What is an Instagram broadcast channel and how to create it

Instagram is one of the most popular social networks used by influencers, brands and content creators. This platform offers various tools and features to interact with the public, promote products or services, and generate communities.

One of these tools is broadcast channels, a new feature that allows you to send exclusive messages to your followers and create a closer connection with them.

Do you want to know what Instagram broadcast channels are, how to create them and how to make the most of them? Then keep reading this article, where we explain everything to you.

What are Instagram broadcast channels?

Broadcast channels are a kind of group chat, where you can share information, photos, videos, audios, surveys or links with your followers.

Unlike direct messages, broadcast channels only allow you to send messages, while your followers can only react with emojis, vote in polls, or answer your questions.

This way, you can keep your audience up to date, offer them exclusive content, and generate engagement .

Broadcast channels were launched in February 2023, but were only available to certain content creators. In June of the same year, Instagram expanded the use of this feature to all creator profiles, which are those that have more than 10,000 followers and meet certain requirements.

If you have a personal profile, you will not be able to access this tool unless you change it to a creator profile.

What is the purpose of having an Instagram dissemination channel?

Having a broadcast channel on Instagram can bring you many benefits, both for you and your audience. Some of them are:

• You can create a more intimate and direct relationship with your followers, making them feel part of your community and valued as an audience.
• You can offer them valuable, new and exclusive content that you don't share in other parts of your profile, such as stories , reels or IGTV.
• You can increase your profile reach and visibility as your followers will receive a one-time notification to join your channel and will be able to see it in your timeline.
• You can obtain feedback and insights from your audience through surveys, questions or reactions, which will help you better understand their interests, preferences and opinions.
• You can promote your products or services, announcing offers, discounts, launches or collaborations, and generating traffic to your website or online store.

How to create a broadcast channel on Instagram step by step?

Creating a broadcast channel on Instagram is very easy and quick. Just follow these steps:

1. Go to your profile and tap on the message or paper airplane icon, which is at the top right of the screen.
2. Tap the compose icon, also located at the top right, and choose the option to create a broadcast channel.
3. Write your channel name, which should be short, clear, and catchy, and reflect the theme or purpose of your channel.
4. Decide who can post on your channel, which can be just you or you and another creator, if you want to do a collaboration.
5. Choose your channel's target audience, which can be all of your followers or just some of them, depending on the filters you want to apply, such as age, gender, location, or interests.
6. Set the duration of your channel, which can be indefinite or limited to a certain time, depending on the type of content you want to share.
7. Set your channel display to be visible or invisible on your profile depending on the level of exclusivity you want to give it.
8. Tap on create a broadcast channel and start sending messages to your followers.

How to use your Instagram broadcast channel?

Once you've created your broadcast channel, you can start using it to communicate with your audience. Here are some tips to help you do this effectively:

• Define your channel's objective and strategy , that is, what you want to achieve with it and how you are going to do it. For example, if you want to increase sales of your product, you can send messages with testimonials, benefits, offers or links to your website.
• Create quality, relevant and original content that provides value to your followers and motivates them to interact with your channel. For example, if you want to educate your audience on a topic, you can send messages with data, tips, resources or examples.
• Be consistent and frequent, but not excessive, in sending messages. You don't want to bore or annoy your followers with too many messages, or lose their interest with too few messages. Ideally, you should send between one and three messages a day, and adapt them to your audience's schedule and behavior.
• Measure and analyze the results of your channel to know if you are meeting your objective and strategy, and to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your content. You can use the statistics that Instagram offers, such as the number of followers, reactions, responses or impressions.

What benefits does an Instagram dissemination channel have for your business?

An Instagram channel can be a very powerful tool for your business, if you know how to use it correctly. Some of the benefits it can bring you are:

• It allows you to create a stronger and longer-lasting connection with your customers, building loyalty and turning them into ambassadors for your brand.
• It helps you differentiate yourself from your competition, offering added value and a unique experience to your audience, which they won't find in other profiles.
• It makes it easier for you to generate leads, that is, potential clients, that you can capture and nurture with your content, until they become buyers.
• It gives you the opportunity to grow your business, increasing traffic to your website, sales of your product or service, and recognition of your brand .

Written by Moises Hamui Abadi : I am an entrepreneur, founding partner of Viceversa and SoyMacho. After leading several digital businesses and advising several other businesses, I decided to form MHA Consulting, a digital marketing consultancy dedicated to growing and empowering digital businesses in more than 7 countries and generating more than 1,500 million pesos.