Social media platforms can be overwhelming. We wanted to make it a little more whelming by breaking down each of the features available on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube over seven weeks. We’ll talk format, length, location, and life span, so you can make the most out of what the social media platforms have to offer.

This week we’re talking about Instagram and Facebook Live.

What’s Live? Exactly what it sounds like! Facebook and Instagram Live allows companies to live stream to their customers, in the same format as a Story or Reel, 1080 pixels wide and 1920 pixels tall. Viewers can see you in real time. They can comment and interact with you without delay. The length of time you can live stream on Facebook is 8 hours and on Instagram it’s 60 minutes.

What does a Live do? It allows you to connect with your audience. Going live is less about promoting your products and services and more about making connections with your viewers. You can even invite guests to join in on the conversation.

When should you do a live? There are many reasons to go live: a new product launch or exciting news that may leave your customers with questions. Maybe you want to share some expert advice or hold a Q&A. To get the most out of your live, be sure to tell your audience the date and time you plan on going live. Before you go live, try to practice what you’re going to say, but try to keep it causal, so don’t over practice. Check you background and lighting and be sure to eliminate distractions. Be sure you have a purpose to go live, don’t do it too frequently.

If you want to learn more about Facebook Events, check out next week’s blog!