Following in the footsteps of Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram, LinkedIn recently announced its new live video service, the aptly named LinkedIn Live.
Though the announcement was greeted with enthusiasm by LinkedIn users—many of whom have been clamoring for the platform to include a live feature—most people looking to go live with their connections will have to wait a little bit longer. That’s because, while anyone can watch live videos, only select users in the U.S. are currently able to broadcast their own.
To begin with, LinkedIn will be inviting certain business and influencers to offer up live content, including conferences, earnings calls, and other major presentations. But, even if you’re not one of the lucky few creators who’ve been invited to beta test LinkedIn Live, it’s never too soon to start thinking about how you might use it to grow your business, once the broadcasting feature has been opened up to a wider audience.
Q&A Sessions
Like most other platforms, LinkedIn will allow its live presenters to interact with viewers in real-time, by way of the included chat interface. Given the current rollout among influencers, this means it shouldn’t be long before you have the chance to pick the brains of some of the biggest thought leaders in the world of business.
Assuming the service gets extended to all LinkedIn users in the near future, it’ll also be easier to network with your existing connections. Think about it: when someone boasts hundreds (or even thousands) of LinkedIn connections, it’s not likely that they know all of those people on a personal level. By hosting a live Q&A, there’s a possibility to not only convey your thoughts to your connections—as you would in a blog post or prerecorded video—but to have an actual conversation with many people at once. From there, it’s all about following up and continuing to build those relationships.
Virtual Presentations
According to TechCrunch, LinkedIn plans to broadcast major conferences, as part of its effort to offer up content that’s relevant to its vast network of professional users. If you’re the kind of person who needs to remain plugged in to all the major events in the world of business, that’s exciting all on its own. But there’s also the possibility for smaller companies to leverage this feature.
When your business wants to get the word out about a new product, service, or initiative, there’s real value in having a video service that gives the proverbial floor to one person at a time, but also allows for the audience to chime in with questions and comments. Consider it a press release for the social media age.
Open Houses
If you’re in real estate, you might already be using other social media platforms to give virtual tours of your listings. Since LinkedIn has already suggested that product announcements would have a home on their new live service, it’s not a huge leap to assume that open houses would eventually fall under that category. Better still: considering LinkedIn’s vast network of professional users, LinkedIn Live could be an especially effective way for you to open up commercial properties to investors and developers.
Live Podcasting
Given LinkedIn’s professed interest in showcasing conferences and presentations from influencers, there should definitely be a home for video podcasts on LinkedIn Live. You might broadcast a conversation with a rising star in your field, a mentor, or even a colleague.
Should you end up doing a live podcast on LinkedIn, you’ll want to compel your viewers to spread the word about you to their circle. Because, at the end of the day, the idea is to establish yourself as a trusted resource and grow your own sphere of influence—with the end goal of leveraging relationships and growing your sales.
The Bottom Line
Admittedly, it’s a little early to say for certain which approaches will work best on LinkedIn Live, seeing as the service is just getting started. These are just a few of the strategies that might work well, once broadcasting is opened up to a wider LinkedIn user base.
In the meantime, make sure you’re tuning in to a wide range of videos on LinkedIn Live. See what other people are doing, so that you can both build on their successful strategies and figure out what you can do to set yourself apart. Then, when the time comes for you to go live, you’ll be better prepared to get the most out of your efforts.
