How to use Instagram live to promote your new app

Instagram Live is a great, no-cost way to get the word out both pre and post launch – but it can be a little intimidating to get started.

Live streaming or “going live” has surged during the coronavirus shut down. So much so that you’ll see brands, influencers and entrepreneurs broadcasting on Instagram Live at any given time of the day you happy to open up your feed.

What’s more, you may notice that you get push notifications (little pop ups telling you someone is going live) and see live streams at the top of your feed – this all means more exposure and organic reach so it’s well worth jumping in and giving it a go to promote your new business app/

1. Promote your Live ahead of time

To successfully launch your first Instagram Live, make sure you promote your Live ahead of time. You can do this with a regular post – choose a captivating image and share the date and time of your Live at the start of the caption. Begin around a week or so before your Live date and share a few reminders. Be mindful of choosing a time which will suit your audience to maximise your viewer numbers on the day.

You can also use Stories to promote your Live too, sharing an image and reminder every few days and a half hour or so before you are due to go Live.

2. Remind your audience

Set a note to post another Story and share a regular post just ahead of your Live time, saying that you’re about to go Live so you can capture last minute viewers too. Aim for around 5 or 10 minutes beforehand.

3. Create a rough schedule

If you feel nervous at the thought of going live, jot out a rough schedule in advance so you can map out key messages and features you want to get across. Don’t be too rigid in this as Live broadcasts are supposed to be natural and not forced. A loose structure can give you confidence you aren’t going to get tongue-tied or forget something critical so, keep it to hand but don’t read from it during your broadcast.

4. Check your Wi-Fi connection before you start your broadcast

A struggling Wi-Fi connection could lead your broadcast to freeze or appear pixelated so check signal strength beforehand and ensure you disconnect all unnecessary devices. If you are using your smartphone for the broadcast, set it to do not disturb before beginning your Live so that you aren’t interrupted by calls or messages. Likewise, turn off or remove any other phones from the space you’ll be using to avoid disruptions.

5. Encourage questions

Viewers will be able to send messages during your Live Stream so you’ll need to keep an eye on the screen to answer these. Encourage your audience to ask you questions about the app and its functionality but also touch on subjects and issues which the app can solve. Depending on the size of your social media audience, you may need to enlist the help of a second person to read the messages and questions out to you as you speak.

6. Save your Live

You can save your Live and share it to Instagram TV to form a permanent resource within your social media profile so be sure to do this as you can then continue to gain views even after your Live ends.