Can Social Content Make a Difference? My Social Experiment with LinkedIn Live

Can social media content really make a difference? Some swear by social media, telling me they can trace every client back to their (consistent) social media presence. Others strongly dislike social media and say for them, it's a waste of time. 

Personally, I don't think there is a black-and-white answer to this question. There are a lot of factors to consider, such as quality content, consistency of use, and engagement with other accounts, to name a few.  

My Social Experiment  

About five weeks ago, I decided I wanted to do a little experiment with LinkedIn Live. I had dabbled with the audio-only app Clubhouse in the past and thought, why not? Plus, in the future I'd like to have a podcast so I thought this would be good practice. 

The idea came to me in the Master Mind group I'm in now. Each week we set goals, provide accountability and act as a resource for each other. We are all focused on reaching that next level of success! (If you're interested in being in a Master Mind like this, ask me about the group).   

Here's how my experiment went...   

My LinkedIn Live Experiment 

For 5 weeks I held a 30-minute audio event on LinkedIn on Friday at noon. All my topics involved "storytelling." My goal was just to experiment and see what, if anything, would materialize from this experience.

Week one: (September 8, 2023)

For my first week, I chose a simple theme, "Storytelling in Business." I used the time to clarify what storytelling really is. A handful of people showed up to the live audio event. And looking back on it: I talked too much! My number one take-away was that the main advantage of hosting Live audio events like this is to get other people talking. This way, you make new connections and learn how you might help them. So, just by taking action on my goal, I already learned something. Live audio events are less like podcasting and more like moderating a panel.  

Week two: (September 15, 2023) 

This time the theme was "6 Stories Every Leader Needs to Know How to Tell." I referenced the book, The Story Factor by Annette Simmons.   

Just a few people showed up and I felt like I was able to navigate the conversation a bit better. As people in the "audience" raised their hand to speak, I would invite them up on the "stage." After they spoke, I would return them to the "audience." Later, I received some feedback that doing so was kind of awkward. As a novice with the Audio Live events, it seemed perfectly normal. But for those more familiar with these events, it was weird. Lesson: Get them up on "stage" and keep them there. More perspectives add to the value of the conversation. 

Week 3: (September 22, 2023)

Week three I welcomed my first co-host! Outside of LinkedIn, I was also making connections on Instagram. There, I met Collin of The Branded Rooster. We hit it off and had a great conversation about marketing and branding. We decided to host an event together, since I was in the midst of carrying out this goal. Our theme was "Storytelling in Branding" of course.  

A storyteller I met awhile back on LinkedIn, Dennis Ross, joined us in the event this time. I was honored to have him there and if you ever listen to him, even for a few moments you can tell right away that Dennis is quite the storyteller! Among the remaining guests were a few people from my Master Mind, my local chamber, and a former colleague who I hadn't heard from in some time. 

This time the result was that Collin landed a client! I was thrilled to able to connect someone with a branding need together with a branding expert. And I received some encouragement for being a great host and facilitator.   

Week 4: (Oct 6th)

Chronologically, I had to take a week off due to a scheduling conflict but the goal must go on! So, after skipping one Friday I hosted one more live with another co-host. The week prior, I had posted an invitation for a co-host since that experience with Collin was fun and effective. A good reminder that if you're thinking, "no one is reading my posts" you can be proven wrong. Melinda saw my invite post and reached out to me. 

The result from week four was twofold: First, Melinda asked me to be a guest on her podcast (which was really fun. Take a listen here.)

And second, I made a new connection in Jaycie Cormac who is a self-described "rebel soul" and founder of The Maverick Collective. In the live audio event with Melinda I said, "If you know anyone who would like to co-host, reach out." And Jaycie said she was up for it. 

We scheduled a call to plan and... 

Week 5: (October 13)     

On week five I hosted (along with Jaycie). We called it, "Rebel to Repel Storytelling: Authentic Community Building." We had kind of a light turn out, which can be disheartening since I know we both invited people.

Still, there were valuable things that came from the event. For one, I got to know Jaycie and I related to her rebel spirit. During the session in week 5 someone did ask me, "Hey...maybe you could help me with some coaching, how does that work?" And if you don't know already these are the magic words you want to hear! 

So, there it is. Can social media make a difference? This experiment proves it can.  

So, what's next?  

The big take-away here is that the only certain results come from doing nothing, as doing nothing yields nothing. When you take action, while there is no guarantee of the specific results you want you sure can increase your chances! Opportunities are created from taking action. 

So, the question to ask is what kind of opportunities do you want to create for yourself with the help of social media?  

Keep in mind, you don't have to do all the heavy lifting yourself. If you have a marketing budget and want to be strategic in how you use it, take one action. Reach out to me. Let's talk about what's possible for you now.