It has been clear for a while that video is the content form of the future . However, that is not the only reason why Instagram is expanding its livestream capabilities. I will list 3 reasons why Instagram has launched Live Rooms and the benefits for you as a creator or user.
With Live Rooms, Instagram is responding to the ' meaningful conversation ' trend, in which real engagement is paramount. The platform hopes to facilitate meaningful conversations between creators or between creators and their audience even better with Live Rooms.
To create a ' safe space ', Instagram has taken safety into account in this update. For example, people who have been blocked by other active Room participants or have previously violated community guidelines cannot join a Live Room. The host can also report or block comments and soon also set comment filters.
2. Creative opportunities
With Live Rooms, Instagram hopes to offer its users even more creative possibilities. For example fax lists Live Rooms lend themselves to starting a talk show, hosting a jam session, co-creating with other artists and hosting Q&As with your followers. But of course you can also just use it for a catch-up session with your friends.
Live Rooms are interesting for many different creators. From a Live Room about science to live rap battles, live workouts and live cooking.
3. Business opportunities for creators
Instagram also wants to offer creators an additional way to earn money with the platform with Live Rooms. For example, Live viewers can now buy badges to support their favorite creators. The same function is integrated into Live Rooms: viewers can buy badges for the hosts and use interactive features such as Shopping or Live Fundraisers. More interactive tools will be added in the future.
Screenshot of Instagram Live Rooms.
Instagram Live Rooms vs Clubhouse
The launch of Live Rooms is certainly newsworthy, but perhaps even more notable is the timing of the launch. Just as Clubhouse, a new app for group audio conversations , is gaining popularity, Instagram pulls Live Rooms out of the hat.
Want Clubhouse? Is going places . In mid-February, the Clubhouse download counter was already at 8.1 million worldwide, of which more than 1 million Dutch users. And as we have seen before: when a competitor of Instagram makes a sprint, the platform immediately takes action. For example, they launched Instagram Stories when Snapchat gained popularity, when YouTube continued to grow IGTV and when TikTok became big Instagram Reels. Piece of cake, you would say.
Will they now apply the same cold trick and compete with Club House with Live Rooms? It seems so. The similarities and differences highlighted:
These are the similarities:
Instagram Live Rooms and Clubhouse both facilitate group conversations on a specific topic. As a host, you give your Room or Clubhouse a title/topic and if people like it, they can watch or listen.
Both platforms appeal to roughly the same target group: mainly millennials who are looking for 'meaningful interactions' and connections with like-minded people.
On both platforms, the host determines which speakers are allowed to 'join'.
But there are also differences:
The biggest difference is that Live Rooms are video livestreams, while Clubhouse is audio-only. This means that the user probably participates with a different mindset . Instagram Live Rooms are more interactive and require more attention from the user: you have to watch, listen and possibly chat to get everything and you can't just turn off your phone screen. That stops the livestream. Clubhouse requires less attention: you can just tune in and listen while you walk your dog and your phone is in your pocket.
In a Live Room, up to 4 people can livestream at once: you as the host and 3 others. In Clubhouse, moderators can give more than 10 people a virtual microphone at once, giving them a stage.
Clubhouse is invitation-only and iOS- only , meaning you can only access the app if another iOS user invites you. Instagram Live Rooms are open to everyone. However, you will only see that someone is live on Instagram if you follow them or one of their guests.
Instagram livestreams can be saved by the host for 24 hours. Which means that his or her followers can watch the livestream for another 24 hours. Did you miss a Clubhouse episode? Then you're out of luck. That's also one of the strengths of Clubhouse. The FOMO (fear of missing out) is big.
Screenshot from Instagram.
Source: about.instagram.com .
Both have the potential to score
You see: there are definitely similarities. Instagram Live Rooms and Clubhouse play into the same trend (meaningful interactions around one topic) and target group (millennials), which means that it is still quite difficult for creators but also for listeners or viewers to choose. The differences are mainly in the multimedia character of IG Live Rooms versus the audio-only principle on which Clubhouse is based.
But maybe… Maybe the millennial of 2021 doesn’t want to choose at all. The millennial probably listens to Clubhouse during their lunch break or just before bed, and IG Live Rooms when they really want to be actively entertained or inspired.
The only question is which of the two, Clubhouse or IG Live Rooms, will be able to better and more often claim and retain the attention of this target group. Only time will tell.