With over 600 million monthly users, Instagram shows no signs of slowing down. In Part 1, we examined Instagram Stories and today’s installment will dive into Instagram Live; you’ll learn all about what it is and how organizations are finding creative ways of using this new feature.
Instagram Live: A Primer
At the end of 2016, Instagram began rolling out Instagram Live to the general public. Taking the ephemeral spirit of Instagram Stories to an even greater extreme, Instagram Live videos disappear the moment the broadcast ends. While Instagram Live is still a new feature and will surely continue to evolve, this content currently vanishes forever at the conclusion of a broadcast.
Like Instagram Stories, broadcasting on Instagram Live is initiated with the same camera button in the upper-left corner of the app. Slide the indicator to Live, share a short sentence about what the broadcast will cover, and press the button to go live.
There is an indicator showing current number of viewers. Unlike Stories, this number is seen by anyone watching the broadcast. As with Facebook Live, Instagram currently heavily promotes anyone going live, so if your followers are in the app when you go live, they are likely to be notified.
Since Instagram Live broadcasts disappear upon conclusion, they have more limited use than Facebook Live videos, which can be watched later. Possible uses of Instagram Live include:
- Backstage coverage at an event
- Touring the offices
- Doing a live Q&A
- Making an announcement
As with any live content, Instagram Live is great for developing a deeper connection with followers. Both Instagram Live and Stories are great complements to traditional Instagram posts. Informal, light-hearted, and spontaneous content works particularly well for both Live and Stories. These new features open up new opportunities for an organization to craft a compelling and engaging story.
