In fact, we’re going to make it so easy to go live on Instagram that you might enjoy yourself. We’ll walk you through how to go live, three tips and tricks for planning a successful livestream, and seven examples to inspire your next Instagram Live. We’ve also included how to watch others’ Live content and an FAQ as a little treat.
Instagram has over one billion monthly active users, all looking for easily consumable content. A 2021 survey showed video viewership reached 92% of internet users worldwide, with Live Streams taking the 4th highest place in popularity. Video content is king of the internet; we know that now.
So, do yourself a favor and start planning your next Instagram Live stream. Wipe your eyes, take a deep breath, and remember, we got you every step of the way.
Bonus: Download a free checklist that reveals the exact steps a fitness influencer used to grow from 0 to 600,000+ followers on Instagram with no budget and no expensive gear.
Instagram Live is an easy and powerful way to connect with your followers in real time.
With live video, you can broadcast live streams, engage your audience through comments and questions, and create more authentic connections.
In this comprehensive guide, I’ll cover everything you need to know to go live on Instagram, from initial setup to best practices for creating compelling live content.
Why Go Live on Instagram?
Here are some of the key benefits of using Instagram Live
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Increase reach and discovery – Your live video can show up on the profiles of followers and in Stories for people who don’t yet follow you. This helps you get discovered by new audiences.
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Engage your followers – Let people interact through comments, emoji reactions, and the new Live Rooms feature. This builds stronger relationships with your community.
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Get real-time feedback – See people’s reactions and get input through Q&As and polls during the broadcast. Quickly understand what resonates.
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Share raw, authentic content – The informal nature of live video gives you a way to showcase more natural, real-world content.
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Create FOMO – When people see you’re live, they feel compelled to tune in. This builds anticipation and urgency to watch.
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Develop your brand – Give people a personalized experience with you and your brand through the interactive live format.
Now let’s look at how to set up your Instagram account and profile to go live.
Instagram Live Requirements
To host an Instagram Live broadcast you need:
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An Instagram personal or business profile account
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The latest version of Instagram app for iOS or Android
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A strong WiFi or cellular data connection
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Your account must be public to broadcast to all followers
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A profile photo and bio to provide context to new viewers
Once your account is ready, you can configure your settings for live streaming.
How to Set Up Your Instagram Account to Go Live
Here are the steps to get your Instagram account ready for live video:
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Go to your profile and make sure you have a profile photo and description
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Tap the menu icon in the top right and ensure your account is set to public under Account Privacy
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Tap Settings > Privacy and toggle on Live Controls under Interactions
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Under Comments choose Hide Offensive Comments and any filter words you want to block
This sets up your profile and live video privacy settings. Now it’s time to engage your audience and promote your live broadcast.
Best Practices for Promoting Your Instagram Live
To get maximum viewership for your Instagram Live videos:
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Promote ahead of time – Post teasers about your upcoming live video in your Stories and feed. Build anticipation.
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Share reminders – Let people know when you are going live with reminders in advance and right before you start streaming.
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Go Live consistently – Pick set times like every Monday at 8pm so followers know when to expect you.
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Collaborate with others – Do a joint Live broadcast with a popular account to tap into their audience.
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Use hashtags – Add relevant hashtags to your live video description so people can find your broadcast.
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Pin a comment – Pin key details about your live stream like special guests at the top of your comments.
Driving viewership takes strategic promotion, but high-quality engaging content is also key to keeping people watching.
How to Create Compelling Instagram Live Content
Your content will make or break the success of your Instagram Live videos. Consider these tips:
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Answer questions – Let people ask questions and respond in real time. This creates an interactive experience.
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Conduct polls – Use the polling feature to survey the audience and get their instant input.
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Go behind the scenes – Give insider access to your daily work and life. The rawness can be compelling.
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Do how-tos or tutorials – Educate people on topics related to your niche with tips and demonstrations.
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Introduce new products – Give the first reveal of launches and announcements via live video.
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Host live Q&As – Sit down and openly answer any questions from your followers.
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Feature guests – Have influencers and experts join your live video to co-host.
Delivering this kind of creative and valuable content will keep viewers watching and eager to tune in next time.
Step-by-Step Guide to Going Live on Instagram
Once your profile and content plans are in place, it’s time for the step-by-step process to actually broadcast live:
Starting Your Live Video
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Open the Instagram app and tap the camera icon in the top left of your feed.
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On the camera screen, swipe left and tap “Live” at the bottom.
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Give Instagram access to your phone’s microphone and camera when prompted.
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Tap “Go Live” to start your broadcast.
You’re now live! You’ll see viewer comments flowing in at the bottom.
Settings and Controls During a Live Broadcast
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Tap the viewer number in the top right to see peak concurrent viewers.
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Swipe left to access camera options like flash and filters.
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Tap the question box icon to enable or disable questions from viewers.
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Tap the three dots for options like turning off comments or sharing your live video link.
Ending Your Live Video
When ready to finish, tap “End” at the top and confirm to stop the broadcast.
You can then save the video, share it to your story, or discard it.
Maximizing Viewership for Your First Instagram Live
When doing your first ever Instagram Live, focus on driving viewers to ensure it’s successful:
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Leverage existing followers – Promote heavily to your current audience across your profile. Offer incentives for tuning in.
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Do a test run first – Go live privately or with a small test group to get comfortable before the real thing.
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Keep it short – Start with a 15-30 minute broadcast while you’re learning until you perfect longer live videos.
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Have a compelling opener – Hook people immediately as soon as you start streaming to grab their attention fast.
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Interact constantly – Thank new viewers, answer questions, and encourage comments to keep the energy high.
Using these tips will help make your first Instagram Live experience positive and engaging.
Common Instagram Live Problems and Solutions
When going live, a few issues can pop up. Here are some common problems and ways to fix them:
Problem: Your live video quality is poor.
Solutions: Move closer to your WiFi router, turn off other devices using your network, or switch to mobile data.
Problem: Viewer comments are offensive or abusive.
Solutions: Ban those users, enable comment filtering in settings, or turn off commenting.
Problem: You have few or no viewers joining your live video.
Solutions: Promote your live videos more effectively across Instagram and incentivize viewers.
Problem: Your live broadcast ends unexpectedly.
Solutions: This is likely due to poor connectivity. Try moving locations or use different WiFi or mobile data.
Troubleshoot issues as soon as possible to ensure a smooth live streaming experience for you and your viewers.
Top Instagram Live Video Ideas
The most popular and effective types of live content on Instagram include:
- Q&As and AMAs
- Behind-the-scenes footage
- Special guest interviews
- Tutorials and how-tos
- Discussing trending topics and news
- Announcing sales, deals or launches
- Broadcasting events or conferences
- Answering user submitted questions
- Polling the audience and reactions
Try out different varieties of live content to see what resonates best with your target audience. The more creative and engaging, the better!
Key Takeaways
The major points to keep in mind for going live on Instagram are:
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Set up your profile so it’s public and has a photo and bio
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Promote your live videos well across Instagram to maximize reach
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Create interesting content focused on interaction, Q&As, how-tos or access
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Use best practices for starting high-quality live broadcasts
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Interact constantly with viewers through comments and questions
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End each live video by saving, sharing to Stories or discarding
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Develop compelling live content people look forward to watching
Using Instagram Live effectively can take your account engagement to the next level. Follow these tips to connect with your audience in real time!
Instagram Live provides an easy yet powerful live streaming platform right within the Instagram app.
By broadcasting live you can better engage followers, get authentic feedback, and showcase raw behind-the-scenes access.
Hopefully this guide provided you with everything needed to successfully set up your Instagram profile, promote your live videos, create compelling content, and fix any issues.
Start going live consistently to see growth in followers, engagement, and your relationship with your audience. Have fun!
Step 2: Tap Go Live
Once you tap Live on the list above, Instagram automatically pulls up the Live option you can see in the screengrab below.
Tap on the recording icon. Instagram will briefly check your phone’s internet connection before starting your broadcast.
Voila! That’s how to go live on Instagram in two steps. See, we told you it was simple.
Pro tip: Your number of viewers shows up at the top of your screen. You will also see all your viewers’ comments as they come in.
Celebrate those flying hearts! That’s your audience showin’ you love.
At the bottom and on the top right of your screen, you’ve got some spicy features you can use to make your livestream even better.
Let’s break ‘em down:
- Questions. You can collect questions from your audience by posting a question sticker in an Instagram Story before you go live. You can access your viewers’ questions in the stream when you jump on.
- Send. You can send your live video to a user on Instagram during a broadcast. Notice your mom’s not watching your stream? Send it directly to her!
- Add a guest. This allows you and another user to share the live video. When you add a guest, you’ll both appear in the video via split-screen.
- Face filters. Want a new hair color, facial hair, or to look like a puppy? Entertain your followers with filters.
- Change camera. Switch the camera from selfie mode to regular mode.
- Share a photo or video. Grab a picture or video from your camera roll and share it with your live audience.
- Add a comment. Use this field to add a comment to your stream. Or, if your mom did join and is trolling you, you can use it to turn off commenting.
When you’re done filming your Instagram Live video, tap the X icon at the top right-hand corner. Once your video has ended, you’ll be prompted to either view it in your Instagram Live archive or discard it.
Pat yourself on the back. You just finished making your first Instagram Live stream!
What is Instagram Live?
Instagram Live is a feature that lets you live stream, or broadcast video to your Instagram followers in real-time. Live videos live next to Stories, just above the main Instagram feed.
When you go Live on Instagram, your live feed jumps in front of every Story, which means you can grab your followers’ attention without worrying about being bumped by the algorithm.
How To Go Live On Instagram Like a PRO!
How to go live on Instagram?
On the “Your Story” screen, at the bottom, swipe left and select the “Live” option. On the “Live” screen that opens, above the “Live” option, tap the “Go Live” icon. And immediately, Instagram will start your live video. It will start sending notifications to some of your followers that you have gone live.
How do I create a live Instagram video from desktop?
However, if you’d prefer to create a live Instagram video from desktop, you’ll need to use a third-party tool like Loola TV. 1. Open your Instagram app , and click the camera icon in the top left corner. 2. Scroll to “Live”, and then click the white circle button. On the bottom navigation, scroll all the way to the left until you see “Live”.
How to watch Instagram live on iPhone & iPad?
So you will have to use your iPhone, iPad, or Android phone to start a live broadcast on this platform. To start, open the Instagram app on your phone. In the app, at the top-left corner, tap the “Your Story” option. On the “Your Story” screen, at the bottom, swipe left and select the “Live” option.
Should you create your own Instagram Live?
For instance, if you’re a health creator and many people ask you how you lost weight and became healthier, the story of your dietary and movement changes can be its own Instagram Live. And you don’t have to do it alone: Become a place for other relevant creators to share their own story.
