How to Create a LinkedIn Live Event

Going live on LinkedIn gives you a chance to connect with your professional network in a way static posts can't match. It's perfect for hosting webinars, expert Q&,As, product demos, or company announcements. This guide provides a complete walkthrough of how to create and run a successful LinkedIn Live event, from checking the requirements to repurposing your content after the stream ends.

Why Is LinkedIn Live So Effective?

Before jumping into the "how," it's worth understanding the "why." Live video isn't just another content format, it's a powerful tool for building community and brand authority. The interactive, unscripted nature of a live broadcast fosters a genuine connection with your audience. People feel like they are part of a real-time conversation, not just passive consumers of content.

Here's what makes it a smart move for your brand:

• Higher Engagement: LinkedIn's own data shows that live videos get, on average, 7 times more reactions and 24 times more comments than native video produced by the same broadcasters. When someone comments and you respond live, you create a memorable micro-interaction that builds lasting loyalty. To learn more about how to get your content seen, read our guide on how to boost engagement on LinkedIn.
• Drives Real-Time Conversation: A live Q&,A session can generate more valuable insights and audience feedback in 30 minutes than a week's worth of traditional posts. You get to hear directly from your community - their questions, their challenges, and their interests.
• Builds Authority and Trust: Showing up live, speaking confidently about your industry, and answering questions on the fly demonstrates true expertise. It proves you know your stuff, building trust in a way that pre-recorded, polished videos never can.
• A Content Goldmine: One 45-minute live event is not just one piece of content. It can be repurposed into dozens of smaller assets. Think short video clips for Reels and TikTok, key quotes for audiograms, insightful snippets for text posts, and a full-length blog post based on the transcript. This strategy allows you to turn one event into a month's worth of content.

Before You Go Live: Getting Your Ducks in a Row

You can't just hit a "Go Live" button on LinkedIn like you might on other platforms. There are a few requirements and a specific technical setup you need to have in place first. Getting this part right saves a lot of headaches later.

Meeting LinkedIn's Criteria for Going Live

LinkedIn wants to maintain a high-quality environment for live streams, so they've put some basic criteria in place. A few years ago, you had to apply for access, but now it's automatically granted to users who meet the following conditions:

• Audience Size: Your personal profile needs at least 150 followers or connections. If you're streaming from a Company Page, it needs more than 150 followers. This is a baseline to show you have an existing network to stream to.
• Content History: You should have a history of creating and sharing original content on LinkedIn. This shows that you are an active member of the community. This can include text posts, images, articles, or videos.
• Adherence to Policies: Your account must be in good standing and adhere to LinkedIn's Professional Community Policies. Violations will restrict your access.

If you meet these criteria, you should see the option to create a Live event. If you don't, focus on growing your network and posting quality content consistently, and access will usually be enabled automatically.

Choosing Your Third-Party Streaming Tool

This is the most important technical piece of the puzzle. You do not stream directly from LinkedIn. Instead, you use a third-party broadcasting tool to send your video feed to LinkedIn. This tool is where you'll manage your camera, microphone, screen shares, and guest speakers.

There are many options available, but here are some of the most popular choices:

• StreamYard: Extremely user-friendly and browser-based, making it a great choice for beginners. You can easily add guests, share your screen, display viewer comments, and add your own branding (logos, banners, overlays).
• Restream: Similar to StreamYard, Restream is also browser-based and focuses on ease of use. Its key feature is the ability to "multistream" - go live on LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, and other platforms all at the same time.
• OBS Studio (Open Broadcaster Software): A free, open-source, and highly powerful tool. OBS offers a ton of customization but comes with a much steeper learning curve. It's best for experienced streamers or those who need advanced production capabilities like custom scene transitions and in-depth audio mixing.

For most brands and creators getting started, a tool like StreamYard or Restream is the recommended choice because they handle the technical complexity for you.

Step-by-Step: Creating Your LinkedIn Live Event

Once you've met the requirements and picked a streaming tool, you're ready to set up your event. The process is divided into two phases: scheduling the event on LinkedIn itself and then connecting that event to your streaming software.

Phase 1: Schedule the Event on LinkedIn

First, you need to create the event page. This page acts as the main hub where people can register, see event details, and view the broadcast when it's live.

1. Start the Event Creation Process: From your LinkedIn home feed, look for the "Event" button in the "Start a post" box. Or, if you're an admin of a Company Page, navigate to your page and click the "Create an Event" button.
2. Choose the Event Format: A pop-up will ask for the Event Type. Select "Online." Then, for the "Online event format," choose LinkedIn Live. Do not select "External event link," as that's for webinar platforms like Zoom.
3. Fill in the Event Details: This is your chance to sell your event.
   • Event name: Make it clear and compelling. Include the main topic or the name of your guest. An SEO-friendly title will help people discover it. For example, "Live Q&,A: Social Media Trends for 2024 with Jane Doe."
   • Date &, Time: Choose a time that works best for your target audience's time zone.
   • Speakers: Add any speakers or guests who will be joining you. Tagging them here expands your reach to their networks as well.
   • Description: Explain what attendees will learn. Use bullet points to make the key takeaways scannable. What problem will you solve? What questions will you answer?
4. Add Your Branding: Upload a custom cover image (the recommended size is 1776x444 pixels). Your banner should be eye-catching and clearly communicate the event topic. Use your brand colors and fonts for consistency.
5. Schedule and Publish: Once you've filled everything out, click the "Schedule" button. LinkedIn will automatically create a post announcing your event. You'll now have a dedicated event page with a unique URL you can share.

Phase 2: Connect LinkedIn to Your Streaming Software

After you schedule your event, LinkedIn gives you the keys to your broadcast. Your job is to copy these unique credentials correctly into your third-party broadcast software. This step establishes the official connection between your streaming software and your scheduled LinkedIn Live event.

1. Get Your Stream Credentials: Go to your newly created event page. In the management tools, you'll find an option like "Set up your live stream." Here, LinkedIn will generate two critical pieces of information: a Stream URL and a Stream Key. The URL tells your software where to send the video feed, and the Key is a private password that authorizes your stream. Keep your Stream Key private!
2. Configure Your Streaming Tool: Open up StreamYard, Restream, or OBS. Look for the option to set up a new destination or broadcast. There should be an option for a "Custom RTMP" destination. RTMP is the protocol used to stream video across the internet.
3. Enter the Credentials: Copy the Stream URL from LinkedIn and paste it into the "URL" or "Server" field in your streaming tool. Then, copy the Stream Key and paste it into the appropriate field.

That's it! Your streaming software is now linked to your scheduled LinkedIn event. When you start your broadcast from the tool, it will automatically appear on your LinkedIn event page.

Best Practices for a Flawless Broadcast

Setting up the tech is just half the battle. A successful LinkedIn Live event depends on smart promotion, engaging delivery, and strategic follow-up.

Before the Broadcast: Build Anticipation

Don't expect people to show up if you only announce your event an hour before you go live. A proper marketing plan and build-up are needed for success.

• Promote Early and Often: Start promoting your event at least a week in advance. Share the event link on LinkedIn multiple times and cross-promote on other platforms like X, Instagram Stories, and your email newsletter. For tips on managing your content schedule, check out our guide on how to schedule LinkedIn Company Page posts.
• Personally Invite Connections: Use LinkedIn's "Invite Connections" feature on your event page to personally ask relevant contacts to attend. A direct invitation feels more personal and has a higher conversion rate.
• Create Hype with Teaser Content: Don't just post the link. Create small pieces of content that tease the event, such as a short video clip of your guest speaker, a text post with a question you plan to answer, or a graphic highlighting the key topics.

During the Broadcast: Keep Them Engaged

Once you are on the air, quality and presentation are everything.

• Do a Tech Check: About 15-30 minutes before you go live, do a final check of your camera, microphone, lighting, and internet connection. If you have guests, do a quick run-through with them to make sure their setup works properly.
• Engage with the Audience Immediately: No one wants to sit through five minutes of "Is my audio working?" Start with a strong, engaging introduction that validates their decision to attend.
• Acknowledge Your Audience: The allure of a live event is the interaction. Greet attendees when they join and call out commentators by name when you can: "Great question, Sarah - let's break that down." This small gesture makes people feel seen and included, making the event far more dynamic and interactive.
• Call for Comments: Be deliberate about asking people to participate. Pose questions, run informal polls in the chat, and encourage viewers to share their own experiences. Your energy dictates theirs, if you only broadcast at them, expect silence in return. Proactively pull comments from the chat to improve interaction and viewership.

After the Broadcast: Maximize Your Reach Through Distribution

When the broadcast ends, the work isn't over. This is when creative content distribution begins.

• Continue Engagement: The recording of your live broadcast remains on your event page and appears as a video on your Company Page or profile. Monitor the recording and respond to any new comments to increase its visibility and extend its reach.
• Repurpose Extensively: The key is to see your recording not just as one video, but as the raw material for multiple new pieces of content. Break down your live stream into smaller assets:
  • Identify a 5-minute, self-contained segment and edit it into a short-form video for a future post.
  • Turn a few impactful quotes into branded graphic cards for sharing.
  • Use the transcript to write a blog post and embed the full video from YouTube. Learn more about how to repurpose blog content for LinkedIn to get the most out of your efforts.
• Analyze Performance: Review analytics and audience comments to understand which topics resonated most. That spike in reactions halfway through? It’s a perfect segment to clip and share. Use this data to plan more effective and engaging content for your next live broadcast. Discover more about how to measure engagement on LinkedIn for better insights.

Final Thoughts

Creating a LinkedIn Live event comes down to a clear, repeatable process: meet LinkedIn's criteria, choose the right streaming tool, meticulously set up your event on the platform, and then pour your energy into promoting, engaging, and repurposing. It's an incredibly effective way to build genuine connections, establish your authority, and generate a wealth of content from a single effort.

After you've done the work of hosting a great event and editing it into amazing clips, the next challenge is getting all that new content published consistently. That is precisely why we made Postbase. Our intuitive visual planner allows you to schedule and organize all your repurposed content, so you can get maximum mileage from your event without the chaos of juggling multiple social media calendars.