9+ Instagram Live Tips and Tricks for a Successful Stream

From planning content to testing equipment in advance, Instagram Live tips are guides you can follow to ensure a smooth and successful live stream. Unlike videos, which you can edit and re-shoot in case something goes wrong, live streams happen in real time, so it’s crucial to be prepared.

Live streams outperform video content when it comes to user engagement and views, so if you aren’t utilizing this content format in your strategy yet, now is the time to do so.

However, if the idea of streaming is daunting for you, don’t worry! In today’s article, we’ll share expert Instagram Live tips to help you host your first stream. Let’s get started!

What is Instagram Live?

Instagram Live is a feature that allows creators to host a live stream or broadcast on the app. When a user goes live, their stream appears on their followers’ Stories tab with the word Live on it.

Unlike other streaming platforms that suggest live streams from creators you don’t follow, Instagram Live is only visible on your followers’ feeds. However, this doesn’t mean that only your followers can watch your stream; you can share a link to your Live and invite anyone to become a viewer.

While livestreaming is already popular among content creators and influencers, it can also be extremely beneficial for brands and businesses. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why businesses should host an Instagram Live.

Top 5 Reasons to Host an Instagram Live

As we mentioned, live streams perform better than regular video content in terms of views and engagement.

However, there are several other reasons to host an Instagram Live, including the following:

• It is the preferred content format. According to a survey by Livestream and New York Magazine, 82% of users prefer live videos from brands over regular social media posts. This means Instagram Lives will be much more effective at reaching your target audience than other content formats.
• It provides important audience information. Instagram Live can provide a glimpse into your audience’s interests through their comments and interactions on your stream. You can review what questions they asked or which topics they were most interested in and use this data to supercharge your social media strategy and boost results.
• It allows for real-time feedback. During a live stream, you can directly ask your followers what they think about your content, your products, and any other factor concerning your branding on social media. This will not only provide you with excellent insights into your strategy but also make your followers feel important and appreciated.
• It humanizes your brand. Instagram Lives can help humanize your brand, as their real-time format doesn’t allow for any editing or cuts in between, making them seem more authentic. This authenticity is key to connecting with your audience and earning their trust and loyalty.
• It has priority on the Stories tab. The Instagram algorithm prioritizes Lives on the Stories tab, which means they have higher visibility compared with normal Stories. By being permanently featured at the front of the queue, Instagram Lives is one of the first things users will see when they open the app.

How to Go Live on Instagram: 2 Simple Methods

To go live on Instagram, you can use the mobile app or an external streaming software on your desktop.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to host an Instagram Live on both devices:

Hosting an Instagram Live on Mobile

To host an Instagram Live on mobile, simply open the app and tap the Plus icon in the middle of the screen.

Then, scroll left until you see Live in the content options.

From there, you can add a title for your stream and select your audience preferences. Your Live is set to Share with Everyone by default, but you can edit its visibility by tapping on the downward arrow and selecting your new audience.

Instagram Lives can be set to Everyone, Close Friends, or Practice. Practice mode is only visible to you and, as the name suggests, allows you to hold a practice session for your stream. We highly recommend utilizing this feature, and we’ll elaborate on this Instagram Live pro tip later in the article.

After setting the visibility, you can choose to stream right away or schedule your Instagram Live for a later date. Going live on mobile is available for all account types and does not require Instagram verification or a business account.

Hosting an Instagram Live on Desktop

Unlike the mobile app, if you want to host an Instagram Live on your desktop, you need to switch to an Instagram business account. Going live on a desktop has several advantages over mobile, such as flexibility with equipment, screen-sharing capabilities, and room for more elaborate setups.

To start an Instagram Live, head over to the Instagram website, tap Create on the left sidebar, and select Live video from the drop-down menu.

Next, you’ll need to add a title and select your stream’s visibility.

When done, click Next. On the following page, you’ll see your Stream URL and Stream key. Then, all you have to do is paste your stream key into the streaming software of your choice, such as OBS Studio or Streamlabs, and you can start your stream.

9+ Handy Instagram Live Tips to Ensure Success

To maximize the benefits of going live and ensure a successful stream, here are some expert Instagram Live tips and tricks to follow:

#1. Plan Your Content in Advance

The appeal of Instagram Lives is in its spontaneity, but this doesn’t mean that you should start a stream without planning in advance. Proper content planning will prevent any downtimes or awkward silent moments during your stream and ensure maximum value for your audience.

While you don’t have to outline every part of your stream, consider creating bullet points for all the topics you want to cover to ensure that you get your message across clearly. Plus, rambling and randomly jumping from one topic to another can alienate viewers and cause them to leave.

A great Instagram Live tip is to divide your stream into a beginning, a middle, and an end. Then, you can create goals for each section. For instance, in the beginning, you can focus on interacting with your audience and setting the tone of the stream. Then, in the middle, you can start discussing your main objectives.

#2. Notify Your Audience

Notifying your audience in advance is an effective Instagram Live tip for maximum viewership, as it allows your followers to set aside time to watch your stream.

There are several ways to do this. For one, you can build anticipation by publishing Instagram Stories or posts with teasers about what to expect during the stream. You can even ask your audience for questions that you can answer during the stream, so they have a reason to tune in, and you have ample time to prepare your answers.

You can also cross-post content on your other social media accounts to let all your followers know about your upcoming stream. Just make sure that you include all the important details of the event, such as the date and time and the applicable time zone.

#3. Target Your Audience’s Active Hours

Another way to achieve a higher viewer count during your Instagram Live is by hosting it during your audience’s active hours. You can refer to Instagram analytics for information about your audience’s activity on the platform or follow the suggested times to post on social media.

However, if you really want to achieve the best results, one of the pro Instagram Live tips and tricks is to leverage social media scheduling tools like Publer.

While you won’t be able to host your Live directly from Publer, you can use it to schedule Instagram posts and other content on the platform. Then, our tool will automatically determine your audience’s peak hours for you, and you can target these time slots for your live stream.

#4. Test Your Equipment

Even if you will only be using your phone to host an Instagram Live, this tip will help your stream go as smoothly as possible. Before the actual stream, check your internet connection, phone camera, and microphone thoroughly to ensure that there are no issues.

As we mentioned earlier, we recommend performing a practice run using Instagram Practice mode. This will allow you to check the lighting and sound during your livestream and ensure that your audience can clearly see and hear you at all times.

You can also use this opportunity to polish the flow of your stream and rehearse speaking on camera. After all, you don’t want to sound robotic or as if you were simply reading from a script.

#5. Engage With Your Audience

Instagram Lives is one of the best ways to interact with your audience, so make sure to keep them engaged by utilizing the platform’s built-in features. For instance, you can use Instagram question stickers to encourage viewers to interact with your stream or quizzes to create a more immersive experience.

According to research by Chen and Liao (2022) in the Frontiers of Psychology, a “sense of community, interactivity, and emotional support” are among the top reasons why social media users tune in to live streams. So, even if you are hosting a live stream with another person or a group, make sure you keep this Instagram Live tip in mind.

By responding to comments, addressing questions, or mentioning their usernames, you can connect with your audience better and foster a sense of community. Over time, this will lead to higher engagement rates, brand awareness, and brand loyalty.

#6. Ask for Feedback

During your stream, it’s important to ensure that your viewers are continuously entertained, so don’t be afraid to ask for feedback.

After every key talking point, you can encourage your viewers to share thoughts or ask questions about what you just discussed. This will help increase engagement and provide valuable insight into what content your audience likes or dislikes.

Another way to utilize this Instagram Live tip is to ask for ideas for future livestream sessions. This ensures that you won’t run out of interesting topics for your audience and that they will be tuned into your next stream. Plus, it shows that you value their opinions, which can foster loyalty.

#7. Reinforce Your Branding

While going live on Instagram means that you won’t be able to edit your video to add any branded elements, there are several ways to reinforce your branding during your stream.

You can choose a background color that mirrors your brand’s colors on the platform and even use some iconic taglines during the stream. Doing so will allow you to build a stronger and more recognizable online presence.

A good Instagram Live tip for streaming on a desktop is to use stream overlays. These can be customized to reflect your branding and provide important details about your business.

#8. Save and Share

After your Live ends, consider saving your stream and sharing it on your profile so your audience can rewatch it whenever they want. This will also allow your other followers who may have missed the stream to catch up on your content.

To share your Live, simply tap Share Video after your broadcast ends and follow the instructions on the screen. You can also find previous live streams in your Live archive, where you can review them and identify potential areas for improvement, as well as any issues you can avoid in future streams.

Aside from this benefit, this Instagram Live tip can also help you build FOMO, or the Fear of Missing Out, among your audience. By showing how fun and enjoyable your streaming sessions are, you can encourage more followers to tune in to your next live.

Moreover, according to data from Statista, live streams were the third most popular video content in 2023, so there’s a considerable market for this type of content. Make sure to add a compelling caption and relevant Instagram hashtags when sharing your stream to improve its discoverability.

#9. Create Snippets

In addition to sharing your full live stream, you can repurpose your content by creating snippets of the most important highlights from your Instagram Live. You can then share these clips in separate posts, Stories, or Instagram Reels to maximize reach and impact.

Since not everyone has the time to watch an hour-long video, this Instagram Live tip makes your stream more digestible and appealing to a broader audience, which can help attract new viewers.

When editing your snippets, try to hook your viewers in within the first few seconds and leave a call-to-action at the end to encourage them to watch your next live session.

#10. Monitor Analytics

Checking the platform metrics to see how well your stream did is an important Instagram Live tip to remember.

On Instagram analytics, you can view insights into your stream’s total number of:

• Comments
• Shares
• Accounts reached
• Peak number of viewers

Analyzing your Instagram Live analytics will help you refine your content strategy for future live streams and tailor your content to better meet your audience’s interests.

For instance, if your stream had a higher number of accounts reached compared with the peak number of viewers, this means that even though you were able to reach a large audience, you failed to maintain their interest during the entire stream.

Meanwhile, if both the number of shares and accounts reached are high, this means that your audience found the stream interesting enough to share with others.

5 Key Instagram Live Basics You Should Know Before Streaming

Before you start your first live stream, here are some important basics and guides on Instagram Live features that can help you manage your stream:

#1. How to Go Live with Another Person

To go live on Instagram with another person, you need an Instagram Live room. This feature allows creators to go live with up to three people and helps you achieve more variety in your streams.

To host an Instagram Live room, start your stream as usual, then tap the two-person icon at the bottom of the screen.

From there, you can enter the username of the person you want to invite to the stream. If they accept, they will automatically be added to the stream as co-hosts.

#2. How to Check the Number of Viewers

You can check the current number of viewers of your Instagram Live through the viewer counter at the top of the screen. This number updates in real-time as viewers enter and leave your stream.

Monitoring your view count is an important Instagram Live tip, as this can indicate the topics that your audience may or may not be interested in. For instance, if you notice that your viewer count went down significantly when discussing a specific topic, it may not be that relevant or interesting for your audience.

#3. How to Turn Off Comments

To turn off the comments during your Instagram Live, tap the three-dot icon in the upper right corner of the screen and select Turn off commenting from the options. You can change this setting at any time during the stream.

On this menu, you can also add a moderator to help you manage the stream or choose to turn off questions and requests to go live.

#4. How to Edit Your Live

While you can’t actually edit the content of your Instagram Live as you would a regular video post, you can still edit your Live’s thumbnail and length. To do so, simply tap Share and then make the necessary edits before posting. You can also add a caption, tag people featured in the stream, and share the video on Facebook.

Rather than simply using a still frame from your stream as the thumbnail, consider creating a custom cover for your video. This Instagram Live tip can boost your post’s appeal and help maintain your profile’s aesthetic.

To set the new image as the thumbnail, tap Cover and click Add from the camera roll.

#5. How Long an Instagram Live Can Last

Each Instagram Live has a maximum limit of four hours. Once you hit this time limit, you will need to start a new live stream if you want to continue broadcasting. You can check your current run time by tapping Live in the upper right corner of the screen.

4 Creative Instagram Live Ideas for Businesses & Influencers

From event coverage to influencer marketing, there are several ways to utilize live streams for your brand. If you are unsure of how to incorporate them into your content strategy, here are some creative Instagram Live topics and ideas you can try:

• Collaborating with a brand or influencer. Collaboration is one of the best ways for brands to reach new audiences and for influencers to make money on Instagram. Whether you are a business or a creator, hosting a live stream centered around a brand collaboration can bring various benefits and boost your engagement and credibility.
• Showing behind-the-scenes content. Showing a glimpse into your business’s day-to-day operations or a sneak peek into an upcoming product launch helps foster a connection with your audience. Moreover, Instagram Lives is the best format for this kind of content, as it adds an air of authenticity to your post and maximizes its impact.
• Creating a tutorial. According to Wyzowl’s recent data, 91% of consumers watched a how-to video to learn more about a product, which is why a tutorial or demo is an excellent idea for an Instagram Live.
• Streaming an event. Hosting live coverage of an event is an effective way to generate excitement and engagement among your audience. Since you will be streaming outdoors, be sure to follow the Instagram Live tips we discussed earlier to avoid issues during the broadcast.

Key Takeaways

• Instagram Live is a feature that allows creators to stream on the platform and can provide several benefits, such as insights into audience interests and better engagement rates.
• Before hosting an Instagram Live, it’s important to have a plan in place, test your equipment, and notify your audience in advance.
• During the Instagram Live, don’t forget to engage with your audience, ask for feedback, and reinforce your branding.
• After the Live, consider sharing your entire stream on your profile, creating snippets of key moments, and reviewing performance analytics.
• Brand collaborations, behind-the-scenes content, video tutorials, and event coverages are some excellent ideas for Instagram Lives.