In early February, the professional social networking platform LinkedIn unveiled LinkedIn Live, its live video broadcasting service. With the new feature, companies would be able to broadcast live video to groups of their choosing or to the entire LinkedIn-using public.
LinkedIn already has 575 million users around the world and video (on-demand) is already hugely popular to many of them and LinkedIn Live seems like a natural progression. Not only is LinkedIn giving people more of what they already enjoy but it may well be doing so in a way that offers employers greater benefits.
How Live Streaming Video Has Already Taken Off
LinkedIn is a latecomer to the live video sector as many other companies across a variety of niches have been involved for quite a while. Facebook first began to roll out Facebook Live videos in 2016 and it has been home to more than 3.5 billion broadcasts. Viewers live stream everything from community news, Q&A sessions and behind the scenes views of their companies.
The gaming and music communities have also embraced live streams in a big way. Amazon-owned Twitch lets users broadcast and tune into live streams of games being played, interacting with one another. Live concert streams have also been hosted on the platform. Likewise, Betway’s live casino page explains how the interaction and party vibe of games like live blackjack, which features a real-life dealer dealing the cards, is enhanced thanks to live streaming. The reason why players are interested in this and other live casino games, including live baccarat and live casino hold’em is that it offers better and greater opportunities for engagement.
How Employers Can Benefit from LinkedIn Live
It’s this same high level of engagement that employers on LinkedIn could benefit from. One of the biggest challenges faced by companies today is how to increase social engagement, which is why they turn to gurus who can tweak their posts for optimal likes, comments, and shares of their posts. With live video, employers could deepen those engagements and ensure that people aren’t just scrolling through their LinkedIn feeds taking little or no passing interest in what it’s talking about.
The live video would allow employers to interact with potential employees, taking questions and answering them on-air. Would-be clients or partners could see how friendly and knowledgeable the company is about its niche and may feel more inclined to work with them. There are some challenges for organizations (video hosts may need to brush up on their live speaking skills) but the advantages vastly outweigh them.
When Will LinkedIn Live Be Available to All?
As of the time of writing, LinkedIn Live is still in the beta stage and it has only been released to a select handful of people in the United States. This beta is invite-only, meaning that, if you don’t get an invite from LinkedIn yourself, for a few weeks at least, you’re out of luck.
LinkedIn has outlined some plans to expand the beta, however. It will be posting a form allowing people to register their interest. This will hopefully give you a chance to use LinkedIn Live for yourself.
