Live streaming on LinkedIn is a great way to engage with your professional network and share content in real time. With LinkedIn Live, you can broadcast video broadcasts to your connections, company followers, and beyond. It’s an effective tool for thought leadership, events, presentations, Q&As, and more. However, managing a successful live stream requires some planning and effort. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know to effectively manage live streams on LinkedIn.
Preparing for Your Live Stream
Before you go live, there are a few key steps to take to ensure your broadcast runs smoothly:
Choose Your Streaming Software
You’ll need streaming software to interface with LinkedIn Live and broadcast your video feed. Some popular options include:
– OBS Studio (Open Broadcaster Software) – Free and open source software for live streaming and recording. Provides powerful features with some complexity.
– StreamYard – Browser-based streaming studio allowing you to manage overlays, guests, screen sharing and more. Free tier available.
– Wirecast – Paid software from Telestream offering advanced switching, graphics, remote guests and more.
– Switcher Studio – Mobile live streaming production app for iOS. Lets you pull in camera feeds, audio, graphics and more.
Take some time to test the software and get comfortable with it before your live event. Consider investing in a web video camera if you don’t already have one.
Create Engaging Titles and Descriptions
Just like with any other LinkedIn post, you’ll want to craft compelling titles and descriptions for your live streams. This helps attract your target audience and builds interest in the broadcast.
Aim for titles that are 60 characters or less, conversational and highlight the main talking points. For example “Live Q&A: Breaking into the Data Science Field.”
In the description, include key details like subjects you’ll cover, guest names, timing, and how to submit questions. Let viewers know what to expect and why they should tune in live.
Promote the Stream in Advance
Don’t wait until you go live to start promoting your stream. Begin building buzz several days or weeks in advance across your other LinkedIn content. Here are some tips:
– Share posts about the topic you’ll cover and mention the upcoming stream.
– Use LinkedIn Events to create an Event page and invite your network.
– Post on your Company Page about the live stream.
– Run LinkedIn Text Ads targeting your ideal viewers.
– Send messages to key connections asking them to tune in.
– Share on other social media channels.
– Add details to your LinkedIn profile.
This helps ensure you have an engaged audience for launch time. Continue promoting even an hour or so before you go live.
Prepare Your Streaming Space
Choose a quiet, distraction-free area to broadcast from with proper lighting. For talking head streams, set up some backdrops or virtual backgrounds to look more professional. Make sure your internet connection is strong.
Test your audio and video feed ahead of time. Check camera framing, audio levels and lighting. Have water handy and notes on what you want to cover.
Check LinkedIn Live Requirements
To go live on LinkedIn, you’ll need:
– A LinkedIn account in good standing. Personal profiles need at least 150 connections. Business pages should have at least 100 followers.
– The LinkedIn mobile app installed on your streaming device. You can only stream directly from the LinkedIn app.
– To be in a country where LinkedIn Live is available. As of 2022, that includes most major countries.
– To pass LinkedIn’s content publishing guidelines. Streams can’t include prohibited content.
Meet these requirements early so you’re ready for streaming day.
Starting Your Live Stream
When event time arrives, here are the steps to launch your live broadcast on LinkedIn:
Open the LinkedIn App and Tap “Go Live”
On iOS, the “Go Live” button is at the top of your feed. On Android, tap the “Write post” icon and select “Go Live.” You may need to update your LinkedIn app to the latest version.
Enter Stream Details
Next, LinkedIn will prompt you to enter a title, description and visibility options for your video. Try to reuse the title and details you prepared earlier to maintain consistency.
Under visibility, choose to share with your connections, company followers or the public depending on your goals.
Agree to LinkedIn’s Terms
You’ll need to agree to LinkedIn’s Live Terms of Service to continue. This covers things like not sharing prohibited, explicit or infringing content.
Switch to Your Broadcasting Software
Once those steps are done in the LinkedIn app, you’ll switch over to your third-party streaming software to manage the actual broadcast. Most software lets you pull in your device camera, audio, graphics and more to compose your stream.
Follow any setup steps in your software to detect your webcam and audio devices and configure your broadcast sources.
Go Live
When ready, initiate the live broadcast from your software. There will typically be a “Go Live” button or command. At this point your stream will be live on LinkedIn for your followers to view in real-time. Now just focus on delivering great content!
Many streaming apps also allow you to schedule a stream in advance instead of going live immediately. This can help ensure everything is ready to go right on schedule.
Maximizing Viewers While Live
Once your stream is live, your work isn’t done! Here are some tips to maximize engagement and viewership:
Share You’re Now Streaming
Let your network know your event is happening right now! Share an update that you’re live with a link to the stream. People will jump over to watch and participate.
Interact With Viewers in Real-Time
One of the benefits of live streaming is interacting with your audience in real-time. Thank viewers for watching, take their questions, or ask them to comment with feedback. Making them an active part of the experience boosts engagement.
Watch Your Stream Health
Most streaming software shows metrics on stream status, viewers, comments and more. Keep an eye on these to ensure your broadcast remains healthy and address any issues.
Moderate Comments If Needed
To maintain a constructive conversation, you may need to moderating comments or disable them altogether. Features vary across streaming platforms – be ready to enable comment moderation if needed.
Promote Again Near the End
Remind your network the stream is ending soon and encourage last-minute sign-ons. “We’re wrapping up soon! Last chance to join our live Q&A”. Try to end on a high-note that will keep them looking for more.
Ending and Following Up on Your Stream
Once your broadcast time comes to an end, here are some important tips for finishing up:
Wrap Up Your Concluding Remarks
Summarize key points from your stream, remind viewers to take intended actions, and thank everyone who tuned in live. Have a clear start and finish to avoid awkward dead air space.
Disable Your Live Stream
In your streaming software, stop the live broadcast based on the provided controls. This prevents any inactive or post-stream moments from also being public. LinkedIn will automatically close the stream on their end shortly after you stop the broadcast.
Save an Archive of the Broadcast
Most streaming tools let you download or save a recording of your live stream to reuse. Having an archive helps you repurpose content across platforms or edit it for highlights.
Post Stream Highlights on LinkedIn
To maximize your stream’s impact, share key moments afterward as native videos on your LinkedIn profile or page. This gives them visibility in people’s feeds instead of just via live stream notifications.
Analyze Performance and Feedback
Review metrics on viewers, peak concurrents, engagement, comments and more. Pull listener feedback from live comments, LinkedIn posts, and emails. Study what resonated most to improve your approach for the next stream.
Follow Up With Your Audience
After the stream, continue conversations with viewers, share promised resources, or link to the archived video. Send thank you notes to participants. This builds your relationship beyond the live broadcast.
LinkedIn Live Stream Best Practices
To get the most out of LinkedIn Live, keep these best practices in mind:
Stream During Peak Hours
Analyze when your target audience is most active on LinkedIn and schedule your broadcast accordingly. Typically, early morning or mid-day on weekdays are best.
Keep Streams Under 30 Minutes
Shorter streams have higher average viewer retention. Try to keep your live videos focused at around 10-20 minutes long, or break long-form content into a series.
Promote Streams Across LinkedIn
Post your event on your profile, company page, groups and feed. Ask employees or connections to also share.
Make Streams Interactive
Encourage viewers to get involved through live comments, polls and Q&As. Respond and engage with them directly to get the most value from the live format.
Use Streams for Timely Events
Live video is perfect for conferences, webinars, earnings calls, trainings, industry announcements, town halls and other timely happenings viewers want to tune into live.
Test Equipment and Connectivity
Nothing ruins a live stream faster than technical problems. Always test your setup thoroughly before going live to confirm smooth video and audio.
Reuse Content Across Platforms
Repurpose your live streams by clipping highlights for YouTube or podcasts. Write LinkedIn articles summarizing key insights. Maximize your content investment.
Following these tips will help you host professional, engaging livestreams that represent your brand well and attract the right audience on LinkedIn.
Common LinkedIn Live Streaming Issues and How to Fix Them
Despite best preparations, you may still run into issues when managing a live stream on LinkedIn. Here are some common problems and troubleshooting tips:
Stream Disconnects or Drops
If your broadcast randomly disconnects, it’s likely an internet connectivity issue. Check your real-time internet speeds and restart your router if needed. Use an ethernet cable instead of WiFi. Close other bandwidth-heavy apps.
Video Freezes, Lags or Stutters
Choppy or lagging video can also point to a poor internet connection. But it could be caused by an underpowered computer or insufficient lighting causing high camera frame rates. Try reducing video output settings in your software or add more on-camera lighting.
Poor Audio Quality
Muffled, echoey or popping audio makes streams unpleasant to watch. Ensure your mic isn’t obstructed and reduce background noise. Some software like OBS has filters to optimize sound. Position the mic properly and wear a headset if needed.
Comments Aren’t Appearing
If live comments won’t load, first ensure you enabled comments when configuring your stream. Verify your streaming software is linked to the LinkedIn interface. There can be a short delay before comments are visible.
Can’t Find Go Live Button
If the LinkedIn “Go Live” button is missing, make sure you’re using the latest version of the mobile app. You may need to meet minimum connection requirements for live streaming access to appear.
Stream Won’t Start from Software
Failing to start usually means you haven’t linked your streaming software with the LinkedIn broadcasting features properly. Revisit the setup instructions for your streaming platform and ensure the integration is complete.
Stream Key Errors
If you’re getting stream key errors, make sure you correctly copied and entered the provided stream key or RTMP url from LinkedIn into your software settings. Double check for typos.
With proper preparation and testing, you can avoid many of these potential issues that could ruin your live stream. But if problems occur, use these troubleshooting tips to quickly resolve them.
Conclusion
Live streaming on LinkedIn is a highly effective way to engage and share timely content with your professional network. But broadcasting successful live events takes some planning and practice. Use this guide to understand the steps for preparing, starting, managing, and following up on LinkedIn Live streams. Apply best practices like keeping streams short, interactive and well-promoted across LinkedIn. Troubleshoot issues as needed with connectivity tests and software adjustments. With the right approach, your company can harness the power of LinkedIn Live to drive meaningful engagement.
| Streaming Software | Key Features | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| OBS Studio | Open source software, powerful mixing capabilities | Free |
| StreamYard | Cloud-based, easy guest management | Free – $49/mo |
| Wirecast | Advanced switching, enterprise integration | $599 – $999 |
| Switcher Studio | Made for iOS, templates & graphics | $19.99/mo |
| Stream Length | Average View % |
|---|---|
| 0-5 minutes | 75% |
| 5-10 minutes | 60% |
| 10-20 minutes | 40% |
| 20-30 minutes | 25% |
| 30-60 minutes | 15% |
| 60+ minutes | 5% |