Instagram Live video is one of the most effective ways to engage your audience and boost your business. It’s personal, engaging, and interactive, allowing you to connect with your followers in ways other forms of content can’t.
Instagram Live Videos
- They are more popular than ever. According to a recent report by Livestream, 80% of consumers prefer to watch live video from a brand rather than read a blog post, and 82% prefer to watch live video from a brand rather than read social media posts.
- It can help you reach a wider audience. Instagram Live Videos are shown to more followers than pre-recorded videos and are more likely to be shared.
- It can boost your sales and conversions. A recent study by Socialbakers found that live video shopping campaigns can increase conversions by up to 10%.
How to Use Instagram Live Videos to Grow Your Business
Here are a few tips on how to use Instagram Live Videos to grow your business:
- Plan your content ahead of time. This will help you ensure that your videos are informative and engaging.
- Promote your live videos in advance. Let your followers know when you’re going live and what they can expect to learn.
- Be yourself and have fun. People can tell when you’re genuine, so relax and enjoy yourself.
- Interact with your audience. Answer questions and respond to comments in real-time.
- Offer exclusive deals and discounts to your live viewers. This is a great way to incentivize people to watch your videos and learn more about your products or services.
The Essential Equipment Guide for Instagram Live Videos
Few platforms offer the immediacy and reach of Instagram Live Videos when engaging with your audience in real-time. Whether you’re an influencer, a business owner, or simply someone with a message to share, the live video feature on Instagram provides a unique opportunity to connect. However, for your Instagram Live Videos to resonate and leave a lasting impression, the quality of your broadcast is crucial. In this blog post, we’ll explore the essential equipment to help you create professional-quality Instagram Live Videos.
A Mobile Phone: The Heart of Instagram Live Videos
Why Your Phone Matters
Recommended Phones for Live Streaming
The latest iPhone models, like the iPhone 13 Pro or Samsung Galaxy S21, are ideal for Instagram Live Videos. These phones offer excellent camera quality and built-in stabilization features that can make a difference.
Best Practices for Using Mobile Phones
- Stable Connection: Ensure you have a reliable Wi-Fi connection for uninterrupted streaming.
- Battery Life: Make sure your phone is fully charged, and consider having a power source nearby.
- Orientation: Lock your phone’s direction to avoid unintended rotation during the stream.
Quality Audio: The Need for an External Mic or Lavalier
Why Audio Quality is Crucial
Audio is often an overlooked aspect of Instagram Live Videos. Poor audio can be a distraction and severely reduce your message’s impact.
Types of Microphones
- Lavalier Microphone: This clip-on mic provides hands-free operation and good sound quality.
- External Shotgun Mic: This is ideal for capturing audio from a particular direction, minimizing background noise.
Audio Settings and Testing
Before you go live, test your audio setup. Check for any latency or echo issues and ensure the audio levels are balanced.
A Teleprompter: Your Secret Weapon for Scripted Content
Why Use a Teleprompter?
A teleprompter can be incredibly helpful for Instagram Live Videos that require you to convey a lot of information precisely.
Choosing the Right Teleprompter
You don’t need a full-scale studio teleprompter; even a tiny smartphone-compatible device will do the trick. Many teleprompter apps are available that can run alongside your Instagram Live application.
Teleprompter Best Practices
- Speed: Adjust the scrolling rate to match your natural speaking pace.
- Practice: A few dry runs will make you more comfortable when you’re live.
Optional Equipment: The Green Screen
Creative Freedom with a Green Screen
A green screen can add professionalism and creative possibilities to your Instagram Live Videos. You can superimpose any backdrop, whether a professional office setup or a tropical beach.
Quick Setup Tips
- Lighting: Proper lighting is crucial for practical green screen usage.
- Software: Ensure you have compatible software to handle the green screen effects.
Additional Gear: Tripods, Lighting, and More
Stabilization with Tripods
A tripod can stabilize your video, making it appear more professional.
Proper Lighting
Good lighting is essential for any video. Softbox lights or ring lights are popular choices for Instagram Live Videos.
Just Show Yourself In Your Instagram Live Videos
Chances are that we’ve all taken to the tendency of hiding behind computers, laptops, and smartphones. We’ve been hiding for way too long, haven’t we?
Indeed, nothing is more endearing, connecting, and human-like than showing up in person on your followers’ Instagram feeds. There’s that human connection and that face that puts everything you do into perspective. Plus, videos with “you” in them are usually instant hits, giving you a lot of traction.
- Was I thinking aloud? Go live!
- Have an opinion? Say it aloud!
- Are you sharing tips? The world wants to know.
Go Behind The Scenes
In the Vimeo LiveStream audience behavior insights survey (above), more than 87% of surveyed audiences revealed that they’d happily watch “behind the scenes” footage — live or otherwise — compared to anything else on television.
The moment you show “behind the scenes” — and that could be anything from the mess your pet dog left behind on the office floor to how you hustled in your pajamas to find influencers for Interviewing in your next webinar — you let everyone know that you are not afraid to be open, that you want not just to show the results but also share the journey you took to achieve what you did, and more.
Let’s make it simple here: The world is a curious place. Open your windows, please?
Use Instagram Live Video For Product Launches
Instagram is a mobile-first application. Over 34% of the world’s mobile audience spends all their waking hours on social media (including Instagram).
The opportunity is enormous for you to let everyone know what you are coming up with next. What’s the next shiny thing? What are you launching next? What are you working on? Remember that little tease that went something like “Coming soon”?
Since this is a live video, you’ll be available at a particular time and date. Just inform your followers and announce your live event on Instagram (and other social networks) before the event itself.
What’s Your Story?
How and why did you start your business? What insights did you pick from all these years (or even days or weeks if you are beginning)? Do your customers have stories about how your business, services, or products changed their lives for good?
All these are stories that others can relate to.
The human psyche loves, craves, and digs stories. You don’t have to make this stuff up.
You have stories. Your customers have accounts. Your team members have stories to share.
You only have to get those stories out in video format, like Instagram video.
Go Live And Make A Pitch!
Consider webinars: marketers and businesses announce webinars, get attendees to sign up for these webinars, provide value or solve a problem during the webinar, and then make a pitch (usually the deal is sweetened with a deep discount or a special offer) to make some sales.
Webinars are a proven way to generate leads and instantly make sales while the webinar is on (or soon after the webinar ends).
Instagram Live videos work just like Webinars (minus the webinar software). The only difference is that all the action happens on Instagram itself, and the only way you’ll be able to have people sign up for an offer or visit a landing page is with a link in your bio.
How are you going to use Instagram Live Video? Tell us all about it.