A you a fan of Facebook Live? Then you've got to check out the new Instagram Live that was launched about a month ago. It provides the opportunity to connect with your followers and engage with them on a deeper level.
Here's a quick tutorial on how to "go live" and what you need to know before you film your first video.
Key Findings from my experiment going live...
- For most of us this will be a great tool to go deeper with existing relationships, not a useful strategy for gaining new followers. There is an option to get featured on Instagram's "top live" videos which could drive likes, but at this point I'm not sure how difficult it is to get featured.... otherwise your video will only show to your existing followers who will be notified when you go live.
Do This: Think of this as a new channel to reach your audience with relevant and useful tips, as well as an opportunity to share who you are with your following. Try to keep your videos short and to the point, most people only want to watch 30 seconds to a few minutes, and the later is still pushing it.
- Once you end the video, it's gone... there is no way to save it and share later. With that said timing is super important, you want to go live when the highest number of your followers are on Instagram.
Do This: Experiment with timing. Try going live on at different times and days and record the number of people who join and engage with you (Instagram will tell you at the end of your recording how many people showed up). Look for patterns and peak times to determine the optimal time for you to go live.
- There are settings under "story settings" in you can use it to control who can comment on your live videos and if you want to hide your video or block certain people from seeing it.
Do This: If you have a certain troll who's constantly commenting or creating negativity on your Instagram account--- block them from commenting or viewing your videos.
How to go live in writing, for those of you who prefer to read...
Step 1: Download the latest version of Instagram in your App Store.
Step 2: Open the Instagram App.
Step 3: Click the camera icon at the top left of your newsfeed.
Step 4: Make sure the white arrow is pointing up to "Live," if not scroll over to that.
Step 5: Make sure you have a good internet connection.
Step 6: Hit "Start Live Video."
Step 7: You'll start recording and watch your peeps join the recording -- people can heart your recording or comment similar to Facebook Live. Hit Stop when you're all done!
Hope you found this tutorial helpful and start exploring the fascinating world of Instagram Stories and all it has to offer business owners. I personally like it much better that Snapchat... what do you think?
Xo
CopyKat