Instagram has published a new guide on live streaming within the app, which could be another consideration for brand outreach and awareness among your IG audience.
Our Instagram Live guide covers all the basics of live streaming, including how to schedule your broadcast and how to incorporate a co-host to encourage live chat and engagement.
Instagram also provides an overview of how live notifications work and how you can take advantage of them.
According to Instagram:
“Instagram will notify all your followers or close friends that you’re going live, depending on your chosen audience, and allow them to participate by watching and commenting. After you’ve finished broadcasting, your video will be saved to your archive (if you turned on Live Archive from your profile settings before going live), but you can choose to save it to your camera roll or share it as a reel on your profile.“
According to Instagram, livestreaming offers a variety of engagement benefits, including real-time interaction, “opportunities for authentic connection” by showcasing your personality, and increased content for your IG feed.
To get the most out of your IG Live stream, Instagram recommends the following:
- Plan your content: Sometimes you just want to share how you’re feeling, or maybe you want to share a new song you’re working on or something you’re currently creating, in which case it’s a good idea to be clear about what you want to share to keep you focused.
- Promote your live broadcast: Notify your followers in advance so they can set reminders to join you live.
- Engage with your audience: Engaging with your viewers by answering their comments and questions while you’re live will help them feel connected and heard.
- Authenticity: Show your true self and let your personality shine through. Authenticity builds stronger connections with the people you love.
Instagram also provides instructions on how to use additional Live features to enhance the Live experience, including filters and effects, fundraising activities, and sharing images within your broadcast.
There are some helpful tips here, and if you’re looking at how to improve your IG performance over the upcoming holiday season, IG Live can be a valuable tool if used properly, and with a variety of new features added to the process, you now have more ways to interact with your fans and followers within your live stream.
You can find Instagram’s complete IG Live guide here.
