What I'm about to say is no secret to anyone that has a tightly-knit community on social media...
Instagram Live is a FANTASTIC tool to engage with your community. Maybe the best one they make available to us.
Not only is it more fun for your audience to see your face and interact with you in real-time, but it is the best way to create rapport with your audience in a direct, transparent, and authentic way.
But how can you make sure you capitalize on all the opportunities that Instagram Live has to offer to you?
Let’s dive in…
Tip #1: Promote the heck out of it
If you want people to be available at an exact time to attend your Instagram Live, they need to know that an Instagram Live is taking place!
Jump on your stories, mention it in your newsletter, and post about it on your feed. Just promote, promote, promote!
Another great tactic here would be to use the tools Instagram makes available to you. My favorite one is the countdown sticker to promote when your Instagram Live is happening. This way, people can set themselves up so they receive a notification once the timer is up.
While Instagram alerts all of your followers once you start your Livestream, this method ensures they’re available to come to join you.
Tip #2: Know what your content plan is
Most people are nervous to get on behind a camera from the get-go… And the live component makes it even more intimidating.
But it doesn’t have to be nerve-wracking! If you want to avoid feeling lost or not knowing what direction you’re heading towards as you speak, make sure to create a content plan for yourself.
You don’t necessarily need a script, but you should create an outline. This way, you know what your talking points are.
And if you get nervous with public speaking, the key here is to practice!
Practice, practice, practice.
Tip #3: Engage with your audience in real-time
If you don’t use this tactic, what’s the point of going live?!
The biggest advantage of going live (and the reason why I push my clients to do so) is that you can interact with viewers in real-time.
So ask them questions throughout your Livestream and make sure you have a dedicated Q&A section at the end so you can answer the questions your audience has for you.
PRO TIP: always, and I mean always refer to the person who is asking a question by their first name. I promise, there’s nothing that sounds sweeter to that person’s ears than their name. It’s a well-used tactic among those in industries where relationship and rapport-building are important, such as in sales.
Tip #4: Ask for something
Going live is fun, but don’t forget you’re not just doing it for fun! Keep your business objectives in mind and don’t forget to introduce a call-to-action that reflects the goal of your live stream before you close the event.
Tip #5: Keep up the engagement
If you followed all of my tips, congratulations! You just had a killer Livestream.
At this point, you’ve most definitely spiked curiosity in a few people or may have gained some new fans. Make sure to check your DM’s and to continue engaging with the people who attended your Instagram Live; because I promise, they’ll keep on engaging with you!
Going live on Instagram may feel a bit intimidating, but I promise after you do it a few times, it will feel like you’ve been doing it for years! If you have any questions about Instagram Lives and how they could work for your business, get in touch with me!