There’s an immediacy about live broadcasts that instantly captures people’s attention in the way no canned report can match.

“We now take you live to the scene where our intrepid reporter is standing by!”

Don’t those words make you want to drop everything and watch? With a live broadcast, anything can happen. You have to pay attention or you might miss something, and it’s human nature to want to be in on the action. Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) is a thing for a reason.

The same is true with social media. Live video streaming creates an urgency that makes people want to watch, but not many businesses are even aware of this valuable tool.

Second only to Facebook, Instagram’s one billion monthly active users are a potential goldmine for marketing your product or service. So if you haven’t been taking advantage of Instagram’s Live feature, 101 Management, Inc.’s top social media management experts want to show you how to get the most from it.

Advantages of Instagram Live

In addition to the attention-grabbing nature of a live broadcast, there are several reasons to make more use of Instagram’s Live feature:

Visibility—Instagram Live is part of Instagram’s Stories feature, so if their app is open fans receive instant notification when you go live. And all live videos appear at the beginning of Instagram Stories, which is prime real estate on the platform, so to speak.

Authenticity—We’ve mentioned many times how important it is to seem to your followers like a real person. Instagram Live is the ideal way to convey that impression. Fans get to see you as you really are, which helps them better relate to you as the face behind your brand.

Intimacy—Live streaming not only lets your fans see the real you, they can also communicate with you in real time by typing questions into the comment box, allowing you to answer during your live stream.

Length—Because a live stream can go much longer than an Instagram Story, you’ll be able to keep your fans’ attention for a longer period of time.

Engagement—If you’re partnering with an influencer on your live stream, their fans as well as yours will receive notifications of your event, meaning you get double the engagement for your efforts.

If we’ve piqued your interest, here are a few tips on how to get the most from your Instagram Live broadcasts.

Set your goals

We know you get tired of hearing this, but it’s important begin with a plan. You need a general idea of what you’re going to say for the duration of your broadcast. Otherwise, you risk awkward pauses and dead air, a sure recipe for making people scroll away.

  • What’s the purpose of your live stream?
  • Will you do all the talking yourself?
  • Can you interview subject matter experts related to your business?
  • Will you provide behind-the-scenes glimpses of your organization?
  • Can you use it to launch a product or a seasonal promotion?
  • Will your live streams provide in-depth how-tos or tutorials on your product or service?
  • Will you take questions and answers?
  • How often will you do live broadcasts?

And here’s the most important question:

  • Why will fans want to watch? That is, what’s in it for them? Will your broadcasts be purely for entertainment, or can they gain useful information or valuable knowledge from your live stream? Either can be a legitimate purpose, as long as it will generate fan engagement.

Create a format

Just as broadcast TV shows have a format, so should you. You wouldn’t expect to tune in to your favorite TV talk show and instead see a talent contest or a news report or a half-hour drama.

Similarly, podcasts each have a format that listeners come to expect every time.

So decide up front what general form your live “shows” will take, and how long your live stream will last. Aim for at least 10 minutes, up to the platform’s limit of one hour, and make all your broadcasts about the same length.

Promote your broadcast

Movie and TV producers do it; so should you. You don’t want to just pop up live on people’s feed. 

You want to alert your fans several days ahead of time about your live event to build excitement and let them know what’s coming up and when. This allows them to make an appointment with your live stream and maximizes your audience.

Relax and have fun

Finally, don’t be nervous. Part of the attraction of a live stream is the immediacy. Plus, the fact that you’re broadcasting from your phone and not a TV studio means no one will be expecting a professional production.

Stay upbeat, apologize for any technical glitches, and keep on streaming!

If you want to experiment with this valuable marketing tool, let our social media management experts help you get started.