I get going LIVE seems scary as heck, but what about if you shifted your mindset and thought about it as a way to gift your audience with the knowledge they followed if you for?

And if you’re thinking ok Sarah what I’m a shop! Well, guess what? Try on and unboxing new products gets your audience super excited and makes them feel like a VIP!

Here are a few tips to Prep for going LIVE!

1 | Prep your audience

Either pick the same day and time every week, so it becomes a routine for them to tune in or look for the replay. I also find it easier on your end if you pick the same day and time because it is easier to book guests and plan it out on your end. Another great way to get your audience excited is by sharing it beforehand, either by sharing a reminder post in your feed or again to stories. Or simply just to stories and use the countdown timer!

2 | Have a game plan

Knowing what you plan to talk about ahead of time will help you immensely stay the course! For example, you can share images during a LIVE now on Instagram, making it almost like a mini-lesson. You can even repurpose a carousel into a LIVE presentation. Or if you don’t want to get fancy with graphics and that stresses you out, have notes close by.

3 | Invite a guest

This was the exact way I got comfy with LIVES; I did it with guests. This way, you are having a conversation back and forth, and it takes away the nerves a bit. You can even do 4 people LIVE rooms now, which is a great way to get visible and cross-pollinate your audiences.

4 | Just start

No waiting for people to join. Most people do watch the reply, and when you go to share to stories after, the first bit is of you saying, “Yeah, I’m going to watch for people to trickle in,” they be onto the next!

5 | Set yourself up for success

Pick a spot in your home that has good lighting and isn’t too noisy. I also love to use headphones (when I remember, lol) because the mic makes it super clear for your listeners! I use a desktop tripod because being hands-free for a LIVE is also essential, I think for steady filming.

6 | Mindset

Like I mentioned at the start, if you can swap the way you think about LIVES to your sharing your expertise with your audience that followed you for a reason, it eases it a bit. The more you do it, the easier it becomes, I promise. Even giving yourself a goal of 5 minutes is better than nothing!

Why am I suggesting going LIVE? Instagram rewards us for using all the features, and LIVE is one of them. The other nice thing about adding LIVES into your strategy is that it acts as a piece of content for the day and one you can share again!

Let me know what other questions you have—always cheering you on!

Sarah Huguet | Social and Stuff