Instagram Live is a great way to connect with your followers and build engagement. The only problem is that it can be hard to get all—or even just most—of your followers to join your live session.

You can overcome that by scheduling your Instagram Live sessions, up to 90 in advance. Your followers can set a reminder for when it's time to tune in. The goal of the feature is to help you get more followers to join your live sessions.

In this article, we’ll cover all you need to know to schedule your next Instagram Live session in advance.

How to Schedule an Instagram Live Session

Thankfully, Instagram has made the Live Scheduling feature easy to use. Here’s how:

  1. Launch Instagram.
  2. Tap create (the plus sign in a square). This will take you to the traditional photo and video upload interface.
  3. Tap Live in the options bar.
  4. In the Live video screen, tap the calendar icon.
  5. Select Start Time.
  6. Slide the rollers to choose your preferred date and time.
  7. Type a title in the Video Title field and hit Schedule Live Video to complete the scheduling process.

You can also share your live video schedule as an event that users can tap on to get notified when the session is about to start.

That’s it! You can now schedule Instagram Live sessions in advance.

Why Schedule Instagram Live Sessions in Advance?

There are several advantages to scheduling your Instagram Live sessions.

First, it means you don't need to figure out a time when most of your followers will be online. Instead, they can choose to be notified for when your scheduled stream goes live.

Related: List of the Best Social Media Content Calendar Tools for Scheduling Posts

It also means that your followers don't need to miss out. Often, a live stream is over by the time many people have even realized it began. This overcomes that hurdle. It can help you build your audience, since the word will spread and people will tell their friends about the upcoming stream, and engage with your existing followers too.

Instagram Live Scheduling Helps With Engagement

Instagram made a smart move by introducing the schedule feature for Instagram Live sessions. Your followers can get a heads-up for your live streams, ensuring they don't miss out and boosting your viewership figures.

It's one of the many ways that you can make your Instagram account more engaging. Give it a try.