7 Tips to Make Your Next Live Broadcast a Success

Get more engagement from your followers when doing live transmissions

A live broadcast allows content creators to connect with their audience more deeply and interactively. Recently, the format has gained traction thanks to international quarantine measures and the fast paced and meaningful interaction it enables. This inspired us to collect some useful tips that will guarantee better engagement.

Notify your followers

Illustrator Carlos Rodríguez Casado (@carlosrodriguezcasado) did Lives almost every day during the COVID-19 confinement in Spain and, in addition to becoming one of his favorite ways to connect with his audience, he learned a lot about how to make them work.

Carlos' first piece of advice is to announce a Live session in advance with a Story slide that specifies the date and time: "The more attractive the design, the better. I'd also recommend using the countdown sticker, since it's very visual."

This tip may sound obvious, but many people forget the importance of notifying their followers in advance about when and on which platform the live transmission will be on.

Don't make just one announcement. Make several posts on your social networks, reminding everyone of the day and time it will take place.

Choose a primetime schedule

The second tip to generate better engagement with your audience is to know when your followers are usually online. Analytics is an excellent tool to understand the trends and behavior of the people you want to connect with. In the universe of live broadcasts, knowing how to distill that information is essential for broadening your content scope.

If your audience tends to connect at night, prioritize that schedule and test with surveys to better understand your followers' habits.

Live Q&A

Live Q&As can boost attendance during broadcasts.

Encourage sending questions in advance, one or two days before the live event, and let everyone know that you will also answer questions live. In addition to better engagement, this will also get you closer to your followers.

Always leave comments on, and interact with your followers during the broadcast.

Never disable the comment box. The audience will leave if they can’t participate.

Besides, comments also allow people to interact with each other, generating more reach in the platform's algorithms and discovery. Remember: interaction is critical to reach more people.

"Answering the comments and questions of your followers will help them get to know you and be part of what you do. We all want to be part of what we like to see, and you interacting with the people who sit through your live shows is something that is very much appreciated," says Carlos.

Photographer Krishna VR (@bykrishnavr) also stresses this point. "it's essential to involve those who are watching you to maintain that 30-40 minutes attention span that a live performance requires. I would also offer them something extra at the end of the broadcast, such as some editing tip, some trivia, or advice. These details make a difference," she says.

Save the content to watch later

When the broadcast is over, save the content and make it available so your followers can watch it later. You can also create small content pills with key broadcast moments to attract new audiences for upcoming shows.

Carlos points out that "if your live broadcasts show a creative technique that people can do themselves following the video, invite your followers to share it in their Stories. This way, you will also get more people to know your account, and your work will have more visibility."

Plan a content structure

During a live broadcast, spontaneity is critical and unavoidable, but illustrator Ed Vill (@edvill), who usually does live broadcasts on his Facebook profile, highlights the importance of creating a content structure. "Write down the main things you are aiming to communicate, and prepare an example for each one to illustrate what you will say. Summarize as much as you can. That will make your speech much more forceful and your audience will remain captive," he says.

Carlos R. Casado suggests that your followers themselves could be the ones telling you what they want to see: "Make a Story giving them the option to participate, it can be a question or a survey that gives them some input on the content. In my case, since my live broadcasts are about illustration, I ask my followers what technique they want me to use or what theme, especially for those who want to do the exercise with me during the broadcast," he says.

Krishna VR aims to be original and practical in her live shows: "I try to add a twist to my classes to make them interesting. That's why I've resorted to apps like OBS and Instafeedme, because they let me teach classes in live broadcasts sharing my screen, videos, or slides," explains.

Take care of the visual aspect and your connection!

You will be broadcasting live, but you still have time to prepare and tune up the space you are going to broadcast from. Pay special attention to the lighting, the environment, the sound, and how you see whatever you are going to show during the live show. Take care of the quality of this transmission as much as you take care of the rest.

Having a good connection is also essential for your live performance to go without a hitch. Try to review all the technical aspects and always have a plan B for when unforeseen events may arise. Among the basics for a successful live broadcast, Krishna VR recommends: "Take care of good lighting, audio and the internet; when my internet connection acts up, I try to switch to my cellular data so that there is no failure."

In the Domestika course Content Creation and Editing for Instagram Stories, by Mina Barrio, you can learn lots of tips to make your posts more attractive and engaging. Núria Mañe, communication and social media strategy consultant, also teaches you how to create a content plan in the Domestika course Communication Strategy for Social Media.

English version by @angeljimenez.

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