How to Go Live on LinkedIn

Going live on LinkedIn can feel like a game-changer for your professional brand, and it is. Instead of just static posts and articles, live video lets you connect with your audience in real-time, build authority, and literally show your face to the professional world. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know, from the initial setup and planning to what you should do after your broadcast ends.

Why Go Live on LinkedIn? The Professional Advantage

Unlike other platforms where live video can be purely for entertainment, LinkedIn Live is tailored for professional engagement. Think of it as your personal broadcast channel for your industry. Live video on LinkedIn consistently generates higher comment rates and engagement than natively uploaded video, creating a space for genuine conversation and community building.

Consider the benefits:

• Authentic Connection: Live video is unfiltered. It shows your personality, your expertise, and your passion in a way that a polished text post never can. This builds trust far more effectively than any other content format.
• Build Authority: Hosting an industry Q&A, interviewing an expert, or walking through a complex topic establishes you as a go-to resource in your field. You are not just talking about your expertise, you are demonstrating it live.
• Direct Audience Interaction: You can answer questions, respond to comments, and get immediate feedback from your network. It turns a one-way broadcast into a two-way street, making your audience feel heard and valued.
• Greater Reach: The LinkedIn algorithm often favors live content, notifying your connections when you start a broadcast. This can significantly increase your visibility beyond your immediate network.

Getting Started: Your Checklist Before Going Live

Before you hit the broadcast button, there are a few prerequisites and settings you need to sort out. LinkedIn wants to maintain a high-quality, professional standard for its live content, so not every account can go live immediately.

Check Your Eligibility

LinkedIn has a set of criteria you must meet to gain access to LinkedIn Live:

• Follower Count: You need at least 150 followers or connections for your personal profile. For a Company Page, you need at least 150 page followers.
• Content Sharing: You should have a history of sharing original content (text, images, or videos) on the platform. This shows you're an active member of the community.
• Professional Conduct: You must abide by LinkedIn's Professional Community Policies. Any history of violations may prevent you from gaining access.

Turn On Creator Mode

For personal profiles, enabling Creator Mode is the easiest path to accessing live video tools. It signals to LinkedIn that you are a serious content creator and unlocks additional features, including LinkedIn Live and newsletters.

Here's how to do it:

1. Go to your LinkedIn profile.
2. Scroll down to the Resources section just below your profile summary.
3. Click on Creator mode: Off.
4. A pop-up will explain the features. Click Next.
5. Add up to five topics (hashtags) that you talk about. This helps people discover your content.
6. Click Turn on.

Once Creator Mode is on, the option to Go Live through third-party tools will become available to you, assuming you meet the other criteria. For Company Pages, an administrator with access can set up live events directly.

Planning Your First LinkedIn Live: The Blueprint for Success

A successful live broadcast rarely happens by accident. Spontaneity is great, but a foundational plan ensures you deliver value and achieve your goals without rambling or losing your audience's attention. Think of it less as a rigid script and more as a helpful roadmap.

1. Define Your Goal and Format

What do you want your live video to accomplish? Your goal dictates your format.

• Goal: Drive website traffic. Format: A product demo or tutorial that ends with a clear call-to-action to learn more on your site.
• Goal: Build thought leadership. Format: An "Ask Me Anything" (AMA) session on a niche topic, or an interview with another expert in your field.
• Goal: Generate leads. Format: A "mini-webinar" that solves a specific audience pain point and offers a downloadable guide or a consultation as the next step.
• Goal: Increase brand awareness. Format: A behind-the-scenes look at your company culture or a panel discussion on an industry trend.

Choose a format that plays to your strengths and feels comfortable. If you're a great speaker, an AMA is perfect. If you're better at guiding conversations, start with an interview.

2. Create a Run-of-Show

A "run-of-show" is just a simple outline for your broadcast. It keeps you on track and makes sure you hit all your key points. A 30-minute broadcast might look like this:

• Minutes 0-2: Welcome & Introduction. Greet your audience, state the topic of the broadcast, and encourage them to say hello in the comments.
• Minutes 2-20: Main Content. Dive into your key talking points. If you have a guest, this is where the main interview happens.
• Minutes 20-27: Live Q&A. This is a critical engagement piece. Address audience questions from the comments section.
• Minutes 27-30: Wrap-up and Call-to-Action (CTA). Summarize the main takeaways, thank your audience for joining, and share your CTA (e.g., "Visit our website," "Follow me for more," "Sign up for my newsletter").

3. Promote Your Live Event

You can't just go live and expect an audience to appear. A little promotion goes a long way.

• Create a LinkedIn Event: This is the most effective way to promote your live stream. A LinkedIn Event page gives your audience a dedicated place to register, see event details, and get reminders. When setting it up, choose "LinkedIn Live" as the event format.
• Schedule Promotional Posts: In the week leading up to your broadcast, post about it a few times. Announce the topic, introduce your guest (if you have one), and pose a question to start the conversation early.
• Send an Email: If you have a newsletter, let your subscribers know about your upcoming live event. They are already your warmest audience.

Your Tech Toolkit: Gearing Up for the Broadcast

You don't need a high-tech studio to produce a professional-looking LinkedIn Live. However, you do need a few essentials beyond your computer's built-in webcam and microphone.

Streaming Software: Your Command Center

While you can go live directly from a LinkedIn Event on your mobile device, this option is very limited. To achieve a professional broadcast with on-screen graphics, screen sharing, and the ability to invite guests, you'll need third-party streaming software. These tools act as a bridge between you and LinkedIn.

Popular and user-friendly options include:

• StreamYard: Known for its ease of use, making it simple to add branding, banners, and guest speakers.
• Restream: Allows you to 'multistream,' meaning you can broadcast to LinkedIn, YouTube, and Facebook all at the same time.
• OBS Studio: A powerful and free open-source option, but with a much steeper learning curve. Better for advanced users.

A third-party tool is where you will manage your entire broadcast - adding guests, sharing your screen, and switching scenes. You simply connect your LinkedIn account to the tool, and when you hit "Go Live" in your software, it's broadcast on LinkedIn.

Essential Gear for a Flawless Stream

• Clear Audio: This is non-negotiable. Poor audio will make people leave instantly. A simple USB microphone like the Blue Yeti or a lavalier mic is a massive upgrade from your laptop's built-in mic.
• Good Lighting: You don't need studio lights. Sit facing a window for natural light or get a simple ring light to illuminate your face and eliminate shadows.
• Stable Internet: A wired Ethernet connection is always more reliable than Wi-Fi. If you must use Wi-Fi, make sure you have a strong signal and that nobody else in your household is streaming 4K movies at the same time.

Step-by-Step: How to Actually Go Live

With your plan and tech ready, it's time to set up the broadcast itself.

1. Create your LinkedIn Event: As mentioned earlier, this is the first step. Head to your homepage, click "Event" on the left-hand panel, and fill out the details. For "Event format," select "LinkedIn Live."
2. Connect to your Streaming Software: Go into your chosen streaming tool (e.g., StreamYard) and add LinkedIn as a "destination." You'll be prompted to authorize the connection to your LinkedIn profile or Company Page.
3. Schedule the Broadcast: Inside your streaming tool, create a new broadcast. Select your LinkedIn destination, and title your stream. Here, you'll see a unique stream URL.
4. Link software to Event: Return to your LinkedIn Event page. You should see an option to paste your broadcasting stream URL here, linking your third-party tool directly to your scheduled event. All attendees will now see your stream directly on the event page.
5. Set Up Your Studio: Just before it's time to start, open your streaming software's broadcast studio. Check your camera, microphone, and lighting. If you have guests, bring them on-screen for a quick tech check before you go.
6. Hit "Go Live!": When you're ready, click the "Go Live" button in your streaming software. You are now live on LinkedIn! Your video will appear on your LinkedIn Event page and in the news feeds of your connections.

Managing the Show: After You Go Live

What you do after the live stream is just as important as the broadcast itself.

• The stream lives on: Your finished broadcast automatically becomes a video on your profile or page feed. Edit the caption to summarize the discussion and tag any guests who appeared with you. You can "feature" this post to pin it to the top of your profile for extra visibility.
• Continue the conversation: Keep an eye on the comments section in the hours and days after your broadcast. Thank people for their questions and engage with anyone who leaves feedback.
• Repurpose Your Content: One live video can become a dozen different pieces of content.
  • Clip It: Download the video and use a simple video editor to cut out 1-2 minute highlights. Post these short clips as NEW native videos on LinkedIn and other platforms like Shorts or Reels.
  • Blog It: Use a transcription service (like Descript or Otter.ai) to turn a transcription of your talk into a full blog post.
  • Quote It: Pull out compelling quotes and turn them into text-based posts or graphic images.

Analyze Your Performance

Review the analytics of your live stream to get information about what content worked, who the viewers were, and when they were most engaged, to create much better content.

Final Thoughts

Live streaming is one of the most powerful tools professionals can use today to connect with people, not simply because it's engaging but because it's humanizing. Getting started can feel intimidating, but the key is to begin. Don't worry about perfection, just jump in and try it out - you don't need a massive audience to make an impact.

As you integrate live video into your wider social media strategy, managing content across multiple platforms can become complex. That's where a tool like Postbase comes in. Our platform streamlines content management, allowing you to plan, schedule, and organize posts for all your social channels in one place. This lets you focus on delivering great live content without getting bogged down by logistics.