A short video on making time on LinkedIn enjoyable and worthwhile
Video summary:
If using LinkedIn is a chore, it will make it harder to be consistent, and without being consistent, you won’t get the full benefit of being on the platform.
To make LinkedIn more enjoyable, work out what you want to get from it. Getting business is an obvious one, but it doesn’t have to be the only reason.
You might want to build your network, learn about a particular topic, or be part of a specific community.
Once you know what you want to get out of the platform, then you can plan what actions you need to take to deliver.
But be realistic. If you want to post more to increase visibility but find coming up with ideas and finding the time to create posts tricky, then setting a goal of posting five days a week is likely to be unachievable.
Setting realistic targets to deliver the results you want will make LinkedIn more enjoyable.
Full transcript:
Two key tips for LinkedIn: Make it enjoyable and be realistic.
Now to make LinkedIn enjoyable, it helps if you get something out of the platform.
It doesn’t have to be just about getting business; that’s an important reason to be on LinkedIn and why many people are on LinkedIn. But there are lots of other reasons to be on LinkedIn.
It might be that you want to learn more about a particular topic or you want to build your network, or you want to be part of a community and be able to talk to people doing similar things to you or in the same industry.
These are all legitimate reasons for being on LinkedIn but think about what you’d like to get from the platform. And then set a strategy for how you’re going to achieve that.
These days all major social media platforms give the option to do live video, and LinkedIn is no different. I’ve been co-hosting a monthly LinkedIn Live event with Ayo Abbas and Emma Drake since November, and it’s been a huge learning curve.
Screenshot from It’s A B2B Comms Thing LinkedIn live episode on…LinkedIn Live
So in the April episode of our It’s A B2B Comms Thing LinkedIn Live, we decided to talk about what we’ve learned from using the platform and whether it was good for business.
Here are some key points. Scroll down to watch the full episode, which includes audience questions.
What do you need to know about LinkedIn Live?
Me: At the moment, you need to use an external provider to do the broadcast. We use StreamYard, but LinkedIn is developing its own in-house platform to do live events, which is being beta-tested.
When using an external platform, you can customise it, add a banner, put questions on screen, add your branding and make it look quite slick.
We didn’t do everything to start with; we kept it quite simple and added new features as we’ve gone along. It’s a bit of a learning process.
We didn’t know what to expect for our first broadcast, and people started submitting questions, so we adapted the next one by adding a Q&A. We were surprised by the engagement with the actual event.
A LinkedIn Live is not just a live event, the recording stays on your LinkedIn event page, and people can go back and rewatch it. You do create something that has longevity.
Emma: The platform is glitchy, and we’ve had a few problems that we’ve had to work through. So things like you can’t go in and change certain details once you’ve set up an event. I set up one for midnight instead of midday, but we got around it.
Trade shows are on the agenda again after the lockdown hiatus. Attending can be hugely beneficial for businesses but also a drain on time and marketing resources, so how do you maximise the value?
In March’s It’s A B2B Comms Thing LinkedIn Live, I chatted with comms pros Ayo Abbas and Emma Drake about how to make sure you get the most out of these big trade events.
Here are some key points; scroll to the bottom for the full video recording.
Screenshot from the It’s A B2B Comms Thing LinkedIn Live on trade shows (March 4, 2022)
What actions should you take before your trade show?
Ayo: The key thing for me is building some energy and excitement that you’re going to be somewhere. Before a show, start talking about it and sharing what you’re going to be doing.
Social media plays a huge part in that, and you can start connecting with potential visitors and delegates. And use it as a way to build your relationship with the organisers – find out what hashtags they’re using.
If there are press interviews and previews, make sure that you’ve got your press releases out there and all your details and ready to go.
Me: If you’re launching something at the show, think about getting the press release to journalists under embargo because once the show’s on, they’re going to be extremely busy. They’re probably not going to have time to turn around press release stories.
