A LinkedIn live page allows you to go live and broadcast video to your connections and followers on LinkedIn. It provides a platform to share live videos, engage with your professional network in real-time, and grow your personal brand. LinkedIn live videos appear on followers’ feeds, allowing you to get your message and content in front of a targeted audience interested in your industry or subject matter expertise.
What are the benefits of using LinkedIn Live?
There are several benefits to using LinkedIn Live:
- Build thought leadership – By broadcasting live videos and commentary, you can establish yourself as an industry expert and thought leader.
- Increase reach and followers – Live videos stand out in the feed, helping you get discovered by new connections.
- Drive engagement – The live interaction and chat function leads to more comments and reactions than regular posts.
- Appear at the top of feeds – When you go live, your video jumps to the top of your followers’ feeds while you’re broadcasting.
- Share announcements or events – Broadcast special announcements, events, conferences, or trainings as they happen.
- Humanize your brand – Show your authentic personality and human side through live video.
- Promote products or services – Demo products, highlight features, conduct Q&As, or share company news through live video.
In summary, LinkedIn Live provides a powerful platform to engage with your professional network in real-time, build influence and thought leadership, and increase your reach and visibility on LinkedIn.
Who can create a LinkedIn live video?
Any LinkedIn user can go live and create LinkedIn live videos. However, you must meet the following criteria:
- Have a LinkedIn profile in good standing
- Have at least 150 connections/followers
- Be over 18 years old
LinkedIn rolling out the live video capability gradually, so you may need to wait until the feature is enabled on your account. It will appear as a “Go Live” button when available.
How to create a LinkedIn Live video
Here are the steps to create and broadcast a LinkedIn live video:
- Open the LinkedIn app on your phone or tablet.
- Tap the “+” button to create a new post.
- Select “Go Live.” You may need to swipe left to see this option.
- Add a title and description for your live video.
- Tap the camera button to turn on your device camera and microphone.
- Adjust camera settings as needed. Tap “Go Live” when ready to start broadcasting.
- Interact with your live audience as you broadcast. Monitor comments and questions.
- When finished, tap “End Broadcast.”
- The video will be posted on your profile and page automatically.
Keep in mind, you can only go live using the LinkedIn mobile app. The desktop site does not support live broadcasting at this time.
Tips for creating great LinkedIn Live videos
Follow these best practices when creating LinkedIn Live content:
- Choose an interesting topic your audience would value.
- Promote your live video ahead of time to boost viewership.
- Test equipment and internet connection beforehand.
- Film in a quiet, distraction-free environment.
- Use good lighting so you are visible.
- Keep it short and focused – 10-20 minutes max.
- Engage with your audience in the comments.
- Have a call to action prepared to share at the end.
- Highlight key takeaways after finishing the broadcast.
What content works well with LinkedIn Live?
Some types of content that perform well in a LinkedIn Live format include:
- Product demos – Show how your product works in real-time.
- Q&A sessions – Benefit the audience by answering common questions.
- How-tos/Tutorials – Teach your audience a new skill or process.
- Industry commentary – Provide analysis on the latest news and trends.
- Behind-the-scenes – Give a “backstage pass” look at your company/events.
- Expert interviews – Interview industry influencers in your niche.
- Panels/roundtables – Host a group discussion on a hot topic.
The key is providing value to your professional audience with useful content tailored to their interests and needs.
Can you edit LinkedIn Live videos?
No, LinkedIn does not allow editing of live videos after the broadcast is finished. The raw live stream will be posted to your profile automatically. However, here are some workarounds if you need to edit:
- Stream through an external encoder like OBS or Streamyard. Then you can download and edit the video before uploading to LinkedIn.
- Do a pre-recorded video, and then do a live video highlighting clips from the recorded video.
- Carefully plan your content and flow to reduce the need for extensive editing.
- Use the live video as a rough teaser, then clean it up and post an edited studio version later.
While having an unedited live video may seem risky, the authenticity and rawness often attracts viewers who crave that realness and vulnerability.
How to add a LinkedIn Live video to your LinkedIn Page
To add a LinkedIn Live video to your Company or Showcase Page, follow these steps:
- Go live from your personal LinkedIn profile.
- After ending your broadcast, open the automatically generated video post.
- Click the three dots in the upper right corner and select “Share on Company Page.”
- Select the Page you want to share it to.
- Add any comments or updates, then click “Share.”
Your live video will now appear as a post on your LinkedIn Page for more exposure. You can also save live videos to repost later or repurpose the content across platforms.
How to add captions to LinkedIn Live videos
Captions make video content more accessible and improve discoverability. To add captions to LinkedIn Live videos:
- Use the LinkedIn mobile app to live stream with captions turned on. Toggle the “CC” button before you go live.
- For desktop streaming, use an encoder like Streamyard to overlay captions during your broadcast.
- Upload a transcript of your video as a caption file after your live video completes encoding.
- Use a third-party caption service to caption your completed video, then upload the file.
- Manually add captions by typing up timestamps and transcripts through the LinkedIn interface.
Adding captions will make your LinkedIn Live videos more inclusive and appear in more searches. Transcribe your audio or use a captioning service for best quality.
How are LinkedIn live videos ranked and discovered?
LinkedIn uses an algorithm to determine the ranking and discoverability of live videos in the feed. Key factors that boost the reach of LinkedIn Live videos include:
- Having an established network and follower base
- Using relevant hashtags and keywords in your title/description
- Engagement metrics like live viewers, comments, and reactions
- Sharing the live video on your Company or Showcase Pages
- Captions added for accessibility
- Broadcasting consistently at peak audience times
In general, live video is displayed at the top of followers’ feeds while broadcasting is taking place. But to maximize ongoing visibility, focus on creating captivating and interactive content around topics your audience cares about.
Can you delete LinkedIn live videos?
Yes, you can delete your LinkedIn live videos anytime if needed. To delete a live video:
- Go to your video page on desktop.
- Click the three dots icon below the video.
- Select “Delete” to permanently remove the live video.
Alternatively, you can “Unpublish” the live video from your profile which removes public access but keeps it on LinkedIn.
Are there limits on going Live on LinkedIn?
LinkedIn has implemented some initial limits on live streaming to maintain quality:
- You can only go live from the LinkedIn mobile app, not desktop.
- Video lengths are capped at 20 minutes currently.
- You can live stream up to 4 times per week.
- Only published public videos count against the limit.
As LinkedIn rolls out live video more broadly, it’s possible usage limits may adjust. Focus on creating high quality, short-form content within the current restrictions.
Are LinkedIn Live videos available on desktop?
LinkedIn Live can only be broadcasted from the LinkedIn mobile app. However, live videos can be viewed on both desktop and mobile after the broadcast ends. The video will appear on your profile and in your connections’ feeds.
On desktop, your followers can rewatch the full live videos along with comments and reactions. So desktop viewers can still engage with your live content even though they couldn’t view it live.
Pros and cons of LinkedIn Live
Below is a summary of the key pros and cons of using live video on LinkedIn:
Pros
- Increase reach and followers
- Build relationships and engagement
- Appear at top of followers’ feeds
- Establish thought leadership
- Promote brand or products
- Capture authentic moments
- Increase content visibility
Cons
- Limited editing capabilities
- Technical issues or failures
- Need to be “on” in real time
- Harder to reuse/repurpose
- Limits on frequency/length
- Less polished result
- Negative comments in real-time
Conclusion
LinkedIn Live provides a powerful way to engage directly with your professional network by streaming real-time video. By broadcasting live events, commentary, Q&As, behind-the-scenes, and more – you can boost your personal brand, share insights, and make authentic connections.
Focus on providing value for your audience and LinkedIn’s algorithm will extend your reach. Combine live with an effective social media strategy across platforms to maximize your impact and become a recognized thought leader.