Going Live on LinkedIn- Top Tips

Video has become an essential part of an effective LinkedIn marketing strategy, and going Live is a free and effective tool - right there for the taking. 

I was determined to master going Live on LinkedIn, and you can too.

Get ready to grab your audience share via on LinkedIn.  Here's some tips that I wish I knew when starting out.

LinkedIn Live Popularity

LinkedIn Lives are on the rise. While LinkedIn hasn’t shared any recent stats, it's evident that scheduled and impromptu LinkedIn Lives are becoming more common. New features are being added to enhance the user experience, so it’s easier than ever to engage with your audience in real-time.

Why go live on LinkedIn? 

There are great benefits to daring to go live. Here’s what matters to me;

• Networking

I find it really stirs up people that I might not have spoken to for a while. It also draws out those that are interested in the topic, so you have the benefit of reaching an audience where your topic is resonating, right now.

I find that I have people joining my LinkedIn Lives that I've not met before. If I think that I can add value, we might connect afterwards. I find that if my new connection has learned something from what I’ve shared in my Live -  they're usually pretty keen to chat.

• Thought Leadership

It's a great way to not only demonstrate knowledge, but give knowledge to people. That’s important because then they can really understand the value you can bring to a professional relationship. 

Note - You might like to check out my Live ‘Mastering Thought Leadership on LinkedIn’

Branding

It's fantastic for your personal brand AND your company brand.

Crafting Your Strategy

Before you hit that "Go Live" button, consider your target audience, their challenges, and what they expect from your session. 

• Who are they?
• What’s their greatest challenge?
• Why are they attending?
• What are their expectations?

Craft an agenda that keeps participants engaged and delivers value throughout.

One thing I've found is that by adding value, and making the Live itself short and to the point, I get people who join and, importantly, stay for the duration.

Setting Up Your Event

Decide whether to go live through your personal profile or company page. Each has its perks, so choose wisely based on your goals. 

Via your personal profile you CANNOT add a registration form. 

Whereas if you put the LinkedIn Live through your company page, (150 followers required)  you CAN choose to add one.

You will have the option for them to opt in so that you can communicate afterwards. 

TAKEAWAY: If building an email database is important to you, you’re likely to prefer a company page LinkedIn Live.  

Audio Events v’s LinkedIn Lives

I mentioned LinkedIn audio events, and there are some really key differences between these and a Live.

• As an attendee to an audio event- your host can invite you to speak. 
• You also do not need to use a third party streaming tool. 
• The audio event is not saved on LinkedIn and cannot be replayed, whereas a Live can.

Banners

Don't forget to create an engaging banner image and add a registration form if you choose to use one of those. (You’ll need a link to your website’s privacy policy as well for that.)

Embrace the Tools

Third-party broadcasting tools like StreamYard are your allies for smooth LinkedIn Live sessions. Familiarise yourself with the platform, test your setup, and ensure everything is in place before going live.

Promote, Engage, Repeat

Promotion is key to a successful LinkedIn Live. 

• Utilise LinkedIn's built-in tools to invite connections. 
• Share your event in groups.
• Spread the word via email newsletters and posts. 

Then…phew... breathe a sigh of relief that it’s over.

Except, it isn’t over!

Engagement doesn't end when the live session does. Respond to comments, nurture connections, and analyse your event's performance for future improvements.

And some final tips;

• After the Live itself the video becomes available on demand,  make sure to answer and follow up on any comments. 
• You can go in and ‘trim’ the Live video on LI afterwards. Eliminate any preamble at the start perhaps, so that future viewers go in straight to the good stuff. 
• There is a lot of post-event engagement. I can see all of the attendees, but in fact, anybody who clicks attend to your event can see who else attended. So it becomes a networking opportunity beyond the Live itself. If you are attending a Live as a viewer, look out for opportunities to connect.
• There's also pretty good analytics. So you can see demographics, understand who and which demographics have been interested in this topic the most- helping to form your content strategy going forward
• Reuse your Live content- make it into snippets for posts, use it on other platforms. (LinkedIn short format video is coming soon- check out my live all about that)

Last of all…

Take the plunge, it’s worth it. Once you are familiar with the practicalities, your confidence will grow - as will your audience!

Good luck! Let me know when you are going live so I can tune in!

My Next Live; Mastering Thought Leadership on LinkedIn, 23rd April 8AM GMT

Are you looking to harness the power of thought leadership?

In this short LinkedIn live, you'll be learn how to;

• Build and nurture an engaged following of prospects, peers, and influencers
• Leverage LinkedIn's features to amplify your content and attract a loyal audience
• Be professionally relevant while still having a personality

Join us to elevate your personal and professional brand to influence others on LinkedIn..

You can watch my past LinkedIn Lives here;

TikTok-Style Video on LinkedIn, interview with expert Katy Howell

29th Feb 4PM GMT - LI Lead nurturing techniques

1st Feb 8AM GMT - Launching a LinkedIn Newsletter

December 2023; Why did these posts do so well? End of 2023 ALGO ROUNDUP!

November 2023; Sales Navigator Showcase: The Best & Newest Features

November 2023; LinkedIn Mastermind Session - Book more meetings

October 2023; LinkedIn Mastermind Session: Posts that go viral

Follow me on LinkedIn

Laura Hannan is Co Founder of Pitch121, a LinkedIn Profile Management Service making you the obvious choice for your clients, prospects and partners.

The Profile Based Marketing Academy from Laura Hannan is designed to help you stay on top of LinkedIn. Keeping you updated with everything you need to know to leverage LinkedIn for sales and marketing.