How To Start An Instagram Live Series For Your Brand

Have you noticed an increase in Instagram Live sessions lately? As the world stays home and practices social distancing, social media has become an important means of staying connected. In the absence of in-person events and meetings, live streaming in particular has emerged as the next best thing.

Going live on Instagram is a great way to stay connected with your audience and utilize influencer partners. Thinking of launching an Instagram Live series on your brand’s channel? Here are some keys to finding success.

Integrate Into Your Influencer Marketing

The biggest goal of hosting Instagram Lives is to build your community, and there is no better way to do this than partnering with influencers. Hosting livestreams on your Instagram channel will help  build a sense of community with your existing followers, but having an influencer join in as a co-host will help grow both of your audiences, as followers of either account will be notified about the Instagram Live.

Enlisting influencers to join in your Instagram Live is a wonderful way to cross-promote and tap into a similar audience. Partner with influencers who are authentically passionate about your brand, with similar but not identical followings, for the best results.

Set A Schedule

Instagram Lives have become social media’s version of appointment television. Establishing a regular schedule of programming will set expectations for your audience and encourage them to tune in regularly, like they would their favorite weekly show. 

Are you planning on going live every day? Once a week? Every other day? Whatever the case may be, be realistic about your bandwidth when determining the cadence, so as not to overextend yourself or your team members managing the Instagram Live.

You should also take a look at your audience insights to determine the dates and times your followers are most active on social media. 

Define Your Niche

As mentioned, a large number of brands are launching Instagram Live series right now, so it is crucial to define your series’ niche so that you can set yourself apart from competition. Is there an activity associated with your brand that you can incorporate? (Ex. a workout attire brand hosting weekly workout sessions with fitness influencers.) Is there a cause that is near and dear to your brand’s core values? Brainstorm creative concepts to make your series stand out.

Build Anticipation

If you go live on Instagram without pre-promotion, you most likely won’t have that great of a viewer turnout. Ensure your new initiative is a success by promoting the “event” on your social media channels. Post a schedule of upcoming episodes and highlight the biographies of upcoming guests. Encourage your guests to post on their accounts as well, so their followers know to tune in. You can also use the Countdown sticker on Instagram Stories to let your audience know exactly when the Live will start and give followers the option to set a reminder timed to the countdown.

Repurpose The Content

Your Instagram Live will only last a little while on Instagram itself, but you can download your live session (make sure to do this right when ending your video, as this is the only time you will be able to download it) and utilize the video on other platforms. You can share the video to Facebook or YouTube, where it can live on for a longer period of time. Don’t forget to share the Instagram Live to your story, as well, so that audiences can catch a replay of it for 24 hours.