LinkedIn has recently announced a new feature for the business-focused social media platform…. That’s right Live Streaming. As of early February 2019, LinkedIn will be rolling out Live Streaming as an invite-only BETA feature for USA users. If you haven’t already been invited to be part of the LinkedIn Live roll for the invite-only beta phase, you will be able to apply for access to the service in the coming months.

So, how are businesses, brands, and individuals going to start using LinkedIn Live? Well, LinkedIn has mentioned that they hope users will broadcast content that falls in line with the business-related content that is already popular on the platform. This could include live conferences, product announcements, Q&A sessions, and other office hours events. On a scale from Facebook Selfie Streams to LinkedIn Live content, you can bet that LinkedIn live streams will make a name for itself by catering toward business-related interests.

So we would love to share some of the ways our business is preparing to use LinkedIn Live.

1. First of all, we plan to create specific content for LinkedIn. It would be a mistake to live stream the same content you are planning for YouTube and Facebook to LinkedIn. As social media platforms release new features like this there are often many misconceptions with about the proper use. One of the best tips we have learned about live streaming over the past 5 years is the power of creating platform-specific content. Everyone knows that LinkedIn members moderate the content they find on their newsfeed. If your content is not business related you are sure to hear about it in the comments. Listen to the feedback you get in your contents comments and always strive to improve your approach based on user feedback.

1. LinkedIn is known as an online resume for business professionals and the most likely viewers of your LinkedIn live streams will be your professional connections. This network includes your co-workers, people you used to work with and prospective clients. With this in mind, your LinkedIn live streams should remain professional and business oriented. As you can see at our office, we have built a professional live streaming studio that allows us to create presentations in a professional space.
2. If you are used to live streaming on YouTube and Facebook, you are going to have a huge leg up on your competition when it comes to preparing to go live. If you are waiting for access to LinkedIn Live, consider using Facebook and YouTube as a practice space. While you may have had success with a laid-back, impromptu live stream on traditional social media platforms, you will want to put your best foot forward on a platform like LinkedIn Live. Think about preparing for a LinkedIn live session the same way that you would for a professional interview.
3. LinkedIn has yet to release a list of rules and best practices for live streaming on the platform. We predict the rules will fall in line with what you find on Facebook and YouTube with an error on the side of professionalism. As you may know, Facebook requests that users DO NOT live stream to multiple platforms at the same time. Facebook wants your content to be exclusive to their network. We expect LinkedIn to have similar requirements but more active enforcement of the rules. If you have broken some of Facebook or YouTube’s guidelines without repercussions don’t expect to get away with breaking the rules on LinkedIn. With a platform as powerful as LinkedIn for live streaming, you don’t want to have your live streaming privileges revoked…
4. LinkedIn is a place where users highly regard their profile accuracy and business reputation. Unlike, YouTube and Facebook which suffers from large amounts of fake accounts and sometimes unaccountable activity, LinkedIn’s community and established culture will lead to a higher level of quality and accountability. With this in mind, you want to make sure that your content is highly produced and effective in telling your story in a professional way. Remember, time is money and the users on LinkedIn are all aware of that as business professionals.
5. Short videos are already performing extremely well on the LinkedIn platform. Facebook has publicly stated that viewers on the platform spend on average up to 3 times more time watching live content versus pre-recorded on-demand videos. With this in mind, consider how you can incorporate live viewer engagement on your LinkedIn live streams. Do not make the mistake of ignoring your live audience. Consider addressing live comments and recognizing your audience by name. Remember that the people commenting on your LinkedIn live stream are part of your business network and may be important partners and/or prospects for your business.
6. When was the last time that you updated your LinkedIn profile page? When you go live on the platform, consider keeping your branding consistent. LinkedIn Live streaming will likely be available for both individuals and business pages. You should keep your business page, updated and consistent with your companies branding. Your live streams should be no different. Consider your ability to share your live streams with relevant business pages, groups, and like-minded individuals. It’s time to take LinkedIn off the back burner and schedule a meeting with your social media team to think about how you can take full advantage of the platform.
7. If your company is not prepared to create professional live video content that is in line with your corporate branding, consider creating a dedicated space in your office for this purpose. As you can see in our live streaming studio, we have the ability to live stream to YouTube for professional webinars, Facebook to dedicated social media related content, and soon LinkedIn for professional business updates. An investment in live streaming equipment is an investment in your entire business. From sales to marketing, and beyond, don’t get left behind as the final social media giant LinkedIn joins Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and more…
8. So where do you go from here? If you are thinking about building a live streaming studio in your office, download our free guide here. If you are considering live streaming a major conference or product release we have a guide on that as well Conference Streaming. Finally, if you want to learn about our strategy for live streaming you can download our Ultimate Guide to Live Streaming for free at the link below.
9. 10. Have fun. And enjoy your success. Feel free to reach out to our team directly OR leave a comment below and let us know what you think about LinkedIn Live…

Sincerely,

Paul Richards + Michael Luttermoser + Tess Protesto

Email me a question @ [email protected]