Going live on video can be very daunting, especially on your own, yet is an essential tool for businesses to show their authentic side and be 'in the moment'. So Instagram is coming to your rescue with the introduction of two-person Instagram Live Feed
The live videos can be up to 60 minutes and the replay lasts for 24 hours. You can't keep it past the 24 hours. You can download the video immediately after you stop broadcasting (and before you share it), or you can take that video and repurpose it to your blog or website or even upload it to YouTube.
So what exactly makes this update so special?
It allows you to get comfortable on-camera
If you struggle with the idea of going live on-camera and hosting an Instagram Live video, having a guest may calm your nerves. Rather than worrying about carrying the whole conversation on your own, you’ll have someone else there to help keep the conversation going and put you at ease.
Invite a friend, fellow employee, or trusted customer to come on live with you. Plan the live video in advance so you both have some clear ideas for the direction of the conversation. As you get deeper into the broadcast, you and your guest will carry on naturally and your personality will shine through more authentically.
Get Feedback
People love to share their opinions, and inviting them to join you on a live video is a great way to get their honest feedback.
If you have a product that you want to update or improve, ask your guests to join you live to discuss which features of your product they would change and why. If you have a service-based business and you’d like to find out which services your customers would like more (or less) of, have them share their thoughts with you live. If you have a local business, invite your customers to share their experiences with
Provide Training
Rather than using your Instagram Live videos to provide training to your audience on your own, invite another industry expert to share their knowledge alongside you. Use your live video the same way as you would a webinar or podcast, in which you both share tips, tutorials, advice, information, and other educational content that’s valuable to your customers and audience.
This takes the pressure off of you to provide all of the training. And your audience will appreciate learning from others in their field of expertise to broaden their knowledge.
Get Personal With Your Audience
Instagram is a highly interactive platform that’s appreciated for its ability to forge real relationships between strangers. If your audience is regularly interacting with you on social media but hasn’t had the opportunity to talk with you directly, offering them that option can be very rewarding.
Something as simple as taking a few minutes to chat with your dedicated fans and followers can build stronger relationships and convert casual followers into paying customers.
It helps Instagram go up against competitor Snapchat.
Mimicking Snapchat’s features have likely been a contributing factor in Instagram Stories’ tremendous user growth to roughly 250 million daily users. However, in this instance Instagram adds a feature that helps separate it from Snapchat, as Snapchat lags in the live broadcasting space.
Using two-person live videos on Instagram will gain popularity as it rolls out to more people. Everyday users will enjoy the opportunity to chat with friends and have casual conversations. Businesses will need to be more strategic in their use of live videos with guests to get the best results.
Even then, however, the casual aspect of live video and in-person interactions will add a level of transparency and value for customers, helping companies build their brands. #watchthisspace
