Instagram Enables Brands & Creators To Fundraise On Instagram Live Through A New ‘Live Donations’ Feature

Source: Instagram

Instagram is enabling brands and creators to raise money for nonprofits via Instagram Live, its live streaming feature that has taken off over the last month. 

"Starting today, you can raise money for a nonprofit on Instagram Live. Many people are facing challenges at this time, and we want to do our part to support nonprofits and communities who need it the most," the Facebook-owned company said in a blog post earlier this week. 

Through the new Live Donations feature, brands and creators can quickly go Live and create a fundraiser to raise money for a nonprofit of their choice. 

Once they have started a Live broadcast with a fundraiser, they can see the number of people that are supporting it and the amount of money raised in real-time. They also can view a full breakdown of donors and their contributions and have the option to thank them through a Wave tool. 

Source: Instagram

Along with Live Donations, Instagram teamed up with Leo Natsume, a Brazilian community illustrator to create a custom 'I Donated' Sticker. When someone donates in Live or Stories, they will be able to share the sticker for a limited period of time. Similar to the ‘Stay Home’ sticker it launched last month, Stories that feature the sticker will be added to a shared Story, further highlighting how communities are supporting nonprofits.

Insights & Analysis: 

Before the pandemic, Instagram Live was rarely used. However, the company is reporting that Live usage is up by 70 percent in the U.S., which can be directly attributed to people being home and looking for new ways to be entertained.

Adding donation capabilities on top of Live not only enhances the product, but allows brands and creators to leverage the platform and their influence to do good. As brands start to explore sponsored live streams more, expect them to utilize Live Donations as an easy way to tie social good to their campaign.

Due to the uptick in Live as well as the support needed for coronavirus relief, Instagram’s recent tools, features, and experiences have been centered around live streaming and donations. This likely will remain true for the foreseeable future.

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Source: Instagram Blog