What is the trickiest part about engaging with your audience on Instagram?
We’ll go first.
It’s interacting with your audience LIVE!
There’s just so much to be considered. Is the lighting correct? Is the placement of the camera okay? Should you wait for more for enough of an audience to show up?
Well, fret no more. Instagram decided to do us a favour and introduced Instagram Live Scheduling.
What’s Instagram Live Scheduling?
It’s a new feature by the platform for creators to schedule their Live stream up to 90 days in advance.
Sounds like a great deal, doesn’t it?
It is! By scheduling a Live Session or Room, you have a greater chance of reaching more audiences. How? Because more people get to know that you’ll be going Live on this-and-this date on this-and-this time.
Plus, your followers can set reminders for Live sessions!
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How to schedule an Instagram Live?
Before we take you through the steps to schedule a Live Session, let’s walk you through why it’s a boon for content creators.
Scheduling your Instagram Live Session ahead of time leaves you with enough time to create that much-needed hype around the session. It also ensures maximum participation when you enable reminders for the session through your Stories or Feed.
Who doesn’t love a good headcount, after all?
Now onwards to how to schedule a session for yourself!
Step 1
Click on the little “plus” sign at the top left-hand corner, just underneath your profile picture. Select the “Live” tab from the pane at the bottom, and click on “Schedule” from the left panel.
Step 2
Fill in the details of your Live session, such as the title, start date and time, tagged products (if any), and click on “Schedule Live”.
Step 3
Next, click on the three dots on the right to edit or to “Share as Post.” Once you share it as a post, your audience will be able to sign up for reminders and will be alerted when you go live.
Step 4
To start a countdown for the live, use Stories. Add the “scheduled” sticker with the right date and time, and you’re golden!
Cool, isn’t it?
What’s Instagram Practice Mode, and why use it to schedule a live?
Instagram has also come up with a “Practice Mode” to enable creators to test their Live setup well ahead of time.
For newbie content creators, Practice Mode is one of the coolest additions to Instagram updates. Why? Because it helps you set the stage for the day of your Live Session.
Let’s be honest, everyone who has done an Instagram Live session has dreaded the technical difficulties that accompany it – the connection, the lighting, and whatnot. With Practice mode, you can ask a few people to join the Live before time and fix anything that seems less than optimal.
So, if you’re not a fan of Instagram Lives because they seem like too much work, now is the time to rethink and make the most of it. Trust us, there has never been a better time to give it a try!
