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How to use Instagram Live for your business

Scheenagh Harrington — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 13:22:41 +0000

There was a time, not so long ago, when watching live telly was a national pastime, from Saturday morning kids’ shows to special episodes of EastEnders. Knowing it was being broadcast as we watched was thrilling – and hilarious if something went wrong.

The rise of the internet and smartphones has put the power of live broadcasting into everyone’s hands, and while there’s less chance of an elephant having a poo on our living room floors (Ed’s note: poor John Noakes), the content being created by entrepreneurs and influencers can be every bit as compelling.

It’s no surprise that Instagram also offers live streaming on its platform, alongside Facebook and YouTube. But is Instagram Live of any use to business owners? Absolutely. Allow us to explain…

Lights…

If you’re planning to plunge into the livestreaming world using Instagram, it’s easy peasy. First swipe right from your feed to open the Stories Camera. Then tap ‘Live’, followed by ‘Start Live Video’. Easy peasy.

The trickier part is making sure your video is one worth watching, so let’s rewind a little. First of all, do your homework – has anyone else posted videos about the subject, product or service you plan to cover? If not – great. But if they have, can you put a must-see spin on it that will turn viewers into customers?

Camera…

Next, get in touch with your ideal audience. All the world may be a stage and us mere players on it, but nobody wants to speak to an empty house. Use the countdown sticker in Instagram Stories or post on your Instagram Feed to give your followers a heads up.

Timing is everything too, so check your analytics to ensure you’ll be grabbing your target audience at the moment when they’re most receptive (and willing to buy).

Action!

You can also partner up with a creator or business collaborator, or even a follower for your Instagram Live if you’re not keen on flying solo for your video debut (though remember what happened to The Supremes…). The ‘Using Live With’ button is a great way to build anticipation and even engage a wider audience before you’ve even uttered a single word.

When you finally push the button and go live, you can interact with your viewers using a Q&A, either by taking questions during the stream or via the Questions sticker in Instagram Stories. Having a few in the bank before you get going is a great way to avoid any awkward pauses. Audiences prefer longer live streams, so aim for at least 10 minutes.

Stick to the script

Chances are your viewers will be receptive and friendly, but to make sure the entire process is a positive community experience, don’t forget to turn on the comment moderation button.

Open Instagram settings, scroll down to Privacy and then choose Comments. Here, you can filter out replies containing specific words or phrases, or use the Manual Filter to select your own words or phrases that you don’t want to pop up onscreen.

Cut! That’s a wrap

When you’ve finished your Instagram Live, don’t forget to promote it in your Stories, where it will remain for 24 hours before being automatically deleted.

You can, of course, hang on to your magnum opus for longer, by downloading it from Instagram TV (IGTV). It’s a good idea to watch your videos back and critique them as objectively as possible. Which bits did viewers respond to the most, and what made them turn them off? You can use that information while planning your next video.

If you’re still gripped by stage fright, don’t worry. Drop us a line and we’ll soon have you ready for your close up, Mr DeMille…

We’re 24 fingers, a digital marketing agency and a proud member of the Brentwood Chamber of Commerce, Excel Business Networking Group, the Trusted Business Community, the Organisation for Responsible Businesses and the Rotary Club of Brentwood à Becket. If you’re feeling all fingers and thumbs with your online marketing, use our hands (and hearts and minds) to get extra digits on your bottom line. Book your free strategy call here.

The post How to use Instagram Live for your business first appeared on 24 fingers.

The post How to use Instagram Live for your business appeared first on 24 fingers.

A complete guide to going Live

Emma Goode — Fri, 03 Feb 2017 11:05:20 +0000

As you will have no doubt noticed, live videos are all the rage at the moment. Everything from politics to puppies is coming straight to you in real-time and it’s only going to increase.

But if it all sounds a bit daunting to try yourself, or if you’re a little bit camera shy, let us take the pressure off with our complete guide to going live…

What is going live?

Social media is already an instantaneous world, but live video takes that one step further. In this context, live video is essentially the broadcasting of a video that is shared in real-time with your social media audience – whether it be friends, followers or fans. Those watching can also engage with you as you broadcast by liking and commenting on the video stream. It’s a pretty simple concept.

How do I do it?

Although live videos have been around for a little while now, there are two main platforms that are really pushing the service at the moment – Facebook and Instagram. Some other platforms such also have live streaming options, but these two are the ones you’ll want to focus on.

First things first, you’ll need your phone out. Both platforms are working on ways users can use video software for more professional streams, but mobile devices are best for now.

Facebook

Open the app and head to where you would usually post a status from. Here, you’ll be able to see a ‘Live’ option – select this. You’ll then be asked to confirm that you want to start a live video, and then counted down in 3… 2… 1…

Live videos on Facebook can currently run for 90 minutes, with a recommended optimum of 10 minutes. Once your stream has ended, the video will remain on your timeline like any other post, and its title and privacy settings can be changed at any time. Live videos currently rank higher than others on newsfeeds, so more of your friends are likely to see you.

Instagram

Open the app and head to where you would usually add something to Your Story in the top lefthand corner. Here, you’ll now be able to see an option for ‘Live’ next to ‘Normal’ and ‘Boomerang’. You’ll then be asked to confirm that you want to start a live video, and then counted down in 3… 2… 1…

Instagram’s live videos can be up to 60 minutes in length, but unlike Facebook, the videos are not hostied on the platform. This means that once you have finished your video, it disappears – keeping in with the whole ‘live’ concept and living in the moment. Instagram also allows you to hide your video from people, turn comments on or off and block people at any time.

With both platforms, you will be able to interact and engage with those watching by responding to their likes and comments whilst you are on camera. You can also request that they turn on notifications for you, so that they are alerted the next time you’re live.

Top tips

Show off your best side. Make sure your camera angle is right before you start. You can see this before you go live and you can swap the camera around to selfie mode, or to show everyone your surroundings.
Get connected. Before you start, check your internet connection. WiFi is the most reliable, but if you’re out and about, then try to be on 4G.
Shout about it. Tell people in advance when you will be going live. You can also ask them to turn on notifications for you so they don’t miss out in the future.
Say hello. Interact with those who are watching you. You’ll be able to see who is there on your screen, so say hello and encourage them to ask questions you can answer then and there.
Keep going. Both platforms encourage you to be live for more than a couple of minutes in order to allow your friends to see that you are live and start watching. The longer your video, there more prominent you will be on Facebook’s newsfeed or Instagram’s Explore tab.
Have fun. Don’t worry about what you might say or do, just go with it! It’s all part of the fun of being live, to see where it takes you. The more you do it, the more confident you will be in front of the camera and more people will watch you.

Live video is great for so many things – including big announcements, launching products, showing people behind the scenes or answering Q&A’s. Need a helping hand or someone to hold the camera steady? You can book the crew here.

The post A complete guide to going Live first appeared on 24 fingers.

The post A complete guide to going Live appeared first on 24 fingers.