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Universities find LinkedIn valuable for engaging both potential postgraduate students as well as for connecting with professional audiences and alumni. Now there's a new opportunity to expand its range of uses with the exciting addition of live video content.spai
The new service called Linkedin Live will be available globally later this year and is positioned as a live broadcast service. Unlike the raw video format offered by Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook, Linkedin has stated the service will deliver unique content with high production values covering conferences, Q&As, and events led by influencers.
Linkedin is likely to reach out to encourage institutions to make use of the new platform and has actively stated they want universities to use the new service. Universities will also be able to apply to be among the first to air their content through a contact form in the coming weeks.
How could higher education institutions use LinkedIn Live?
The application purposes for universities are fairly wide-ranging and it could be another great way to create meaningful two-way conversations and add some extra spice to events. Here are some suggestions on ways to get ahead of the game and test out the new platform.
Engage prospective students
Open day lectures and talks could be live-streamed for prospective students who can’t attend in person as part of a comprehensive virtual open day experience.
Live-stream lecture content
Key lectures from academics and interactive tutorials could be hosted on LinkedIn Live to help students who can’t attend in person or to encourage real-time participation in a new format.
Capture key milestones
Graduation and awards ceremonies could be streamed to provide online opportunities for relatives and students unable to attend their graduation to view the events in real time and for universities to engage audiences.
Showcase research and guest lectures
LinkedIn Live could be an ideal platform to host research announcements among specific academic communities and to encourage audience participation in notable guest lectures.
The future looks promising for LinkedIn Live. It will have robust infrastructure provided by Microsoft, cutting edge technology partners helping to develop high-quality content, a huge potential user base, and LinkedIn’s careful and considered approach to curating initial content on the platform.
With these factors in play, it’s likely to become a major channel for live content for universities over the coming year. Moreover, like many social network initiatives, the early adopters could experience the most significant gains.
Could LinkedIn Live bring something new to your digital initiatives? And how would it fit into your social media activity? We’d love to hear. We will certainly take a deeper look once it has been launched officially.