Categories Instagram

A Brief Guide On Using Instagram Live For Business

Are you looking for a new way to interact with your audience on Instagram? You might have heard about Instagram Live for Business.

Today, we will tell you how you can talk to your target customers directly using this amazing Instagram feature.

After all, over 500 million people actively use Instagram stories daily. And Instagram Live functions as part of IG stories. It means you should not miss out on this opportunity to interact with such a big number of users.

Big brands are using this incredible Instagram marketing tool to sell products/services.

However, as the name implies, you can not have retakes on a live stream. It means there is no place for mistakes.

Don’t worry! With preparation, you will be good to go. We will tell you why Instagram Live is essential to help your business grow, how to start using IG live, and hacks to host video streams that meet your objectives.

What Is Instagram Live?

Instagram Live

Audiences love to see the human side of brands to which they can relate. Instagram Live is a wonderful way to do just that.

It enables you to broadcast or live stream videos to the audience instantly. Your Instagram Live stories are presented as the very first IG stories above the feed.

Moreover, when you start live broadcasting, your live video springs in front of each Instagram story. It saves your live video from the eyes of the algorithm.

Remember, you don’t get a chance to edit a live video. Therefore, craft an impactful first impression.

And get rid of connectivity problems before you go live as they can ruin your broadcast.

Why Is Instagram Live Essential For Your Business?

When your business’s CEO or founder engages with social media users face-to-face, it fosters a personal bonding. And users like it. Large organizations often find it hard to do.

So, small businesses get a good reason to benefit from this social media marketing opportunity.

Instagram Live has beautifully replaced in-person conferences or events. Your followers can comment, and you can respond to them in real-time during IG live.

Instagram Live Essential

Instagram Live gives your users a great opportunity to pour their hearts out and ask you whatever they want to know about your products/services and brand.

You don’t even need to gather an audience. Instagram automatically sends notifications when you start your Instagram broadcast to the users. It ensures that more and more people join your live stream.

What’s more, live streams impact users in powerful ways because they are unfiltered. Your content gets a personal and genuine touch because you communicate with the audience in real-time.

No other social media tactic beats Instagram live in providing this level of immediate interaction with the followers. That is why you must incorporate it into your Instagram marketing plan.

Guide To Going Live On Instagram

Going Live On Instagram

Instagram Live is a piece of cake to learn if you read this guide carefully as we will cover the process in baby steps.

Check Instagram Camera Settings

Before you begin your Instagram live video, you should look into your live video settings to avoid any issues. Open your Instagram story and tap the live option. Then the screen will show you the number and profiles of the active followers at that time.

Swipe right to open the settings menu. You will be directed to your camera settings. Here you can choose things like whether you want the camera toolbar on the left or right-hand side.

Click on the Live button and you will get the option to hide the photos and videos including Live videos of your Instagram stories from certain people.

Look at the left-hand side of your screen, and you will find a content icon that lets you write a title for your video.

You will also see an audience icon to select from Public or Practice mode and a calendar icon to schedule your live video for a specific date and time.

Once you feel satisfied with the settings, click the camera button. Instagram will ensure a perfect internet connection and then start the live stream.

Hide Unwanted Comments

You don’t need to read indecent comments on your live video. Head out to your Instagram settings. Go to 👁️ Hidden Words under the Privacy menu. Here you can hide inappropriate comments by swiping the toggle bar.

Hide Unwanted Comments

You can also block comments from specific people and use the manual filter to conceal comments that have certain phrases/words from your content. Or you can use ⚙️ Advanced Comment Filtering to do it automatically.

Plan Your Live Video Stream

If you are just starting, make sure you understand all the features Instagram live provides. Aspecially the ones you want to use in your video and plan your live stream before hand. You should know how your selected features will fulfill your Instagram live objectives.

Otherwise, your live stream will be distracted and hurried. Your video content can get ruined if you keep testing with different features during the live stream rather than interacting fully with the users.

Start Live Broadcast

Tap ‘Live’ on your screen whenever you are ready and begin your live session in attendance of you loyal customers and followers.

End Your Instagram Live

After ending the video, you can save it to your profile by clicking the save icon on the left side and then, confirming your choice.

Some Key Highlights of Instagram Live

Instagram live offers some outstanding features useful for businesses to engage with their customers in better ways.

  • You can open your camera and stream a video live instantly
  • It enables you to pin some comments that will show at the top of the comments feed
  • Followers can comment during the session to ask questions or leave feedback
  • You can invite others to your video stream as guests
  • It allows you to save your live stream to your IG stories
  • You will see comments from people at the bottom of your screen. Q&A sticker allows you to view queries posted by the audience. You have the liberty to select which ones would show on the live stream.

Tips to Leverage Instagram Live for Your Business

These Instagram Live best practices will help you create killer content and prepare for your live stream.

1. Have an Objective

Why do you want to go live on Instagram? Have you decided on its purpose?

You should figure out what you want to deliver through your video. It might be product promotion, informative content, a new deal/discount, or just casual talk for the sake of engagement.

2. Prepare in Advance

Structure the content of your live stream so you don’t start babbling in the middle. Prepare in advance to ensure your live stream hooks the audience.

3. Promote Your IG Live

Start promoting your live stream on your Instagram posts or stories at least one week ahead of time. By adding a countdown clock to your IG stories, you can boost the promotion and let followers choose to get a reminder added to their calendar about your live video.

4. Use Longer Live Streams

Try to make your live stream at least longer than 10 minutes. People might tune in and out from your live video. The longer you stay live on Instagram, the larger audience you will reach.

Businesses have noticed that longer live videos often work better and engage with a larger number of people than shorter ones.

Conclusion

Live Streaming is a dynamic option social media sites offer that businesses can use to bond with their followers, drive new audience members and develop their brand. For this reason, almost all social media channels give this option.

You can go live on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and other social media sites. However, you should choose a platform where your audience hangs out more and which you understand better.

Due to the pandemic, we all stayed isolated for a long time. It was a time when businesses may have found it hard to stay connected with their customers.

Instagram Live came to their rescue at that time. Still, brands are using it as a shortcut to success on Instagram at least to stay at the top of their audience’s minds.

Frequently Asked Questions

🌟 Can Instagram Live help my business grow?

Instagram Live is a useful feature of Instagram to help businesses boost their marketing efforts. You should use it to interact with your target audience, foster your social media presence and promote your products.

🌟 How can I start a Live Stream on Instagram for better Business?

Here are the simple steps to start a live video on Instagram Live:

  • Open your IG stories camera and click on the Live option at the bottom of your screen
  • Hit the button when you are ready to start your live video
  • Instagram will check your internet connectivity and if the connection is fine, it will start your live stream

🌟 How can I host an Instagram Live to get real value for my business?

Here are some tips to host a successful live stream on Instagram.

  • Announce your Instagram Live way before its actual date and tell users what your live video will be about
  • Start your live broadcast when the maximum number of your followers are active on the app
  • Incorporate some branded elements that reflect your brand values
  • Ensure that the background of your live broadcast including location, lighting, and colors matches your brand
  • Prepare a content plan based on what you want to cover in your video. It's best to have a beginning, a focal point, and a conclusion for your live stream

Author: Alex Carey

Alex Carey is a UAE-based Editor and Journalist. He's passionate about writing on different topics such as SEO, mobile app development, Social Media Media, Blockchain Technology, And Many More. He's brilliantly imaginative in filling out the specifics of the innovation processes and design thinking.