This feature will help users join their creative forces and foster a sense of partnership. Moreover, Instagram also aims to reduce the duplicity of similar posts, thereby allowing original and high-quality content to thrive. In this article, we’ll take you through the ins and outs of an Instagram collab post, with creative tips, ideas, and steps that’ll help you step up your Instagram game!
What’s an Instagram Collab Post?
An Instagram collab post is a single post that appears on the feeds of two creators/users and shows both of them as co-authors. In originality, an Instagram collab post has one creator, who then invites another co-author to join the post. Once the user accepts, the collab post is visible on both of their profiles. At present, Instagram collab posts are applicable for reels as well as single-photo and multi-photo carousel posts. The views, likes, shares, and saves will be visible to both users.
Why Use an Instagram Collab Post?
Instagram users prefer an Instagram collab post over a single post because it gives a boost to their engagement and enhances discoverability. Creators use Instagram collab posts to expand their follower base and build on the other creator’s unique followers. Here’s a quick look at how using an Instagram collab post can help grow your fan base, whether you’re a creator, a business, an affiliate marketer, or a regular Instagram user:
1. Increase Exposure of Personal Brand
As the post is shared with both of their follower bases, there’s a chance to enhance discoverability from unique accounts or target audiences previously not tapped into. You get access to another user’s engagement, which can help you drive your post’s visibility and get it across a larger audience base than usual.
2. Reduce Duplicity of Content
With Instagram Collab posts, Instagram aims to reduce the chances of the same content being posted twice. This plays right into Instagram’s recent algorithm changes, by which Instagram strives to bring original and unique content to our feeds. Allowing the users to share ownership of a single post eliminates the chances of duplicity of the content. When both accounts share the same post individually, they compete for views. And, in the end, end up hurting the visibility of both posts. The same post, when shared by two co-authors in an Instagram collab post, benefits everyone by increasing views, saves, and shares.
3. Increase Business Sales
When a business and a creator create an Instagram collab post, it increases sales for the business. When a creator popular in her niche does a collab with a not-so-popular brand, it makes the brand discoverable to a wider audience. Furthermore, Instagram collab posts don’t have the same vibe as promotional posts. They are more reliable and engaging and directly tag the brand, thus facilitating quicker purchases. This not only helps in building influencer authority but also the marketed brand’s image and is a way for influencers to make money on Instagram. Unlike Instagram Collab posts, promotional posts lose a high number of users before the “add to cart” option on the buyer’s journey. Users see the post and yet don’t make an effort to go search for the brand or make a purchase, as there is less authority generated by a single recommendation.
How to Create an Instagram Collab Post
While a collab post can help increase followers and sales, here’s how to create an Instagram collab post from scratch:
Click on the + icon in the middle of your Instagram app to start creating a new post or reel Select images or relevant videos for your content from the gallery You can also select multiple images for a carousel post Click on the → on the top right of your screen Edit the post as required by adding filters or adjusting contrast/brightness Click again on the → icon and fill in your caption, add location and music, as applicable Go to the option: Tag people
Click on: Invite Collaborator and search for the user you want to do an Instagram Collab post with You’ll also have the choice to edit the collaboration if you haven’t hit publish yet Once sure, click on the ✔️ on the top right of your screen to publish your collab post on Instagram
Doing this will automatically send a collab request or invite to your co-author. Once they accept, both of your names will be visible on the Instagram collab post header. The post will be shared in both of your profile grids. You’ll be notified each time someone likes the post. This includes followers of your co-authors and users who discover your post through your co-author as well.
How to Accept a Collab Post Invite
Accepting an Instagram collab post request is easy. However, you need to have a public profile to accept Instagram collab posts invite. Currently, Instagram doesn’t allow private users to collaborate on posts or reels. Here’s how to accept an Instagram collab post request:
When someone invites you to be a collaborator, you’ll receive a personal message from them The message will show that you have been tagged and you’re being invited to collaborate on the post You can click on View Request to see the complete post with the caption
Click on Review Request, and a pop-up menu will apply, telling you “@username invited you to be a collaborator on their post. If you accept, your name will be added to the post, and it will be shared with your followers in addition to where it’s already visible” You can choose to Accept / Decline the Instagram collab request You can also choose Not Now to revisit it at a later time and review it again Once you accept, both of your profiles will share the same post
That’s how simple it is to create an Instagram collab post with a fellow Instagram user!
Creative Tips for a Successful Collab Post
Creating a successful collab post isn’t hard when you follow these strategies for success:
1. Choose the Right Collaborator
Consider a collaborator who:
Has a healthy engagement rate Has a proportionate follower and like count Has a follower base that aligns with your target audience Likewise, has a good reputation in the influencer community Isn’t a spammy brand or a promotional influencer Creates and shares posts that add value to the community
Remember: No matter if you’re an individual creator or a business trying to increase your engagement rate, you need to choose the right person for your collab venture!
2. Stay Real to Your Values
Whether you’re a brand or you’re a creator trying to build a personal brand on Instagram, it’s important to stay true to your brand voice. Don’t collaborate with posts that your follower base isn’t used to or won’t like or appreciate. As that might negatively impact your engagement rate and actually reduce it. The key is to find a creator/brand that complements the aura you have on social media while resonating with your audience.
3. Set Goals for ROI Tracking
When planning a collab post, be mindful of setting goals ahead of the post so that it’s easier to track performance later. Have a set ROI structure in mind to see if you’re getting the benefits you set out to get.
As a brand, you can collaborate with influencers to increase sales As a fellow influencer, you can collaborate with other popular influencers to improve your follower count Or, you can also collaborate to get out of a death spell and charm your audience base with fun content that’s high in engagement
When having more than one social account to manage, it can get difficult to keep track of posts. Thus, check out these social media management tools, as consistency is key to creating a dedicated audience following.
5. Create Content That Engages
Creating content that’s out of the box and unique can help you stand out in a sea of Instagram creators.
Create fun content that makes people laugh Create short reels that provide information in a powerful byte size Do an improv together and act out some movie scene Create your version of a popular music video Create a carousel post that tells a story Create a cooking video from two different cultures Or, do just about anything as long as you’re enjoying yourselves
And indeed, two heads are better than one! When combined with a fellow artistic creator, you can unleash the power of your creativity to go viral.
5. Add Call-to-Action
The power of a call-to-action/CTA is often overlooked. However, if you want the most out of your collab post, you have to create a CTA that tells your viewers what to do after they see the post. For example, if you’re a brand, you can ask them to:
Make a purchase Follow your brand Gear up for a launch Visit your shop See Instagram profile Participate in a giveaway Send a message to quickly ask something
If you’re a creator or an individual user, you can include a CTA that asks them to:
Send you a message Follow you See full vlog Visit your website Donate to a cause Participate in a giveaway Get in touch with them
Ideas for Businesses & Creators
Now, it’s absolutely normal to post without intent, but then you miss out on many benefits. From a high engagement ratio to more followers to increasing purchases, a collab post can help you do all that and more. And while you collaborate, don’t forget it is a team effort, so review that content prior to publishing and have some intriguing images! Here are some out-of-the-box ideas to try for your next Instagram collab:
1. Tag Contest/Giveaway Winners
One authentic yet fun way to appreciate your followers while increasing your engagement is to create posts with winners of contests or giveaways you have held. This will help you connect with people who are really interested in your products or services when you’re a brand.
2. Start a Challenge
You can do this with a local brand, your other accounts, or your closest friends. Start a new trend or challenge that’s fun and easy to replicate. Tag people in the comments to have them try it out. Usually, works better if you have a prize or a giveaway where you declare a winner or give them a shoutout.
3. Do a Takeover Collab
You and your fellow Instagrammer can take over each other’s posts to create a collab post. Here, you can:
Do a Q/A Shoot a funny reel Post BTS (behind the scenes) Or, just go creative!
However, whatever you plan, do get the go-ahead from your fellow collaborators before-hand, as team effort means team decisions.
4. Review a Product
As a brand that uses a lot of B2B products, or as an Instagrammer, you can always review a new product you’re trying out. Tag the brand, and make an impact. Content that’s genuine and unadulterated really goes a long way in cementing the engagement ratio on the platform. It might take you a while to get established; however, it’ll all be worth it.
5. Showcase Look Books
You can always try out different looks with another fellow Instagrammer. Or, you can act out different characters from a movie. Like being Wednesday of your friend Morticia Addams. Or, be Rachel to Monica. The point is to dress up like your fav celebs or best fiction characters and create a splash.
6. Give a Shoutout
When other Instagrammers tag you or make a reel that relates to you, you can reshare, tag, and give them a shoutout. User-generated content can help you establish credibility in a sea of other brands or creators.
7. Do an Expert Interview
You can help unpack a complex topic or share your take on a raging political or socio-economic issue in the country. Or, you can talk about new trends in a particular field. This could be topics like the rise of AI and the role it’ll play in the lives of content creators. Tag experts and do interviews that help you create impact by driving awareness and conversations.
Things to Keep in Mind
While Instagram collab posts are great for increasing visibility and engagement ratio, you should be mindful of a few things. The person who creates the post is the primary author, and they can delete the post. If they do delete the post, it’ll also disappear from the secondary author’s profile grid. Moreover, the same will happen if the primary author deactivates their Instagram profile. At any point, if the primary author decides to go private with their post visibility, it’ll cease to exist on the secondary author’s profile too. Thus, it’s advisable not to keep all your eggs in one basket, and while you collab, be sure to post individually too; but ensure the content is different. There are many tools available that can help you ensure you have a vibrant online presence. For instance, Instagram story makers will help you have a few individual posts slotted out so that you gain better visibility on your collaborative ones. With the use of such tools, your can make your post-creation process all the more effective and easier.
Here’s to Collaborative Success!
Now that you know how to create a successful Instagram collab post, it shouldn’t be hard to stay ahead of the curve. Just stay mindful of creating collab posts with creators and businesses that resonate with the values and principles you embody. Be sure to engage with audiences via comments. You can also get together in a live stream with your collaborator to give a shoutout to each of your audience bases to increase your engagement ratios. And to gain better insights on your audience so that you know which content engaged them better, here’s a guide to Instagram insights – the only tool you need to gauge your Instagram performance!
