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Professionals from all industries and businesses use LinkedIn to to showcase themselves, their ideas, and their companies, making it one of the top networking platforms. LinkedIn Live, a new feature the platform rolled out in 2019, allows users to broadcast video directly to their LinkedIn connections.
To get started, you’ll need to apply to become a LinkedIn Live broadcaster by submitting an application. You’ll also need a subscription to a third-part broadcasting tool. Here are few of our favorite options:
Making the most of LinkedIn’s live stream feature
While live-streaming personal events will always garner some attention, there are practical and professional uses to this streaming service as part of your marketing plan:
- Host virtual events
- Connect with users
- Make announcements
- Recruit team members
- Answer questions/demonstrate knowledge
All of which could take your business’s LinkedIn presence to the next level.
1. Host virtual events
A virtual event serves the same purpose as a live event, except it’s (obviously) hosted entirely online. Putting together a virtual event is a quick and cost-efficient way to draw the eyes of your target audience to your business. You could host one to launch a new product, introduce a change to the company, or even just to stay at the front of everyone’s minds. If your business or company has a hand in philanthropy, you could go live and host a donation event on your LinkedIn account as well!
2. Connect with users
Understanding your customers’ demands and establishing a bond of trust with your viewers are incredibly important when considering whether to go live. Know your audience and analyze what topics they consider crucial – And then stick to those topics!
Understanding the Customer’s Demand
The wants and needs of the consumer come and go with the wind. But if you stay connected with your target audience on LinkedIn, you might find out that offering particular products that fit their needs could increase your demand. Stay relevant as a supplier, by staying connected and keeping track of the conversations revolving around your product and industry.
Establishing a Bond of Trust
It’s not unusual for a customer to do their research before they break out their wallet. It’s smart to look at reviews and see what other people are saying about a particular product or service. However, for all of our Googling, nothing can quite compare to good, old-fashioned, word of mouth referrals or recommendations. Hearing someone say that they’re a trustworthy provider is a lot more convincing than reading it from a screen. Capitalize on that momentum by streaming live to your LinkedIn account and create a level of transparency with your followers.
3. Make announcements
Are you making changes to your company procedures? Or maybe you want to debut an exciting new product or feature? Don’t waste time finding a venue and planning an in-person gathering, which might not even be possible currently. Just stream live to your account and provide up-to-date information on what’s happening with your company as it happens.
4. Recruit team members
Taking on projects and expanding your business will be a lot easier when you start recruiting on LinkedIn Live. stream directly to your account and tell your viewers what kind of people you’re looking for and why. We suggest you have a second device handy to better read and respond to your comments as people begin to offer their services.
5. Showcase your expertise
People are more likely to do business with someone who knows what they’re doing. That’s why there’s value in a company being established for a certain amount of time or receiving formal recognition. So show your LinkedIn audience that you know what you’re doing; go live and answer some of your frequently asked questions, or give a quick demonstration of your product and services. It’s a good way to engage your audience while establishing that you’re an authority in your industry.
Overall, using LinkedIn Live to your advantage isn’t a bad idea if your company is looking for a way to stand apart from the crowd. Whether you’re creating a speaker series, hosting a town hall Q&A or just making some announcements, keeping things fresh and lively will help keep your company front-of-mind!
Read our Guide to Going Live on LinkedIn for even more information on how to use this new feature!
