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 functionalities 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? So, keep reading this article, where we explain everything to you.

What are Instagram broadcast channels?

Broadcast channels are a type 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 some content creators. In June of the same year, Instagram expanded the use of this functionality 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 a broadcast channel on Instagram?

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, innovative and exclusive content that you do not share in other parts of your profile, such as stories , reels or IGTV.
• You can increase the reach and visibility of your profile as your followers will receive a unique 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 your online store.

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

Creating a broadcast channel on Instagram is very easy and fast. You just have to 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, which is also at the top right, and choose the option to create a broadcast channel.
3. Write the name of your channel, which should be short, clear and catchy, and reflect the topic or purpose of your channel.
4. Decide who can post messages on your channel, which can be just you or you and another creator, if you want to do a collaboration.
5. Choose the target audience for your channel, which can be all your followers or just some, 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. Configure the display of your channel, which can be visible or invisible on your profile, depending on the level of exclusivity you want to give it.
8. Tap on create broadcast channel and start sending messages to your followers.

How to use your Instagram broadcast channel?

Once you have created your broadcast channel, you can start using it to communicate with your audience. Here we give you some tips to do it effectively:

• Define the objective and strategy of your channel , 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 about a topic, you can send messages with facts, tips, resources, or examples.
• Be constant and frequent, but not excessive, in sending messages. You don't want to bore or annoy your followers with too many messages, nor lose their interest with too few messages. Ideally, you should send between one and three messages a day, and adapt them to the schedule and behavior of your audience.
• Measure and analyze the results of your channel, to know if you are meeting your objective and your strategy, and to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your content. You can use the statistics that Instagram offers you, such as the number of followers, reactions, responses or impressions.

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

An Instagram broadcast 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 more lasting connection with your customers, building loyalty and turning them into ambassadors of your brand.
• It helps you differentiate yourself from your competition, offering added value and a unique experience to your audience, which they will not find in other profiles.
• It makes it easier for you to generate leads, that is, potential customers, who 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 enhancing digital businesses in more than 7 countries and generating more than 1,500 million pesos.