How to Use Instagram Live in 2022 [A Complete Guide]

Looking for a great way to boost your engagement and get more followers on Instagram? Instagram Live is a fantastic way to gain new followers, increase interaction, and even sell things.

For you to get started with IG Live, we’ll go through everything from going live on Instagram to our top ideas for producing a Live stream that adds value both to your brand and Instagram followers.

Why Use Instagram Live?

Looking at the statistics, you can easily see why you should use this feature to promote your business and engage your followers. Instagram Live works as part of Instagram Stories, which now has more than 500 million daily active users. So, there is a high potential that you get many viewers for your Instagram Live videos.

Unlike Instagram Stories or IGTV videos, Instagram Live is a live video that your followers can watch and interact with at the moment. It is one of Instagram’s most participatory features since it allows your audience to make comments and queries in real time.

In addition, Instagram Live can boost your Instagram engagement and your visibility on Instagram. Every time you go live on Instagram, your followers get a notification to join your Live session. Moreover, your profile photo will appear in the story feed so that everyone will know you have gone live if they open their Instagram app.

Your Live video will be archived for 24 hours on your Instagram Stories for your followers to catch up. This exposes your live video to a much bigger audience and results in a significantly higher number of views. To increase your Live stream views, you can continue to promote your Live stream across several social media channels. In addition, you can also save your live video on your Instagram profile as an IGTV so that you get views for them as long as you keep it on your profile.

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How to Go Live on Instagram

So, let’s see how you can use Instagram Live through these useful tips:

Check Your Settings

Before going live on Instagram, you must double-check that your settings are precisely how you want them. Open the Instagram Stories camera and swipe across to the “Live” option to view your settings. To access your controls, tap the wheel symbol in the top left corner.

Hide Offensive Comments

Let’s face it: many users have not yet realized that Instagram or other social media platforms are online communities similar to the real communities we see in society. They do not care if there are norms that they should follow, such as respecting others or allowing them to share their beliefs and opinions. Therefore, sometimes it’s necessary to hide offensive comments added by these users. This is similar to how Facebook comment moderation works.

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How to Hide Comments on Instagram Live

So how do you protect your mental health from offensive comments during a live session? You can manually filter comments that contain specific words or phrases if you don’t want to see them in the comments on your Live stream. This is something you should do particularly if you’re a huge brand with a high level of interaction. Here is how to do so:

• Go to Instagram Settings and tap on Privacy. 

• Then, select Comments.

• Here you can see the settings related to offensive comments. 

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Announce the Live Time

If you want to have many participants in your Live, you should announce it in advance. Try to make your promotions seem interesting so that people would be curious and willing to join your Live. You can also cross-promote that you are going live on Instagram on your other social media platforms. 

If you want to promote your Live on a story, you can add a countdown sticker to it. This way, your followers can activate the countdown so that they will get notified when the time of your Live has come. Here is how you can add a countdown sticker to your story:

Go Live at the Right Time

One of the simplest methods to make your Instagram Lives more successful is to start your video when your followers are online. All of your followers who are online at the time of your Live will receive an in-app notification from Instagram. So, it’s better to choose a time when most of your followers are online and can get the notification. 

The best method to do this is to look back at historical data trends to see when your target audience is most active on Instagram. Take a peek at your Instagram Insights to access such data. You’ll discover a summary of when your followers are most active online under the Audience page, split down by day of the week and time of day.

To access Instagram Insights, tap on Insights on your Instagram profile:

Then, tap on Audience and see all the information regarding your followers, including their online time:

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Choose the Right Location

One good thing you should do before going Live is choosing a place with good lighting and a calm environment. The location of your live session can show many things about your brand, including professionality.

Generally speaking, your Live theme should reflect your brand if you use Instagram filters or themes. Consider how you may employ color to convey the joyful and whimsical nature of your brand. A vivid burst of pastel, for example, can instantly change the tone of your Instagram Live and make it more on brand. 

Run Instagram Live Based on a Plan

A content plan is always a positive move forward. Taken as a whole, planning can help you in doing almost all your daily tasks. Without a plan, there is a high probability of getting things disorganized, leading to not achieving the desired goals. The same can happen to Instagram Live if you do not have a content plan or an Instagram content calendar. 

A comprehensive plan can help you avoid awkward pauses and ensure that you cover all of the crucial items on your business agenda. Consider your Live stream to have a beginning, middle, and end. This would keep your viewers engaged and tell them that your Live video is not based on an impulsive decision; rather, you have spent time to create a plan for it.

TL;DR – How to Use Instagram Live in a Nutshell

Instagram Live is a great way to attract more leads to your business. You can raise your brand awareness and increase your brand visibility on the platform using Instagram Live. Make sure that you plan for it before you start and keep up with all the tips mentioned above to get to your goals.

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