The story in tech circles is that Mark Zuckerberg couldn’t buy Snapchat a few years ago. Now, he’s trying to crush them. It certainly seems like Instagram Live is a step in that direction. (For those who have been living under a rock, Instagram is owned by Facebook, by the way).
What is Instagram Live?
Essentially it’s a tool designed to create live snapshots of your life through streamed videos. They are not meant to be replayed, but can be viewed for 24 hours just like Instagram stories. There is also a feature to send video messages privately. These can be watched twice before disappearing.
What does it mean for influencers?
As a creative tool, this is a perfect addition for Instagram influencers. It can create a sense of connection and exclusivity with your most ardent fans, who will relish the sense that they have been chosen to watch your live broadcasts. It can really makes them feel like they can “peer into your life” – and the private messages are a huge boost for engagement.
It’s also a fun new channel to explore. For Instagram influencers who have been working solely with images, going into the video world can be a welcome and exciting challenge. And it’s the perfect feature for “exclusive” access, such as private events and unique, newsworthy situations.
Instagram Live for business
Similarly, brands who have a Business Instagram account can easily create a bit of buzz by letting customers in on a “behind the scene” exploration. Events and product launches are an obvious choice, but it could also be cool to explore a factory or meeting the design team, for example. The major benefits for brands are:
1. Exclusivity
Like said before, you create a sense of exclusivity among your followers, enabling them to get a peek into the life of the influencer or exclusive access to a big event of a brand via Instagram. Providing these perks every now and then will increase your popularity and it’s also something else than your regular Insta post or story.
2. FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out)
As it says in the name, with Instagram Live it’s now or never. Followers that want to follow the livestream need to instantly tune in to make sure they don’t miss out on anything. This brings us to the next major benefit.
3. Instant Engagement
Finally, followers get the chance to see what you’re up to in your daily life, besides the static pictures you post on Instagram. Influencers see the comments that are posted during the livestream right away and can also respond, making followers feel like they are actually talking to them.
4. Inviting followers in your livestream
Last but not least, Instagram Live also lets you invite people into your livestream, creating a certain interaction as well. When followers are invited by you, they can tell something about themselves or anything related to the IG live, to thousands of people. This is also a real engagement booster.
A practical example of the last benefit is Dutch influencer Gwen van Poorten. She is a host for the Dutch tv-show Spuiten en Slikken, but also very active on social media.. Every week she organizes #debestevangwen (#thebestofgwen), where she challenges her followers to join her livestream and show their skills, like beatboxing, dancing, yodelling and so on.
Conclusion
Brands are still finding ways in which they can utilize Instagram Live, but in terms of influencer marketing, the benefits seem numerous, whether you are using a Business Instagram account, or working closely with some of the platform’s numerous celebrities.
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