How to Use Video on LinkedIn to Grow your Business

What You’ll Learn

More about Louise
How Louise got into live video
Why LinkedIn?
Why video so important on LinkedIn
How to get engagement when you’re just getting started on LinkedIn
The biggest challenge you’ll face with LinkedIn
Getting access to LinkedIn Live (if you haven’t already got it)
How to decide what type of video content to create
Louise’s top tips for LinkedIn live video

How Louise Got Into Live Video

Louise’s first-ever live was when she was invited to speak at an event run by the Small Business Saturday team which was streamed live to Facebook.

All her subsequent lives were on Facebook as, although she now focuses solely on LinkedIn, at that point she taught people all social media, not just LinkedIn.

Like all of us, Louise has had lots of little blips along the way when it comes to live video but warns against overthinking it, reminding us we can always go back and delete them if necessary.

Of course, some planning is needed but overplanning is definitely the enemy of live video!

Why LinkedIn?

Louise worked with a coach who encouraged her to niche down to one social media channel so she could deep dive into one platform.

Louise really started focusing solely on LinkedIn 18 months ago. It makes it easier for people to refer business to her, easier for her to pitch for speaking engagements, and easier for her to help her clients because she’s so laser-focused.

Also, there are less people doing LinkedIn really well so it’s a great way to help her clients with their businesses. There’s much more opportunity on this platform, even just posting twice a week.

LinkedIn offers a much better return on your time and energy than other platforms.

Why Is Video So Important on LinkedIn?

Up until relatively recently, video wasn’t really used on LinkedIn, but now it’s common to see videos in your LinkedIn feed. Why is that?

There are so many different ways to use video on LinkedIn, it doesn’t have to be just a standard video post.

You can intersperse video throughout your LinkedIn profile. Underneath the About section is the Featured section where you can upload links to your video posts and also share links to Vimeo or YouTube.

Louise advises people to put a 60 or 90-second video intro about themselves here talking about what they do.

As you go down the profile, you can also add video content in the Experience section, which is where Louise has her speaker reel. Adding video to your profile really helps you stand out.

You can send a video reply to a direct message too which is a really great way to grab attention.

How to Get Engagement When You’re Just Getting Started on LinkedIn

Louise uses the example of a three-legged stool when she teaches her clients about LinkedIn.

If you imagine the seat of the stool being a really good LI profile that attracts your ideal clients, you’ve filled in all your profile and it talks to the right people.

The first leg is building a network, a genuine one, of people who you’re interested in and who are interested in you. There’s no point in having 30,000 connections if you don’t know who any of them are.

The second leg is creating content that is actually of value and service to your audience. So creating content around what it is you’re an expert in and creating conversations around those topics.

The third leg is building relationships through LinkedIn Messenger. Whenever Louise sends a connection request, she always sends them a personalised invitation to explain why she’s connecting with them. It helps start the relationship off on the right foot.

The Biggest Challenge With Video on LinkedIn

Louise believes it’s working out what your video content will actually be.

Think carefully about why you’re putting video on LinkedIn and spend some time working on a strategy.

Also, if you upload a video post, add text and tell people what the video is about and why they might want to watch it, as well as asking people to comment with their thoughts on something related to the video.

Think about hashtags too. You should include three hashtags on each of your posts that are relevant to the content of the video. Remember, people also follow hashtags on LinkedIn as well as people and brands.

Louise suggests looking on the left-hand side of the screen when you’re looking at LinkedIn on desktop. You’ll see a ‘Discover More’ option under the hashtags you’re following and you can explore hashtags you might be interested in.

Remember, you can follow as many hashtags as you want.

Tag people in your posts too, though be selective and only do it if the post is relevant to the people you’re tagging. Avoid tagging a long list of people in your posts just to get in front of their audience as this can get really annoying!

Getting Access to LinkedIn Live (if You Haven’t Already Got It)

At this point, not everyone has access to LinkedIn Live. Louise had to apply 4 times before she got accepted for LinkedIn live. She believes that the people who are already sharing video on LinkedIn have a better chance of being accepted faster.

Also, one of the guidelines from LinkedIn, is that you shouldn’t use LinkedIn live to actually talk about LinkedIn, which is possibly why a lot of marketers aren’t getting accepted.

Louise goes live every Friday and, although her business is all about teaching LinkedIn, she avoids talking about it directly.

It’s worth bearing in mind that LinkedIn likes to see evidence of you broadcasting a regular live show on another platform too. You can then repurpose some of that content and put it on LinkedIn, combined with native content.

When you fill in the application form, make it clear you aim to help people and that you’ll be consistent and regular with your live content.

Deciding What Type of Video to Use

The guidance is that LinkedIn lives should be over 10 minutes so it gives the platform time to notify people you’re going live. You will soon be able to schedule a live stream on LinkedIn too.

If you have the option at this point you can also experiment with LinkedIn Stories.

Louise’s top LinkedIn Video Tips

Louise believes you should show up a bit more professionally on LinkedIn because it is the B2B networking site. You don’t have to spend a fortune, but if you are going to commit to doing regular video, invest in a decent microphone and camera.

Make sure you prepare in advance and have your strategy in place.

Also, if you’re going to go live, be consistent with it and consider using software such as Streamyard which allows you to go live to YouTube and LinkedIn live. You can then download the video file afterward and use that to repurpose it into more content.

Resources

• Streamyard
• Visit Louise’s website

This Episode’s Sponsors

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