Live streams hold major potential as a marketing tool.
- It allows real-time engagement with the audience
- Social media algorithms love live streams, pushing them to a wider audience and leading to increased reach and visibility
- They are cost-effective and authentic
- They generate immediate feedback
You can demonstrate your products, answer customer queries on the spot, and drive sales through live streams.
But for all that, you must inform your target audience about your upcoming sessions and maximize participation. One way to increase live viewer numbers is to promote your next one on Instagram.
Why and how? Let’s find out:
Why Should You Promote Your Live Stream on Instagram?
With 2 billion monthly active users, Instagram boasts a massive user base. So, live stream promotions on such a popular platform boost your chances of attracting a diverse and substantial viewership.
Instagram audiences love video content and crave it. With strategic Instagram video marketing techniques, you can create a buzz around your upcoming session, increasing excitement. This ensures your live stream gets significant participation and engagement.
The platform also offers a range of in-built features to promote your live streams. You can use Instagram stories to announce your event. Instagram also lets you add swipe-up links to direct users to relevant sign-up pages or platforms where you plan to host the stream.
You can run paid ads to target relevant audiences, share sneak peeks through video content, and inform potential viewers about the topics your stream will cover. Using an Instagram story viewer to analyze your competitors’ promotions can provide valuable insights into what strategies are working for them and how you can improve your own. You can create fun memes around social media trends to maintain relevance. Creating polls to let the audience pick their preferred topics or session timing adds to the buzz. It offers a sense of belonging, making your livestream promotions more effective.
1. Announce a Live Stream in Advance
Decide a suitable time and announce your live stream well in advance. It will help build anticipation and excitement. Your followers will look forward to it and you will have enough time to encourage word-of-mouth. Early announcements let your audience set reminders and attend the session without scheduling friction.
Start by creating killer content that includes high-quality images and infographics detailing:
- The decided topic
- The value it will add to your audience
- The platforms they can tune in from
- The date and time
- Invited guest/s (if any)
Use Instagram interactive elements. Post stories with countdown stickers to build anticipation. Add polls and quizzes to make the audience feel more involved in your event.
Create a dedicated highlight to organize all your upcoming live stream-related stories there. Name it clearly so your fans can easily find and check them out at their leisure.
Update your bio to include information about your upcoming live stream. You can add a link to a relevant page for more details or to set reminders. Create a branded hashtag for the live to encourage buzz.
For example, Chipotle partnered with Chef Chad to live stream their OG Guac recipe. On the days leading up to the event, the brand used Instagram extensively to promote the upcoming stream, highlighting the influencer’s presence. Chef Chad posted stories to inform his fans. Thanks to their extensive promotions on Instagram, the live stream generated over 26,000 views.
2. Leverage the power of Instagram influencers
Take the excitement to the next level by adding relevant Instagram influencers’ credibility to your promotions. They are authority figures in their fields with an already-established following. Collaborating with them for promotions gives you access to that loyal fandom that’s likely to generate substantial viewership for your next live stream.
However, the key here is to find the right influencer. You want someone who appeals to your target audience, has an organic following, and receives impressive engagement on their content. The creator should have a history of successful brand collaborations as well.
Use a social media analytics tool to find relevant influencers with expertise in your decided topic for the session. Their presence should be authentic with genuine connections with followers.
Use lookup methods to find creators’ contact information and send a personalized message or email explaining why you want to collaborate with them and how the partnership would benefit. Communicate all necessary details about your live stream, including date and time, topic, and any featured guests.
Leverage the influencer’s expertise by actively involving them in promotional content planning. Since they know what their audience likes, their suggestions will add value to your efforts. Allow them reasonable creative freedom to ensure the promotion feels authentic and resonates with their audience.
Case in point:
JennAir used live influencer marketing extremely effectively during a recent Architectural Digest Design Show. The goal was to relaunch their brand through the “ Bound By Nothing” tagline. To match with the right creators, the luxury household appliance company used the Popular Pays platform.
The efforts paid off with exponential results:
- JennAir successfully sourced creators to build content at live events within a 48-hour turnaround.
- Established a content library with over 33 pieces to support JennAir’s revamp.
- It attracted substantial awareness of JennAir’s rebranding.
- The promotions reached 2.6 million followers on Instagram.
3. Rely on Ephemeral Content to Create Urgency
Double down on ephemeral content like Instagram stories to create urgency. Post short, engaging snippets or teasers about what your live stream will cover. This piques curiosity and encourages followers to tune in.
Share behind-the-scenes snippets of your team preparing for the live session on your stories. You can also announce a limited-time offer that will only be available during the live stream. Holding short Q&A sessions on Stories about the upcoming live stream can also generate curiosity and excitement within the audience.
Add a swipe-up link in your Stories directing followers to a landing page where they can learn more about the live stream or set reminders. Encourage them to set reminders on Instagram.
4. Turn Your Speakers into Advocates
If you have invited speakers to join your live stream, ask them to promote the upcoming session on their respective networks. Encourage them to repost the event-related stories. Running affiliate programs could be a good idea, too.
Plan it with them so they are emotionally invested in the event. It will nudge them to promote your next live stream, enhancing credibility.
Focus on building an online community that takes pride in your brand. It creates a sense of belonging in your audience, fosters an emotional bond, and boosts advocacy. They will be excited to share your next live stream with their peers, generating organic buzz. Plus, the more shares your promotions get, the better your reach.
5. Join Another Live Stream as a Speaker
Prove your expertise to the target demographic by joining another live stream as a speaker. Your active presence in other brands’ live sessions will build your authority in the niche, pique the audience’s curiosity about your other works, and enhance visibility. They will explore your Instagram page, learn about your upcoming live streams, and be excited to join them.
You can also partner with other brands to promote your next session on their live stream. Strike a mutually beneficial deal where you add value to their event while marketing your live stream.
6. Dedicate an Instagram Giveaway
Incentivize participation with a dedicated Instagram giveaway. Assign small but personalized rewards and set up rules like:
- Sharing your promotional content
- Liking and commenting on the sneak peeks
- Participating in your polls and other interactive initiatives
You can also keep an exclusive prize for the first 20 attendees. The prizes don’t have to be grand but simply meaningful. Brand merch, trial packs of your best-selling products, and discount vouchers can work wonders.
Restaurant owner and marketing expert Wilson K Lee’s above video is an excellent guide on running a successful Instagram giveaway.
In the video, he describes ways to pick the best prize, saying, “Pick something that’s valuable for your target audience. It should align with their interests…something that is relevant to your customers.”
7. Repurpose Old Live Streams for Instagram
Leverage your previous live streams to establish value for your upcoming ones. Repurpose live stream content into IGTV videos, reels, and carousels and promote them on stories. You can also create infographics summarizing old streams. When viewers see how informative your previous streams were, they will be encouraged to join your next one too.
However, your repurposed clips should align with audience behavior and engagement patterns on your previous clips. How do you get these insights and make edits accordingly?
Be.Live can help you here.
Besides offering a stellar live-streaming platform, the editor tool generates insights from the Audience Activity, tracking attention peaks. You can trim the desired footage in the web editor to repurpose your past shows into new materials.
Still have questions about repurposing your live streams? We have created a tutorial to help you make the best of our smart editor.
8. Feature Reviews from Your Live Stream Viewers
Boastful marketing isn’t enough to sway the modern audience. So prove your live stream’s value by featuring reviews from earlier viewers. Add them to your announcement posts right where you talk about how the session will benefit the audience. It adds credibility to your claims, wins trust, and maximizes participation.
With a variety of social media monitoring tools on the market, you can keep track of brand mentions to gather customer feedback from viewers and post it on Instagram to provide social proof and attract more viewers in the future.
Conclusion
Maximum attendance on live streams requires strategic promotions and the right tools — and Instagram’s diverse features can help you with it.
From countdown stickers on Stories to IGTV previews and influencer collaborations, the platform holds tremendous potential to get your upcoming live the desired visibility, excitement, and anticipation.
- Remember to announce your live stream well in advance with eye-catching visuals and compelling captions.
- Find the right creators to promote your live sessions.
- Add interactive elements like polls and quizzes.
- Join other streamers to gain popularity within your target audience and host giveaways for an extra nudge toward participation.
Finally, be diligent with your promotional effort till D-Day and watch your live stream reach its full potential.
FAQ
How can I effectively promote my upcoming Instagram Live session?
To effectively promote your upcoming Instagram Live session, start by announcing it well in advance using Instagram Stories and feed posts. Utilize features like countdown stickers to build anticipation and allow followers to set reminders. Collaborate with influencers or guests who can share the event with their audiences, expanding your reach. Additionally, consider creating engaging teaser content that highlights what viewers can expect from the live session.
Why is collaborating with influencers beneficial for live stream promotion?
Collaborating with influencers can significantly boost your live stream’s visibility. Influencers have established audiences that trust their recommendations. By co-hosting a live session or having an influencer promote your event, you tap into their follower base, attracting viewers who might not have discovered your content otherwise. This strategy can lead to increased engagement and follower growth.
How can giveaways enhance the promotion of my Instagram Live?
Hosting a giveaway in conjunction with your Instagram Live can incentivize attendance and participation. Announce the giveaway ahead of time, clearly stating the rules and the prizes. During the live session, engage with participants, perhaps by selecting winners in real-time. This approach not only boosts live viewership but also encourages audience interaction and excitement.
What are some best practices for increasing live stream attendance on Instagram?
To increase attendance for your Instagram Live sessions, maintain a consistent schedule so your audience knows when to expect new content. Promote each session across all your social media platforms, not just Instagram. Engage with your audience before, during, and after the live session to build a community around your content. Additionally, analyze the performance of each live stream to understand what resonates with your audience and refine your strategy accordingly.
