Instagram Live is part of the Instagram Stories content, a portion of the platform that boasts more than 500 million daily active users. Instagram reports that brand-led communication has a particularly strong impact on users’ shopping journeys. Of people surveyed, 87% said that they took action after seeing product information on Instagram, such as following a brand, visiting their website, or making a purchase online.

Instagram Live videos are a unique aspect of your brand-led communication because of their placement inside the app. No more fighting the algorithm, Instagram Stories are displayed at the top of the feed, and even better — Instagram Live videos are bumped to first place.

How can you leverage this ‘cut to the front of the line’ for your business? Here are 5 approaches that can build your brand on Instagram Live:

1. Product Marketing

Feature demos, tutorials, teasers, or launch announcements in your live videos. Every time you start a Live video your followers will receive an in-app notification. Even if they don’t tune in, this keeps you top of mind. 

2. Ecommerce

Alert followers of a limited time offer, discount code, or sale. Your Live video will stay in your Instagram Stories for 24 hours, so you can kick off a one-day-only sale that your audience can take advantage of even if they miss the live launch. 

3. Branding

Get transparent and show behind-the-scenes of your company. Showcase your company culture and use branded hashtags. Instagram Live videos can now be watched on desktop so it’s even easier for your audience to follow along on a bigger screen. 

4. Influencer Marketing

Empower influencers to engage with your followers. Featuring an influencer in your Live Videos is unique because the nature of the platform allows users to submit comments and questions in real-time. 

5. Lead Generation

Generate leads through user-submitted questions for Live Q&As or pointing out landing pages.

Whichever approach you choose, follow our best practices for Instagram Live to help boost your views, add value to your content, and ultimately grow your brand. 

Best Practices For Instagram Live

1. Use The Countdown Sticker To Build Anticipation

We already mentioned calling attention to your upcoming Live video, but one of the easiest ways to accomplish that is to use the built-in countdown sticker inside of Instagram.

2. Go Live When Your Audience Is Online

When you look at your Instagram Insights you can find a breakdown of when your followers are most active on the platform. Use this information to your advantage as you plan your Live broadcast.

4. Set Filters For Comments

You can use the Privacy settings to filter out offensive comments if you’d rather not see inappropriate words in the comments on your Live videos. You can manually filter comments that contain specific words or phrases. We highly recommend setting up these filters if you’re a larger brand with widespread engagement.

5. Set Up Regular Broadcasts

As with all content creation — consistency is key. Going Live at the same time every week will help your viewers anticipate your broadcasts and grow the community engaging with your content. 

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Instagram Live is a great tool to boost organic reach and build engagement with your audience. If you need help strategizing meaningful content or executing this tactic, get in touch with us! We’re always here to help.