4 Reasons Why Industrial Manufacturers Should Use LinkedIn Live Video
Even if you’re an industrial manufacturer – especially if you’re an industrial manufacturer, you should definitely be prepared to make the most of LinkedIn Live Video as soon as it’s launched! Here’s why:
- LinkedIn is the most popular social platform used by manufacturers.
- You’re already hosting presentations or seminars: now you can livestream them.
- LinkedIn Live will send your message even further than normal.
- You’ll set yourself apart, because not all your competitors will be doing the same.
“Livestreaming?” you might ask. “Can’t I already do that on YouTube or Facebook? What makes this so special? And what would I even live-stream about?”
We’re glad you asked.
1. LINKEDIN IS THE TOP SOCIAL PLATFORM FOR MANUFACTURERS
LinkedIn is a great place to connect with industry peers and share work-related content in a professional atmosphere. Your profile can even double as a resume.
And if you’re a B2B industrial marketer, LinkedIn is where your prospects are.
According to our survey of over 150 manufacturers, LinkedIn is their #1 choice over any social media platform.
People on LinkedIn are already sharing their own content, and lots of it. Videos – particularly natively-hosted videos – are everywhere.
If you’re using social media to generate new leads (of course you are), overlooking LinkedIn would be a big missed opportunity. The biggest missed opportunity.
2. REPURPOSE PRESENTATIONS YOU’RE ALREADY HOSTING
Chances are, even if you’re not yet confident enough to release video blogs (vlogs) about your daily professional life…you’re giving presentations somewhere.
You’re probably already involved in training seminars or lunch-and-learns.
Maybe you’re already recording and sharing webinars on your website, too. For LinkedIn Live, you won’t necessarily have to start some new line of content. You can just double-up and scale what you’re already doing!
With LinkedIn live, you’ll provide an opportunity for new audience members to learn from you, even if they can’t be physically present.
And unlike pre-recorded videos, which viewers know might be edited in some way, live video is exactly that: live. You may be hemming and hawing a bit, but that actually lends authenticity to your messages.
Broadcasting your talks live will show viewers that you’re a human being, but also a thought leader– and that will earn you credibility.
3. LINKED LIVE WILL AMPLIFY YOUR MESSAGE
LinkedIn has seen a rise in video activity ever since their release of native video back in 2018. Now, in the same way, the release of livestreaming on the platform will create a spike in the number of thought leaders who will start broadcasting their content live.
For their part, LinkedIn will want people to stay on their platform; and they’ll want to show off their new livestreaming feature.
Like Facebook did, LinkedIn will promote livestreams like crazy. They’ll almost definitely push any live video to the top of all news feeds.
That’s almost like free ad space! If you’re ready with live video the moment it’s dropped into your hands, you’ll get the choice spot right in front of people when they log on.
Maybe you’re educating company employees on training and safety. Maybe you’re demonstrating what your company’s brand new product can do. Why not keep the door open so anyone can ‘walk in’?
And because of the way LinkedIn works, that actually could mean an exponentially growing audience.
If you “like” any post right now, it appears in the feeds of your peers for them to see. Live videos will almost definitely be the same way– but you may not even need to hit “like.” You may just need to start watching.
If any of your business connections starts watching a livestream, everyone in their network will probably see what they’re up to. Then if they start watching, their communities will notice…and you get the idea.
Imagine what your engagement might turn into if you’re streaming valuable longform content 30 minutes, or an hour!
If you take part in promoting LinkedIn’s live video feature, they’ll reward you for your contribution by increasing your viewability.
4. NOT ALL YOUR COMPETITORS WILL BE THERE
Will LinkedIn Live always be this beneficial? Definitely not. If there’s one thing digital tactics always do, it’s change. Swiftly.
Live videos on Facebook had their peak, and now they’re not such big news. But if you strike while the iron’s hot on LinkedIn, you’ll expand your reach like never before – and all for free! Why not embrace such an easy benefit?
Not all of your competitors will know (or want) to take advantage of this short-term play.
LinkedIn Live may only be a brief five-minutes-of-fame moment in your grand marketing scheme. But you should still plan ahead for it.
You and many other professionals may not want to take part in LinkedIn Live for the same reason you already shy away from vlogs or webinars: you don’t want to be on-camera.
Maybe you don’t like the sound of your voice. Maybe you feel like you have nothing to offer. For whatever reason, you’re afraid to fail– and in this case, that failure would be live.
But, as we discussed with Chris Luecke of Rockwell Automation recently, you cannot build a successful personal brand if you never even begin.
In other words…get over yourself, and just start.
The vast majority of other industrial manufacturers won’t even touch LinkedIn Live because, like you, they’ll be scared of failure.
That is exactly why LinkedIn live is a valuable opportunity. You need to take advantage of it.
Either you can ride this train…or your competitors will. And since the release has yet to arrive (currently, beta-testing is on an invite-only basis), that means you have plenty of time to plan ahead. Make use of it, so you’ll be prepared when the time comes!
What livestream video will you release first?
Thanks for reading. Don’t forget to subscribe to the IndustrialSage newsletter to get each of the weekly episodes sent directly to your inbox; or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts so you can listen on the go! If there’s a particular topic that you’d like the sages to talk about, or if you have a particular a challenge that you’d like them to take a crack at, send them an email. If your topic gets picked for a future episode, you’ll win a free IndustrialSage t-shirt!
Comments are closed.