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Here is something worth knowing. LinkedIn Live videos get 7x more reactions and 24x more comments than regular video posts. If your content feels like it’s not getting the attention it deserves, going live on LinkedIn could be the fastest way to change that.
This guide on how to go live on LinkedIn covers everything from getting approved to your first broadcast. Go through it and you will leave with a clear picture of the steps involved, the things that catch people off guard, and what it actually takes to get people watching your stream rather than scrolling past it.
Key Takeaway
- To go live on LinkedIn, you need at least 150 followers, a compliant account, and approval before accessing LinkedIn Live
- Once approved, you need a third-party streaming tool and a stream key to get your broadcast connected
- LinkedIn Live shows up in the feed with a live badge and sends notifications to your connections in real time
- Planning content, promoting your stream, and engaging with viewers are key to a successful LinkedIn broadcast
What Is LinkedIn Live and How Does It Work?
LinkedIn Live is your own broadcast channel sitting right inside LinkedIn. When you stream live video, your followers see a LIVE badge pop up in their LinkedIn feed and get a notification letting them know you are on air.
The bigger difference from a regular uploaded video is what happens in the comments. People ask questions, react, and engage while you are still live, and you talk back to them in real time. That kind of genuine interaction simply does not happen with pre-recorded content, regardless of how polished it looks.
Viewers also show up differently when they know something is happening right now. There is a sense of presence that a replay cannot recreate, and the engagement numbers on LinkedIn back that up.
Live content regularly outperforms uploaded video in both reach and interaction on this platform, and that gap is worth paying attention to if growing your presence here is the goal.
LinkedIn Live Requirements and Eligibility
LinkedIn does not automatically hand out live access to every account. Each application goes through a review, and there are certain things LinkedIn expects to see before allowing you to go live:
- Account Age and Size: Must be at least 30 days old with a minimum of 150 followers or connections
- Account History: Must have a clean record and no history of community guideline violations
- Content History: A consistent record of sharing original content, from text posts to images and videos.
- Activity: LinkedIn profile or LinkedIn page that has seen regular and genuine activity over time, with real engagement on existing posts.
- Location: Located anywhere outside of Mainland China, where the LinkedIn Live feature is not currently supported
- Broadcasting tool: A third-party streaming software plan in place, since a built-in go-live button is not available to most users
Your profile’s recent activity carries real weight here. LinkedIn wants to see an account that has been active and consistent, not one that got reactivated specifically for this application. If you don’t have enough followers to meet these criteria, you can buy LinkedIn followers or connections so you can attain the requirements needed to go live.
LinkedIn Live Approval Process
LinkedIn has moved past the manual application process and now uses an automated system to confirm if you’re eligible to use the LinkedIn Live feature. Users who meet the criteria often get access immediately they connect a third-party broadcasting tool. On the other hand, it may take about 1-2 weeks if your account requires a more detailed review.
How to Go Live on LinkedIn (Step-by-Step-Instructions)
Follow these quick steps to go live on LinkedIn:
- From your LinkedIn page or profile, navigate to where you create posts and look for the Live button. If you can see it, then you are good to go and can start a Live session.
If you can’t see it, then you may need to start the application process before you can access LinkedIn Live or get any kind of stream running. - You cannot go live directly in the LinkedIn app, so you must use a third-party streaming tool that connects to the LinkedIn platform.
Some options you can try out include Streamyard, Restream or OBS Studio. Basic setup equipment includes a quality camera and microphone, and an internet connection. - Head over to your page or profile, click Create, and select Event from the list. When the event format question comes up, select LinkedIn Live. Then, optimize the LinkedIn Live title and description to increase its discoverability on search.
Use eye-catching titles and add relevant keywords to both the title and descriptions, so both your audience and the LinkedIn algorithm can easily tell what the live session is about.
- From your streaming software, find the stream destination settings, sometimes listed as RTMP. From your LinkedIn live event, grab the stream key and the server URL.
Paste both into your tool where prompted. This is what lets your LinkedIn live broadcaster software route your video to the right place.
- With that sorted, you can configure your setup. Confirm that the camera is working and that the microphone has clear audio.
Also, check that your branding is in place, so viewers can see your name, logo, or any other relevant information during the stream. Wrap this up with a private test stream before going public.
- Confirm that everything is in place before you go live on LinkedIn. Check the stream key, audio quality, camera positioning, lighting, and the overall setup.
7 Best Practices for Engaging Your Audience During LinkedIn Live
Follow these tested and proven practices to have an engaged audience while you go live on LinkedIn:
1. Plan Your Content Before Going Live
Always have a clear outline before you go live on LinkedIn, as this helps you retain viewers and encourage more engagement.
Start with your opening, what you intend to cover, and how you plan to end it. Word-for-word scripting is not the goal; you just need to have a clear plan that guides you through the Live. Viewers can always sense when the person on the screen has a structure for the session, making them more likely to stay.
2. Invest in Basic Production Quality
While nobody is expecting a broadcast studio, your audience will be happy to hear you clearly, giving them more reason to interact with your content and return for more.
Audio is the one thing that makes people close out of a stream faster than anything else, and it is also the easiest thing to fix with a good investment.
3. Go Live at the Right Time
For the best engaging results, you need to schedule your stream when most of your audience is online. LinkedIn activity is usually on the rise around weekday mornings and midday, and you can leverage that.
Even better, check your LinkedIn insights to understand how and when your audience engages with your content, then stick to that. You can also experiment with different time slots until you find what works for you.
4. Engage Actively During the Live
When someone shows up to your LinkedIn live broadcast, acknowledge them. Read a question out loud before you answer it. When you ask your audience something, actually wait for responses before moving forward.
People who feel like their presence matters tend to stick around longer and come back for the next new stream.
5. Promote Before You Go Live
It’s often best to start announcing your stream about a week before the event. Put the event URL into a post on your LinkedIn feed. Send invites personally to the connections who would actually want to be there.
Set the event up through LinkedIn Events so that people who RSVP get reminded automatically as the date gets closer. Giving your audience real advance notice is what separates a well-attended broadcast from one where you spend the first ten minutes waiting for anyone to show up.
6. Repurpose the Live Content
The LinkedIn live stream recording stays accessible after the broadcast ends, so people can come back and review it on their own time. That recording is also raw material.
Pull out a few moments that stood on their own and turn them into short clips for regular video posts. Write something that captures the key points from the session and attach the replay link. If you are active on other platforms, put the clips there and let them pull people back toward your LinkedIn page or profile.
7. Track Your Live Performance
Once the LinkedIn live broadcast is done, look at the numbers. Check how many people came in, how long they stayed, where the drop off happened, and how active the comments were throughout.
This tells you what your audience actually responded to, and how you can make the next event more engaging. That habit of reviewing and adjusting over time is what turns occasional live broadcasts into a consistent presence that gets you more interaction on the platform.
Start Your LinkedIn Live Event Today
If you already have an audience on LinkedIn and have been wondering how to connect with them in real time, this article addresses that. Learn how the LinkedIn Live feature works and how to leverage it for the best results.
Once you get the hang of it, you will have a better chance of building more loyal and engaged connections. All you have to do is start, and the pattern will get easier to repeat until you start seeing results.
FAQs
1. How many followers do you need to go live on LinkedIn?
You generally need at least 150 followers or connections to go live on LinkedIn. This number tells LinkedIn that you’re trusted by a few users already.
2. What equipment do I need to go live on LinkedIn?
You need a camera, a microphone, a dependable internet connection, and a streaming tool that works with LinkedIn’s stream key setup.
3. Can I stream LinkedIn Live on a company page?
Yes, you can, as long as your company page has already been reviewed and approved to access LinkedIn Live under the eligibility terms.
