedIn:
“Don’t consider a one-off as your first LinkedIn Live. Have a game plan that consists of at least five pieces of content. That way, you can test and look at results against each other, and you can create something based on those learnings that’s even more meaningful for your audience.”
Repurpose your live content
One way to extend the life of your live video is to share it as VOD content. You can also edit down a highlight reel or short clips with bite-sized quotes for easy sharing to attract even more eyeballs. Another option is to adapt your video content into a blog post or a series of posts.
Make your mark on LinkedIn Live
Live broadcasting on a professional social network calls for professional-level equipment. You can trust Pearl-2, Pearl Mini, and Pearl Nano hardware encoders to flawlessly deliver your live content to viewers.
Check out our product pages to learn how a Pearl system can elevate your live streaming on LinkedIn Live and beyond.
This post was originally published on July 1, 2019. It’s been updated on Jan 4, 2022 to reflect the most recent updates to LinkedIn Live.
