Clearly, Periscope was onto something when it introduced social media savvies and online business gurus to the powers of live streaming and if you’re reading this you’re already convinced that Instagram Live is going be the 2017 marketing game changer for  your business. BUT…you don’t have a clue what to do with it. Have no fear because I’ve got 20 ideas for how you can start using Instagram Live to market your business and grow your following.

What is Instagram Live and why you should be using it for business

Instagram Live is a lot like Facebook Live. People watch you in real time and can comment and provide “Likes” or in this case hearts. This is huge game changer when it comes to content marketing because this is the only channel where you can have a live two way dialogue with your audience. All of the other channels like blogging, Instagram stories, and Facebook more of a one way street where you do all the talking upfront and then your audience (hopefully) engages by leaving comments. With live broadcasting it’s in the moment. Talk about instant gratification.

The difference with Instagram Live

The difference with Instagram Live is that the video is NOT recorded. Facebook Live records the video and then it’s on your feed which is awesome for repurposing the content later. By the way, I’m a huge fan of repurposing and recycling content so I was little bummed to find out that Instagram Live is a one shot deal. BUT, the fact that it’s a one shot deal makes it exclusive and extra important for your audience to tune in live otherwise you’re talking a virtual empty room and there’s no point in that. So in order to make this worth your time and effort make sure your audience is actually showing up. Use exclusivity and FOMO (fear of missing out) to get people to hop on to your live video.

How to take advantage of the no-replay

The no recording which means no replay actually gives people a reason to follow you. The incentive is that if they follow you they will get access to info they can’t get anywhere else. That’s definitely a plus to taking advantage of live. No one wants to miss out on free stuff.

• Give your most valuable advice away on IG Live and this is the only place to get it.
• Give live help. “Be sure to take notes because there will be no replay.”
• Give back to most loyal fans and followers. Live will only notify those who are following you so this is a great way to engage with the people who already like and know you. Why not give them a little something special and make them loooove you.
• Build your following, let people know when you’re going live and to follow you so that they get notified.

So now that we’ve gone over the basics and you have a gist of what IG Live is and how it can get you in front of your audience in a powerful way you maybe wondering what the heck am I going to talk about. Don’t worry I’ve got you covered.

[clickToTweet tweet=”Not sure how to get started with Instagram live? I’ve got 20 creative ways to start broadcasting now!” quote=”Not sure how to get started with Instagram live? I’ve got 20 creative ways to start broadcasting now!”]

20 Ideas For How Your Brand or Business Can Use Instagram Live

1. Behind the scenes of your business (not just about where, but how do you get stuff done, your manifesto)
2. Exclusive quick training that’s easy to follow with limited visuals
3. Sneak peek of something you’re working on
4. Q&A on the topic that people come to you.
5. Q&A for a product or service you offer.
6. Help an audience member live.
7. Share your best tips and advice.
8. Take a list blog post and go through the list.
9. Product demo
10. An unveiling of client work that you just completed ( perfect for graphic designers to show off logos, websites, and other design elements).
11. Inspirational/motivational
12. Share an anecdote ( extra points if it’s motivational)
13. Case Study or client spotlight (have them in the audience to answer any questions)
14. Introduction/ Newbie guide: Introduce yourself, your industry and help them get started with something that your audience is looking to accomplish. Hint: Use your freebie (aka opt-in) to provide some content inspiration.
15. Progress: Maybe you’re working on something that your audience is interested in and you can share the progress and generally talk about what you’ve been doing. Share the wins, the fails, and the in-betweens. For example maybe you’re building an email list from scratch. You can share your results and what has worked for you. Maybe you’re a health coach and you help people
16. Exclusive content: This can be a live demo of a recipe, the first 4 pages of your Ebook read aloud, or your best advice. The possibilities are endless.
17. Expert panel: Have some experts that your audience would appreciate hearing from? If so have them over for an informal live panel where you take audience questions and talk about your expertise.
18. Meet the team: Show off your employees or teammates.
19. Giveaway drawing
20. Regular feature: “Live Monday” or “Behind the scenes Tuesday”.

Is that it? Did I miss any? Are your creative juices flowing? Tell me in the comment how you plan to use Instagram Live in 2017.P.S. Still nervous about broadcasting live?  Ease yourself into it. Start with IG stories and graduate towards using live. If you’re worried about how you’ll look on camera here’s a post I found with 11 tips for looking great on live broadcast.