First, some interesting statistics:
Viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video, compared to 10% when reading it in text. (Insivia)
Social video gets shared 1200% more than text and images combined. (Wordstream)
and…
LinkedIn now sports over 500 million members (Business Insider), yet only 1% of LinkedIn’s members post content every month – and only a tiny fraction of those have access to LinkedIn Live.
That means LinkedIn Live – the platform’s live video streaming feature – isn’t just another way to reach your audience, it’s a GOLD MINE. Video is the most effective way to communicate your message and to have that message shared by your audience, and very, very few people are actually leveraging that capability on LinkedIn – the business social platform.
Of course, part of the reason that very few people are broadcasting live video to LinkedIn is that it’s not open to anyone. You have to request access and be approved. My good friend Rob Balasabas from Thinkific wrote a terrific piece on how to ask for LinkedIn Live, so check that out and follow his instructions if you aren’t yet in.
While there are multiple ways that anyone can broadcast a live video to Facebook – from using powerful tools like Ecamm to go live to a Page, to hopping on a live using your phone to your personal profile – LinkedIn is different.
You need special permission from LinkedIn.
You need special tools or applications.
Which means you need a plan that’s been created specifically for LinkedIn and that adds a layer of complexity which results in a barrier to most brands.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
While it may take a few tries to get approved to broadcast live video to LinkedIn, and the additional application you may need to employ will require a little extra budget and learning, it’s well worth it. And, with the help of this article, it’s not as hard as you think!
The first step is to recognize that the live video you’re already doing on Facebook will not only work from a strategic perspective on LinkedIn, but the actual live broadcast itself will work! You don’t need to create a new show or do anything differently from a production standpoint.
Instead, I’m going to share with you two different ways that you can utilize your Facebook Live broadcast – one that is simultaneous to the broadcast, and the other that can be after the initial Facebook broadcast has concluded.
Simulcast Facebook Live to LinkedIn Live
While LinkedIn Live is relatively new, the idea of simulcasting broadcasts is not, so it’s somewhat familiar. For years broadcasters have been simulcasting to YouTube or Periscope or Facebook or even Twitch through the use of specific apps that have that capability.
With the release of LinkedIn Live, certain apps have added that platform as a potential destination for your broadcast. You simply need to take advantage of them!
- Socialive
- Restream.io
- Wirecast
- Switcher Studio
- Wowza Cloud
- StreamYard
- Brandlive
- Easy Live
- Live U
One powerful combination is to produce your live broadcast within Ecamm and stream it to Restream.io where you can then distribute it to Facebook Pages, LinkedIn Profiles and Pages, Periscope, YouTube and more.
Once you’ve been approved for LinkedIn Live, you start by creating a Restream.io account and connect your LinkedIn account. You can choose your personal profile or any of your company pages. You can the add additional channels, including your Facebook Page.
The next time you’re ready to start a live broadcast, open Restream.io and make sure that all of the channels you wish to broadcast to are toggled on. You can also go to the Titles tab and change the titles and descriptions that will be posted for your video on each respective channel.
Then, within Ecamm, instead of selecting Facebook or Twitter as a broadcast destination, simply choose Restream.io and authorize the connection. As soon as you begin the broadcast, Ecamm will send whatever video you’re creating to Restream.io where it will automatically begin new live streams on all selected channels.
I highly recommend installing the Restream Chat app on your system which will let you monitor comments on all of your channels.
With one broadcast you will reach multiple channels and audiences and create valuable, rewarding experiences and content.
But is there an even better way?
Stream Recorded Facebook Live to LinkedIn Live
While simulcasting is great, it’s a struggle to maintain interest and engagement on multiple platforms. Even the most robust live video streaming apps today focus on monitoring comments and engagement for the primary broadcast channel. If you’re getting comments on shared posts or other channels, you might not see those or be able to address those comments real-time.
One technique that has developed natively on Facebook is that of the Watch Party. Anyone can start a Watch Party of one or more videos within a group that encourages other group members to tune in at the same time and discuss what they’re watching, whether it’s live or not. If you’re broadcasting a regular show to Facebook, using Watch Parties after the initial broadcast is a great way to be ‘present’ with your community even though the video was recorded earlier.
But what if you did the same thing, only on other platforms or channels?
That’s what Stephanie Liu did after her regular Facebook Live show, Lights, Camera, Live!tm
Every other Thursday, Stephanie hosts a show on her Facebook Page where she regularly interviews some of the brightest minds in marketing and explores timely, interesting topics. And it’s not uncommon for Stephanie to share those broadcasts into her successful Facebook Group, Social Media Strategists, as a Watch Party. But this time, Stephanie took things even further.
Using Ecamm & Restream.io, Stephanie launched a new LinkedIn Live broadcast which started with a live introduction and then transitioned to a stream of the recorded video from her earlier Facebook Live. Not only was she then present in the comments, she also asked her guests during the earlier live, Rob Balasabas and Brian Schulman, if they would be willing to participate in the chat and they did.
As a result, all three were actively commenting on the live video and engaging with dozens of additional live viewers.
With a Watch Party on any platform, you can participate live and gain so much additional interest and viewership, which leads to long-term audience building. And for the folks that attended live the first time and got their comments featured on screen, they get even more exposure on the additional platforms.
How did she do it?
Well to start with, the initial broadcast was powered by Ecamm and streamed live to Stephanie’s Facebook Page. Once that broadcast concluded, Ecamm automatically generated a local HD recording of the entire show. All Stephanie had to do was start a new broadcast – this time to LinkedIn Live – and when she was ready, play the video. Ecamm allows you to choose cameras, screen share, or video to be streamed!
While this method does require an additional time commitment as compared to simply simulcasting to multiple platforms, the added viewership and engagement is worth it.
But you don’t have to take my word for it.
Within just the first 5 hours, Stephanie’s LinkedIn “live” (live from tape?) received 40 reactions, 389 comments and was viewed 682 times!
This was only the second time Stephanie had gone live to LinkedIn and the first time she’s tried this technique. Imagine if she were to do this for every new live, twice a month, and establish a schedule and routine for her audience?
More importantly, imagine if YOU did it? How might that change your business? How would getting you and your brand in front of thousands of people each week impact your bottom line?
Don’t wait to find out. Apply to get access to LinkedIn Live today, and start following Stephanie’s advice for creating compelling video content for your brand.
The End Of Social Media Like Counts