LinkedIn Live: How to Use This Video Feature to Captivate Your Audience

Key Takeaways

• LinkedIn Live is a powerful tool for marketers to connect with their audience in real-time and build relationships.
• With its interactive capabilities and professional atmosphere, LinkedIn Live is an excellent platform for hosting webinars, product demos, interviews, and other engaging content.
• To create successful LinkedIn Live videos, marketers should focus on choosing relevant topics, engaging with viewers, optimizing their setup, and promoting their broadcasts effectively.

In the competitive world of social media marketing, standing out from the crowd can be challenging. Enter LinkedIn Live, a game-changing feature that allows you to connect with your community in real-time, all while maintaining a professional demeanor. With its interactive capabilities and professional atmosphere, LinkedIn Live is a marketer’s dream come true.

Steps to Get Started with LinkedIn Live:

1. Secure Your Devices: Before you embark on your streaming journey, ensure you have two devices ready: one for streaming the video and another for monitoring live comments. This setup ensures you can engage with your audience while delivering high-quality content.
2. Choose a Broadcasting Tool: Next, select a third-party broadcasting tool to create your video. Socialive and S admisicher Studio are excellent options for beginners, offering user-friendly interfaces and seamless integration with LinkedIn.
3. Authenticate and Sync: Connect your chosen tool with your LinkedIn account and sync it with the device you’ll be streaming from. This step ensures a seamless connection between your broadcasting tool and LinkedIn.
4. Test Your Connection: Ensure your internet connection is up to the task. Aim for an upload speed of at least 3 Mbps for smooth streaming. Use a tool like speedtest.net to check your speed. If your signal is weak, consider connecting an ethernet cable for a more stable connection.
5. Recruit a Backup: Managing live comments while speaking can be overwhelming. Ask a colleague to log in to LinkedIn and monitor your stream. They’ll receive a notification when you start streaming and can find your video under the ‘Recent Activity’ tab on your Page. If it doesn’t work, ask your partner to refresh their browser.
6. Engage Your Viewers: As you stream, engage with your viewers by liking and replying to their comments. This interaction not only shows you’re listening but also encourages them to participate more actively. If possible, have your colleague answer the comments or jot down the best questions for you to address later.
7. Optimize Your Setup: Beyond a stable internet connection, consider other technical details. Ensure you have bright, natural lighting, position your camera at a comfortable distance (use a tripod for stability), and choose the highest camera quality available. For audio, do a soundcheck before going live. Finally, maintain good body language: look into the camera, smile, and relax. Keep your surroundings clean and professional, with subtle branding elements like a mug with your company logo.

Best Practices for Engaging LinkedIn Live Videos:

1. Choose a Relevant Topic: To create engaging content, know your audience. LinkedIn’s audience is primarily composed of educated, business-oriented individuals, along with students and hospitality workers. Choose topics that align with their interests and relate to your brand. LinkedIn’s monthly Trending Content blog posts offer valuable inspiration.
2. Unique Content for LinkedIn: While you can share videos across platforms, don’t simply post the same content everywhere. Craft original content specifically for LinkedIn—topics you wouldn’t cover elsewhere. This shows your commitment to the platform and provides your audience with unique value.
3. Plan and Promote: Consistency is key. Plan to stream daily, weekly, or monthly at specific times. This helps your followers know when to expect your awesome videos. Consider creating a recurring show, like Andre Iguodala’s #LinkedInSpeakerSeries.
4. Cross-Promote: Give yourself ample time to promote your live broadcast. Tease your community across multiple platforms, including social media, your website, and newsletter. Adapt your tone and voice to each platform for maximum impact.
5. Mobilize Your LinkedIn Community: Promote your live broadcast on LinkedIn as well. Invite employees, followers, and connections to follow your profile or Page so they receive notifications when you go live. Schedule posts in the lead-up to your stream to build anticipation. Include guest speaker tags (if applicable) and relevant hashtags.
6. Practice Makes Perfect: Things can go wrong, especially with live video. Avoid mishaps by rehearsing thoroughly before you go live. If presenting solo, list key points. If you have a guest speaker, send them your questions in advance. Organize a practice run to boost confidence.
7. Authenticity Over Perfection: While practice is essential, don’t overdo it. Social media videos thrive on authenticity. Don’t memorize your script word-for-word; let your delivery be more natural and engaging.
8. Longer Is Better: With live video, it takes time for viewers to tune in and interact. Stream for at least 10-15 minutes to give people time to settle in.
9. Repeat Your Points: Not everyone will catch the beginning of your video. Introduce your talking points several times throughout the stream to ensure everyone is up to speed.
10. Write a Compelling Description: Accompany your video with a short description while streaming. LinkedIn truncates most of your description in search, so front-load it with essential information. Include keywords and speaker names above the fold. Use the rest of the description for hashtags, takeaways, helpful links, or video highlights.
11. Include a Strong CTA: End your description with a clear and compelling call-to-action. Use language that encourages viewers to take your desired action, such as subscribing, following, or visiting your website.
12. Optimize Your LinkedIn Presence: A great video can drive traffic. Ensure your LinkedIn presence is ready for it. As an individual, have a professional headshot, updated work experience, and an informative headline. As a business, complete your Page with strong profile and banner images, an engaging ‘About Us’ section, and relevant keywords.

Ideas for Engaging LinkedIn Live Videos:

• Host a Fireside Chat: Fireside chats are intimate conversations or presentations. They can be effective lead generation strategies. For individuals, showcase your expertise by discussing relevant topics. Businesses can invite employees or guest speakers to lead the conversation.
• Live-Stream an Event: Hosting a conference, giving a talk, or attending a workshop? Live-stream it on LinkedIn. Field questions from the audience in real-time. You can also share key takeaways and conduct on-site interviews.
• Demo or Introduce a New Product: Businesses can use LinkedIn Live to introduce new products or services. Walk viewers through your offering step-by-step and answer questions via the live commenting feature.
• Share Big Announcements: LinkedIn Live is an excellent platform to share important news. Welcome new team members, promote job openings, highlight partnerships, and more.
• Interview an Expert: Q&A sessions with industry experts are popular on LinkedIn. Demonstrate your authority by inviting experts to share their insights. This can also help you promote your professional services to their audience.
• Host an AMA: Ask-Me-Anything (AMA) sessions follow a simple Q&A format. Viewers ask the questions, making them highly engaging. AMAs can attract a large audience but be prepared to handle uncomfortable questions or negative feedback gracefully.
• Discuss Industry News: Sharing industry trends is a great way to showcase your expertise. Offer weekly or monthly roundups of relevant news, weigh in on controversial topics, point out upcoming events, and more.
• Go Behind the Scene: Personal, unpolished behind-the-scenes videos humanize your business and offer viewers an exclusive look. Brian Schulman’s LinkedIn Live video giving an inside look at MusicFest 2019 is a great example.
• Seasonal and Holiday Trends: Try to be seasonal with your content. Holiday videos can reach new viewers and add a fun element to your LinkedIn presence. Just ensure they’re relevant and offer value.

Bonus: 5 Tips for Engaging LinkedIn Live Videos:

1. Start Strong: Grab your viewers’ attention within the first few minutes. Use an engaging intro, an intriguing story, or a surprising statistic.
2. Visual Appeal: Use visuals to enhance your presentation. Display slides, share videos, or use images to illustrate your points.
3. Interact with Your Audience: Don’t just talk at your viewers; talk with them. Ask questions, respond to comments, and encourage participation.
4. Be Yourself: People can tell when you’re being fake. Be authentic and genuine, and your audience will connect with you more.
5. Have Fun: LinkedIn Live is a great platform to share your expertise and connect with your audience. So relax, have fun, and enjoy the experience.

With these tips and ideas, you can create engaging and informative LinkedIn Live videos that will help you connect with your audience, build relationships, and achieve your business goals.

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