Videos and live videos continue to be a hot topic in the social media space. Live videos give you an opportunity to give your brand some personality and connect with your audience.
But today I want to talk to you about one type of live video in particular: Instagram Live collaborations. If your audience is on Instagram, they can be a fun (and effective) way to get started with live videos while helping you reach new eyes. Let’s take a look at some of the different types of collabs you can be a part of.
1. Interviews/Q & A
A simple way to get started with Instagram Live collaborations is conducting interviews or Q&A sessions. You can interview an influencer, chat to a leader in your industry about the things that matter to your Instagram followers or hold a Q&A session with someone from your company.
Or you can take to Instagram and ask your people who they’d like you to speak to (within reason!) and what kind of interview they’d love to see.
2. Q&A’s with your audience
One of my favorite social media influencers is Jasmine Star. One of the reasons for this is the weekly Q&A session she has with her audience. For about 15 minutes she allows fans to request to go live with her on Instagram and she answers their questions- a bit like an AMA.
This type of collaboration with your audience is amazing because they get direct access to you which adds amazing value to your followers. It also gives them an extra reason to follow you on the network so they don’t miss out on the opportunity.
3. Joint “Webinars” or “How To” sessions
A very popular way to grow your audience on social media as a business is to collaborate with other industry experts or influencers to create content. A fun way you can do this is to create Instagram Live collaboration in the form of a “webinar” or joint teaching experience.
You can hold live sessions around a specific topic – which again adds a lot of value to your audience. Another way of teaching your audience is to conduct a “how to” or demonstration video with someone else. You can walk an influencer (or one of your followers!) through how to use your product or service live and show your audience just how simple it is. Or you can teach something interesting.
4. Announcements
Another simple way to use Instagram Live for collaboration is to use the tool to announce a big collaboration between yourself and another brand live!
You can grab your partner to announce your collaboration and build buzz for the live broadcast or launch of the project.
5. Round-ups
Round-ups and lists are some of the most popular content pieces out there. Round-ups can help you showcase multiple pieces of your own content, or can be used as a resource for your followers. Plus they can also help brands and businesses reach new audiences (when those mentioned share the specific post).
Now let’s apply this model to Instagram Live collaborations. Since you can “swap” guests on Instagram Live, you can create an in-the-moment round up of influencers or industry leaders one after another to answer questions, or give insights on a specific topic.
You can do this type of collab while you are at a work event, a conference or a meet-up!
6. Contests
Gamification is a fresh way to get your followers involved and engaged with your brand and contests are a fantastic way to see quick growth on social media.
Following the idea of an Instagram Live collaboration, you can offer a fun twist to contest opportunities. Imagine a game show format contest where you can have your followers participate in your broadcast and answer questions for a prize! This type of initiative can be a really great way to add personality to your account while surprising and delighting your audience.
7. Recurring Segments
When consulting for brands I cannot put enough emphasis on being consistent with your posting. In the current climate of social media marketing, showing up consistently is key to staying in your follower’s newsfeed.
Establishing a recurring post or segment can be a great way to build that consistency, in a way that your audience looks forward to time after time. Creating a recurring segment in the form of an Instagram Live collaboration can allow you to show your expertise, or reach new audiences when you have an industry leader or influencer collaborate with you.
8. Takeovers
Last but not least, let’s talk about Instagram Takeovers. Takeovers are when you allow someone to literally take over your account.
It can sound a little scary, but when you’ve planned everything out correctly, it can bring a fresh perspective to your audience. When the right influencer takes over your account they can also bring in more of your target audience to your account. You can go live with your influencer or allow them to go live on their own once you’ve worked out a clear plan of action with them.
Tips For Successful Instagram Live Collaborations
It’s not enough to just be a part of a live collaboration on Instagram- you need to make it work for your business. Here are some things you can do to ensure success.
1. Have a plan
My most important tip for you when creating an Instagram Live collaboration is to plan ahead and plan for everything.
Work out clear instructions for the person or brand you’re collaborating with and figure out how long you’d like your live session to be (but don’t worry if you go over your time). You can even write out a script if you feel it will help.
Going live can be a little scary but the more you plan, the more comfortable you will be. With that said I’d also like you to remember that things may go wrong and off plan – just go with it! Part of the appeal of being live is that you don’t have control of everything.
2. Be intentional
Think about why you’re creating this Instagram Live collaboration and what you’d like your audience to get out of the experience. Think about your goals as well. All this will help you figure out what to do during your live session.
3. Vet your influencers
If you’ll be working with influencers please do not forget to do your homework and make sure they are a good fit for your brand and that your audiences align.
4. Have fun!
Part of going live is showing your followers and fans who is behind the scenes. It provides a great opportunity to show personality and connect with your followers on a deeper level.
What are some of the best Instagram Live collaborations you’ve seen? Let us know in a comment below.
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