When it comes to livestreaming destinations, LinkedIn might not jump immediately to mind. But I want to unpack why you might want to consider it and some of the things you’ll need to know about going live on LinkedIn.
Why LinkedIn?
Each livestreaming destination has a different personality and different sensibility. LinkedIn is about work, business and entrepreneurship.
If your content is about your profession, industry, business, product or service, LinkedIn could prove to be a good audience for you.
Going Live on LinkedIn – What are your options?
There are two ways to go live on LinkedIn:
- LinkedIn Live
- Audio Events
LinkedIn Live
LinkedIn Live is LinkedIn’s video livestreaming offering.
You will need to use an external third party tool to go live within LinkedIn (more of that shortly). You can schedule an event ahead of time, or you can go live on your profile.
LinkedIn Live recordings are kept on the platform, unless you choose to delete them afterwards. This way people who couldn’t join you live can catch up later.
LinkedIn Audio Events
LinkedIn Audio Events are live, audio only, events. These aren’t recorded by LinkedIn. (It is possible to record them outside of LinkedIn, but make sure your audience are aware if you are doing this and that they consent.)
You don’t need an external tool to use LinkedIn Audio Events. You can bring listeners on to ask questions and comment, but be mindful of not letting just anybody hijack your audio event.
LinkedIn Live Eligibility Criteria
LinkedIn does have some eligibility criteria you will need to meet. You will need:
- At least 150 followers/connections
- A history of abiding by LinkedIn’s Professional Community Policies
LinkedIn Live is unavailable in China.
You’ll need an external third party tool to stream
LinkedIn doesn’t give you the ability to go live natively. This means you’ll need a third party tool to go live.
LinkedIn’s preferred partners are:
- Restream
- SocialLive
- StreamYard
- Switcher Studio
- Vimeo
LinkedIn also has a collection of LinkedIn Live Certified Partners.
Scheduling an event
While you can go live to your profile at any time, it’s usually a good idea to schedule an event ahead of time.
This way you can:
- Publicise your event ahead of time and build anticipation
- Invite audience members
- Tease some of your content via other post types (text, image, newsletter, etc.)