Why does Instagram want creators to use Live more, and how does that benefit artists?

Instagram wants creators to go live because their data shows that the more live broadcasts happen on their platform, the more they keep people on the platform overall. Anytime you can get in the same boat as the platform and row in the same direction, you’re going to get extra love from the algorithm. Instagram is hoping their platform morphs into more of a live broadcast commerce type of deal, which is already really prevalent in Asia but hasn’t culturally crossed over in Western markets yet. Instagram is the number one marketplace for any creator to sell anything, and they want people creating live videos where they’re demoing products, having sales, and engaging directly with buyers. Because Instagram wants more of this content and so few creators are providing it, this is a fantastic time to invest in this technique—the platform will continue rewarding it with better visibility and reach.

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Asked by synthesized teaching point · Answered by Patrick Shanahan · art-marketing-podcast · 2026-02-24