How to Enliven Your Instagram Account With Live Video?

Video content is a good way to send messages to your audience: from momentous historical events to simple moments associated with your brand.

Today marketers try to come up with how to apply new Facebook features or how to manage a LinkedIn business pages. They are thinking about Instagram followers and what will be with Twitter tomorrow. And many of them bet on video as a fairly simple and effective way to attract the audience’s attention and increase traffic.

Why live video? What makes it popular?

In 2004, YouTube made the sensation in social media world.

Nowadays video services and online broadcasts are occupying different areas and spheres.

That is true – a qualitative and exciting streaming attracts attention and remains in memories, increases customer loyalty and improves brand image.

SMM-world is growing rapidly, and social networks offer new live video services and tools to attract their audience and enrich content. Fortunately, we have appropriate tools to assess the results of such content. It is quite easy to do it with available metrics and Social Media Analytics Tools.

One of the first networks, which started to use live video was Meerkat. Then the possibility of online streaming appeared on Twitter and Facebook. And recently Instagram has offered to apply live video opportunities.

In this article, we would like to identify how to set up Instagram live broadcast and remind the other social networks, which also allow to use this option.

All about Instagram live

Today you can find many interesting publications about Instagram and its updates that may help you to gain followers on Instagram. If you are interested in adding streaming to your stories, you definitely understand the benefits that live video can bring.

The key advantage of the latest Instagram update is that it allows you to connect with your Instagram audience in real time.

How to start adding live video on Instagram?

If briefly, according to Instagram Stories opportunities, you may create media that is shown at the top of your followers’ feeds for 24 hours.

Your Instagram followers will be able to engage with you while you’re live. But what is important – the videos will disappear after you end your broadcast. So, we can say that Instagram has increased the number of functions, common with Snapchat and Periscope.

What should we do to start the Instagram live feed?

Tap on your Instagram Story profile picture. Or tap on the camera icon at the top left of your Instagram screen if you don’t see the bar while scrolling down your news feed.

You’ll see your Instagram Stories, where you can find the following options: live, normal or boomerang videos.

Choose the live option and check your Instagram Story settings. Set up your camera, click “Start live video” and go live!

Once you start your streaming, Instagram will notify your followers.

Have a look how you can set up an Instagram stream:

During the broadcast, you can manage the comments – to make them enable or disable. It may protect your Instagram streaming against unscrupulous commentators. Instagram does not save the video, as the other services with the same function do.

Who is the target audience?

Small business representatives who try to develop and promote their products through social media, every day get more opportunities for successful growth.

Instagram streams can be the new breath for brands’ life.

For example, if you are responsible for the promotion of small beauty studio, Instagram will be a perfect tool for communication with your clients.

This kind of business is visual and clear. And now with the help of Instagram video, your studio promotion may have a real success.

Instagram master classes or hairstyle video guides will attract attention and engage customers for sure.

One hour Instagram streaming will be enough to carry out, track and analyze those who are watching the broadcast.

It’s possible to arrange the broadcast of a master class in a gym:

Or you can manage a music event with the help of Instagram video:

Live video on Facebook

The option of live stream on Facebook became available in August, 2015. Now everyone who has Android and iOS Facebook pages can use it.

It’s quite easy to broadcast content on Facebook: all the options are clear and friendly.

The broadcasting must be accompanied by a brief description of what will appear in the news feed and notifications.

Before starting your stream, you may select an audience. It remains only to press the “Start broadcast” button.

According to the last year’s Facebook statistics, there were more than 800 billion video views on Facebook every day.

This Facebook feature immediately became popular among the companies involved in video games, sports broadcasts, entertainment and educational activities and events and many others.

Live video on Twitter

In the very end of 2016, the integration of Twitter and Periscope was announced. So now Twitter users have an opportunity to add  video directly to their accounts. It is allowed to do through Android and iOS platforms.

All you need to do   is to create a message in the microblogging and click “Live” button. Then you can select the design of a broadcast. When everything is ready – just press “Start broadcast” and that’s it.

Users have already noted the positive impact of this integration for Twitter statistics and its popularity.

If you have tried the function and do not know how to evaluate its effectiveness, it’s time to use native Twitter analytics or KUKU.io analytical tools.

How to be prepared for live stream?

It’s not easy to be always prepared for a live stream and be able to provide high-quality content.

But it’s possible to assume that most users prefer an authentic, real-time and honest communication with brands, celebrities, and speakers.

Can we say that the real time option would harm the quality of content? It depends on the skills and efforts of people, who provide the stream.

Live broadcasts on social media do not require lengthy preparation or special skills.

It’s not extremely important for your followers to get an expensive and professional video. The best way to satisfy them is to provide quality information and unique content. You can even use your cell phone.

Have you already evaluated live video benefits? Please share your experience!

Posting to Instagram is officially available in KUKU.io. Now you can create scheduled posts for Instagram from the desktop and be sure your Instagram account is 100% safe.

Read more: Content Strategy / Instagram