LinkedIn gets in on the Streaming Revolution with LinkedIn Live

LinkedIn has become one of the biggest social networking services for business people in the world since its inception in 2002. The platform which was founded by Reid Hoffman and various others has 610 million members, and that number is steadily growing. Now, the California-based company has finally decided to get in on the streaming revolution which has taken the world by storm in recent years. This could help the business grow even further.

The beta phase of LinkedIn Live began in February this year, and was initially rolled out to US customers only. The company has expressed the interest in being able to let users make more interactive videos, with the Ask Me Anything (AMA) events being one of the main innovations. These allow users to live stream and have their followers ask questions in the comments feed. They can then answer these questions during the broadcast. The other example given was of mentors giving advice to their students. There is a lot of potential for software like this on a platform like LinkedIn. Companies can broadcast conferences, major announcements, and corporate events.

Live streaming was made famous by Facebook Live in 2017. Within a year of the software’s release there had been over 3.5 billion live broadcasts. Among its many uses, the platform was being used as a successful marketing tool. This is perhaps what made the LinkedIn developers realize that they needed to incorporate the same technology.

Before Facebook, live streaming had been used to great effect in the gaming industry. It has been most valuable as an interactive tool, and this has helped it to differentiate from traditional video. Online casinos were one of the first industries to get in on the innovative technology, and used it to broadcast live table games such as roulette and blackjack. Genesis Casino, for instance, has Live Poker, Immersive Roulette, and Dream Catcher on offer. These games allow for interaction between the player and dealer, and help recapture the traditional casino experience found in a brick and mortar gambling house.

Twitch has also helped in live streaming’s rise to prominence. The videogame streaming site has grown exponentially since its creation in 2011 and now has over 2.2 million monthly broadcasters. Viewers are able to watch streamers play games and can chat to them at the same time. They can share knowledge about the games and give advice about what to do in certain situations. There are massive communities now for some of the most popular games, and it is easy to see how this kind of discussion could be applied to live videos for business people.

With LinkedIn already one of the biggest social networking sites in the world, the addition of interactive live streaming is likely to boost its success even further. The few business people who aren’t already using the platform should consider getting involved. The possibilities for its use are endless.

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