With the majority of people adjusting to a new remote way of working during the COVID-19 restrictions, LinkedIn’s Events feature is a timely reintroduction.
The option to create and promote online events was first tried several years ago and ultimately withdrawn, however in 2019 LinkedIn brought the option back, saying that it ‘helps grow active, professional communities by building authentic face-to-face relationships.’
Uses of LinkedIn Events
The Events feature can be used to arrange workshops or training, interviews or for product demos as well as business meetings and informal meetups, in-person or online.
It combines LinkedIn’s unparalleled online professional network with the power of a face-to-face meeting. The platform’s official blog states that their data has revealed people are twice as likely to accept a connection request if they have attended a meeting with the other person.
The ‘Events’ link is found in the left-hand sidebar of your LinkedIn home page, just under ‘Groups’. You can create an Event page, including a logo, image, description and details of the event, time zone and a link to any website page for the event.
As well as arranging business meetings, take advantage of any spare time you might have during the lockdown period to get together with others in your industry. Talking to those in the same business can energise you and encourage goal-setting and marketing ideas for the future. It also gives you the opportunity to keep abreast of current developments and see the challenges that others are facing and how they are dealing with them.
What can LinkedIn Events do?
Arranging a meeting through LinkedIn Events allows you to invite those within your connections, or to open the event to everyone, in which case you can share the event with your network. You can also post details of the event in any relevant group to which you belong.
Those receiving an open invitation can forward it to their connections and they will also be to see who else is planning to attend, giving them the option to connect with each other before the event and arrange to have a chat during it.
Filters can be used when searching for appropriate people to invite and after the event has been arranged, notifications and updates can be added.
LinkedIn analytics will track the performance of your posts and management of your event can be controlled from your smartphone.
While the features aren’t extensive at the moment, over time expect to see more options added, such as ticketing and the ability to promote events beyond your own network.
In summary
LinkedIn Events is in direct competition with Facebook Events. While Facebook is a much larger platform, the advantage of LinkedIn is that it is entirely professional and has a higher organic reach than Facebook.
Keeping events within LinkedIn allows you to target your ideal audience and build your reputation and network. In the current climate, it is an ideal way to stay active within your industry and have the face-to-face conversations that will connect you more securely and memorably with people who are important to you and your business.
Links2Leads offers tailored and flexible one-to-one online LinkedIn coaching through to help you make the most of your LinkedIn membership. Those who have gone through coaching with Rachel Tombs confirm that her targeted approach has helped them achieve their business goals. Find out more here, speak to Rachel on 0118 380 5980 or fill out our Contact Form.
