Determining the optimal time to host a LinkedIn Live broadcast is crucial for maximizing your potential viewership and engagement. With careful consideration of your target audience’s routines and habits, you can identify the best time slots that align with when they are most active and available on LinkedIn.
Understand Your Target Audience
The first step is gaining a strong understanding of your target audience’s demographics, interests, and daily schedules. Consider factors like:
- Location – What time zones are most of your followers in?
- Industry – What are the peak working hours?
- Seniority – When are managers and executives most likely online?
- Lifestyle – When do they commute, take breaks, etc.?
This will give you an idea of when your audience is most likely to be browsing LinkedIn and able to tune into a live video. While you can’t accommodate every follower’s schedule, look for patterns to identify the peak hours.
Analyze Audience Behavior
In addition to demographics, analyze data on your audience’s actual LinkedIn activity:
- When do your updates, articles, and other posts generate the most clicks and engagement?
- Look at your Page analytics to see when your followers are active.
- Check when your email newsletter gets the most opens.
This behavioral data will reveal when your target audience is most engaged, which correlates to when they’re active on LinkedIn. Identify 1-2 hour blocks during those peak times for going live.
Consider Weekday vs. Weekend
Weekday or weekend? Here are some factors to help decide:
Weekday | Weekend |
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In general, Tuesday – Thursday tend to be best for weekdays. For weekends, late mornings can work well.
Experiment with Different Times
There is no “perfect” time – it depends on your audience makeup and goals. The best way to find the optimal time is to test different time slots and see which ones have the highest live viewership and post-broadcast viewers.
Try going live:
- At different hours (e.g. 10 AM, 12 PM, 3 PM)
- On different weekdays
- On weekends vs. weekdays
Track metrics like peak concurrent viewers, total views, engagement, followers acquired, and sales generated from each broadcast. Look for consistent patterns to reveal the best times.
Be Consistent
Once you’ve identified 1-2 peak time slots for your audience, be consistent. Schedule your live videos at those times on a regular basis – for example, every Tuesday at 2 PM EST. This will:
- Train your audience to expect and attend your broadcasts
- Make it easier to promote and drive viewership
- Build a reliable following at that time
Of course, you can still experiment occasionally or accommodate guests. But aim to be consistent at least 80% of the time.
Optimize Based on Results
Check your metrics after each live video – views, engagements, followers gained, leads/sales generated, etc. Look for:
- How do results compare between different times/days?
- Are viewership numbers increasing at a consistent time slot?
- Any noticeable drops or spikes?
Continuously evaluate your results and fine-tune your schedule. If you see waning interest at a particular time, try testing a new slot. Stay adaptable to maximize viewership.
Promote Your Live Schedule
Now that you’ve chosen your go-to times, promote your live video schedule across channels:
- Website/blog
- Email newsletter
- Social media bios
- Paid ads
- Email signature
This builds awareness and gives your audience plenty of notice to adjust their schedule. Send event reminders leading up to each broadcast as well.
Conclusion
Finding your target audience’s peak viewing times is crucial for successful LinkedIn Live videos. Analyze their demographics, habits, and activity patterns to identify ideal time slots. Experiment with different days/times and track performance metrics to optimize your schedule. Promote a consistent broadcast calendar to maximize live viewership and engagement.
With strategic timing that aligns with your followers’ availability, your LinkedIn Live broadcasts will be able to reach and resonate with the right people.
More Tips for Maximizing Your LinkedIn Live Impact
Pick Compelling Topics
Choose topics that are timely, relevant, and compelling for your target audience. Present information they won’t get elsewhere and make it worth their time tuning in live.
Have a Strong Opening
Hook viewers right away in the first 60 seconds with an energetic introduction, captivating statement or question, news announcement, etc. First impressions matter.
Interact With Viewers
Engage your audience and spark discussion by taking live comments/questions, running quick polls, requesting shares, etc.
Watch the Clock
Keep your broadcasts concise and impactful. 10-20 minutes is ideal for maintaining engagement without overtaxing viewers’ time.
Promote Interaction
Suggest specific ways followers can stay involved after the broadcast, like sharing feedback in comments or connecting via LinkedIn messaging.
Repurpose Content
Get more mileage from your broadcasts by clipping key moments to share as videos or blog posts. Add subtitles for reach.
Learn From Data
Check LinkedIn Insights for data on viewership, audience demographics, follower growth, content shares, and more to optimize.
Enhance With Visuals
Boost engagement with relevant photos, graphics, video clips, slides, screenshots, etc. But don’t go overboard.
Promote Upcoming Broadcasts
In each live video, give viewers info on your next broadcast topic, time, special guests, etc. to keep them coming back.
Collaborate With Others
Invite respected industry guests to join your broadcast and promote it to their own audiences for expanded reach.
Refine and Improve
Review recordings of your live videos to identify opportunities for improvement – better pacing, visuals, energy, etc.
Have a Clear CTA
Close each broadcast with a strong call-to-action, like signing up for a newsletter, registering for an event, buying a product, etc.