One of Instagram’s newest features—broadcast channels—can be a game-changer for content creators using the platform to grow their brand and sell more homes. That is, when they are used properly.
Just this week, The Broke Agent and Brooks Landry hosted a live Social & Digital Marketing Mastermind in the private BAMx Facebook group to talk about broadcast channels—among other content strategies and questions from BAMx members.
So, if you’re curious about broadcast channels—what they are, what they can do for your brand, and why a busy real estate agent would want to create one—read on.
What are broadcast channels, anyway?
Brock Johnson announced the new feature in a Reel just this week, sharing some of his best practices in the caption.
As Brock describes them, broadcast channels are, essentially, one-to-many group chats you can create for your Instagram channel to boost your engagement, build a community, and reconnect with your followers.
You might be thinking, “Why would anyone do these if they’re already posting regularly on Instagram?” For one thing, engagement on broadcast channels is about 50%—and more like 60-70% in terms of those who will see your content.
Compare that to posts in your IG feed which are seen by about 1% of your audience.
Best practices for broadcast channels
We’ll start with what Brock shared in the above-mentioned post:
- Give your group a title that creates CURIOSITY.
- Deliver VALUE immediately.
- Don’t overdo it.
- Keep your broadcasts fun and engaging!
The Broke Agent shared those in the mastermind and added a few more:
- Ask people what they want with a poll.
- Keep content exclusive to the broadcast channel.
As for frequency, he shared how regularly he creates broadcasts for his own channel—which is every other day. Since these broadcasts end up in the DMs of everyone who’s joined, you don’t want to inundate your followers or repeat content they could have already seen in a recent Reel, carousel post, or Story.
Give them something they can’t get anywhere else on your channel. Or go deeper on something you’ve touched on only lightly in an earlier post. The Broke Agent does this will Instagram tips:
Getting started with a broadcast channel
If this feature is enabled for your account, once you create a broadcast channel, Instagram will notify your followers and invite them to join. You can also add a “join channel” sticker in Stories or pin a channel link to your profile.
If you’re wondering where on earth to begin with your content, re-read the best practices above (everyone loves a poll) and check out other RE agents’ broadcast channels for ideas and examples. Join channels created by creators you’re following and see how they put this feature to use to grow their brand—and how well it seems to be working for them.
You can also check out what the folks at Instagram have to say about broadcast channels.
Once you’ve created your own channel, don’t forget to track and measure its performance using Instagram Insights and other social media analytics. Try different types of content and see what gets the most engagement.
Don’t forget to check your DMs daily for responses and connect with your followers—as well as with other content creators whose broadcast channels you’ve joined.
For starters, why not brainstorm ten possible titles for your new broadcast channel?
