
Content Writer at SocialBee
Did you know that Instagram Collab posts can have a huge impact on your business? In fact, 90% of Instagram users follow at least one brand.
Instagram is an incredible opportunity to expand your following and connect with relevant audiences. If leveraging Instagram for your business is your goal, it’s important to learn how to take proper advantage of its entire suite of features.
This is where this article comes in. Today, we’ll teach you how to perfectly integrate Instagram Collabs into your social media strategy!
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Short summary
- Instagram Collab posts can positively impact how you do business because they can help increase your following and connect with the right people.
- Anyone can work together on Instagram, from brands and creators, to regular people, whether they have a private or public account.
- Instagram Collaborations can help you boost engagement, reduce duplicated content, provide the ultimate social proof, save time on content creation, combine forces with other brands, and increase sales from Instagram shopping.
- To create an Instagram Collab post, start by opening the Instagram app, creating a new post or Reel, selecting Tag People, tapping Invite Collaborator, entering their username, and confirming; once they accept, the post appears on both accounts.
- To accept an Instagram Collab invitation, tap the notification in your Activity Page, click Review, select Accept, and the post will appear on your profile.
- When two accounts collaborate on a post, the names of both accounts will be prominently displayed in the post header and the post will be visible on both feeds and to all the accounts’ followers combined.
- The views, likes, and comments generated by the collab post will be accumulated from both accounts.
- The original author’s account settings will apply to the post, and only they can make edits.
- Collaborators need to accept the invitation to share the post on their own feed, and they can choose to stop sharing the post whenever they want.
Table of contents
- What is an Instagram Collab post?
- Why use Instagram Collab posts?
- How to create a Collab post on Instagram
- How to accept invitations to a Collab Instagram Post
- 10 Instagram Collaboration post ideas
- 1. Show your products in action
- 2. Launch a product
- 3. Cross-promote your other accounts
- 4. Announce an upcoming collaboration or event
- 5. Support a non-profit or charity
- 6. Promote a giveaway or discount code
- 7. Start a challenge or trend
- 8. Collaborate with influencers or content creators
- 9. Create Instagram Collab posts with other brands
- 10. Provide behind-the-scenes access
What is an Instagram Collab post?
Instagram recently introduced a new feature called Collab posts, which enables two accounts to collaborate and share a feed post or Reel. The original author has the power to invite another account to be a collaborator or co-author, and together, they can publish a single post from both accounts.
This feature encourages creative collaboration between accounts, while also holding tremendous potential when used by or with businesses, brands, and content creators.
How do Instagram Collabs work?
Here’s what to expect when two accounts collaborate on a post, according to Instagram:
- The names of both accounts will be prominently displayed in the post header, giving credit where it’s due.
- The post will be visible on both feeds and to all the accounts’ followers combined, ensuring that both audiences can see and interact with the content.
- Views, likes, and comments generated by the post will be accumulated from both accounts.
Who can become a collaborator?
Anyone can work together on Instagram from brands and creators to regular people, whether they have a private or public account. You can send an Instagram Collab post invite to up to 20 collaborators.Â
What’s the difference between a tag and collaboration?
The main difference between Tag and Collaboration is that the latter is a more mutually beneficial interaction.Â
Imagine your company partners with a well-known influencer. The influencer creates a post about your partnership and tags your business. However, only their account’s followers will see the post. For the influencer’s followers to access your content, they have to tap on the post and then follow the tag. This two-step process could be inconvenient for some. Â
If you decide to repost the influencer’s post, you’ll duplicate the same content, essentially competing against yourself for user engagement.
On the other hand, if you collaborate through Instagram’s collaboration feature, both your username and the influencer’s will be displayed above the shared post, which means that you’ll both benefit from the engagement and visibility of the content.Â
Why use Instagram Collab posts?
You can use the Instagram collab feature to:
- Increase discoverability
- Boost engagement
- Reduce duplicated content
- Provide the ultimate social proof
- Save time on content creation
- Combine forces with other brands
- Increase sales from Instagram shopping
A. Increase discoverability
The Instagram Collab feature allows creators to tap into each other’s audiences, introducing their respective followers to new content. This boosted exposure can lead to increased followers, engagement, and, ultimately, an enhanced ability to be discovered by a wider audience of like-minded people.
For businesses, tapping into another user’s followers helps them present their products and services to potential buyers they would not be able to reach otherwise.
B. Boost engagement
More users coming in contact with your content means more people that are likely to interact with it. Even if you and your collaborator share a similar target audience, chances are there’s a significant amount of their followers that are different from yours.Â
C. Reduce duplicated content
Co-authored content helps brands and creators to effortlessly distribute the same post, without the need for redundant reposts.Â
What’s even better is that the shared analytics feature lets you assess the performance of the post or Instagram Reel without having to bother your collaborator for screenshots of insights.Â
D. Provide the ultimate social proof
A trend that’s gaining a lot of traction is UGC (user-generated content), with millennials and gen Z trusting UGC much more than the content generated by the brands.Â
Genuine testimonials from real customers who vouch for your products and services hold great value in the eyes of potential clients. Moreover, UGC content is important for building a strong foundation of trust and promoting brand transparency between you and your followers.
E. Save time on content creation
Creating content is always a good idea, but it can also be refreshing to let someone else contribute to your social media calendar.Â
Collaborations on Instagram alleviate the pressure of constantly having to brainstorm and create new posts from scratch. Your collaborator can provide creative ideas that might not have crossed your mind otherwise, which can lead to more fresh and diverse content.
F. Combine forces with other brands
Brands have been partnering up in the physical realm for a long time, but with Instagram Collabs, they can accomplish even greater results in the digital world.Â
When brands, especially smaller ones, pour their resources into creating joint promotional campaigns, they generate higher exposure levels, which can spark more engagement from their audiences.
G. Increase sales from Instagram Shopping
If you’ve already started using shoppable posts, imagine the possibilities of combining that feature with a collaborative post. Not only can you take advantage of the benefits mentioned earlier but you also have a higher chance of converting those who stumble upon your posts into actual buyers.
How to create a Collab post on Instagram
To create a Collab post on Instagram, you’ll need to log in to your Instagram account, create a new post, and invite another brand or influencer as a collaborator before publishing.
Here is what you need to know before creating an Instagram collaboration post:
- You can only invite collaborators before you publish the post.
- The original author’s account settings will apply to the post since they’re the post’s primary author.Â
- The person who initially created the post can make edits, but the collaborator cannot.
- Collaborators need to accept the invitation to share the post on their own feed.
- Collaborators can choose to stop sharing the post whenever they want.
Let’s break down the process of creating an Instagram Collab even further.
How to create an Instagram Collab feed post:
- To start, launch the Instagram app and click on the plus sign located at the bottom of your screen. From there, select the Post option from the bottom right corner.
- Next, pick what type of content you want to share on your post: a single picture, a collection of photos, or a video.
- Once you have your content ready, add a caption to go along with it and tap on the Tag People option on the post details menu.
- Now, it’s time to invite a collaborator to join your post. Simply tap on the Invite Collaborator button.
- Type in the username of the person you want to collaborate with, and once their account pops up in the list, tap on it.
- To ensure the collab tag is in the right spot, you can adjust its placement on the post by dragging it around. When you’re happy with it, hit Done.
- Lastly, take a moment to make any additional settings for your post and when you’re done, tap on the Share button to make it go live.
How to create an Instagram Collab in Reels:
- Open the Instagram app and either tap on the + sign and select Reel, or go to the Reels feed and tap the camera icon on the top right.
- You can either create a new Reel or select a pre-existing video from your library to add to the collaboration.
- Be sure to include a catchy caption to engage your audience. To tag collaborators, tap on Tag People, enter their username in the search bar, and select their account.
- Once you’re satisfied with everything, tap on Done.
- Complete any additional settings or edits you wish to make to your Reel, and then press Share.
As soon as you hit the Share button, your collaborator will receive an invite notification. If the account accepts, the post or Reel will be visible in their feed, and their username will be prominently displayed next to yours.
How to accept invitations to a Collab Instagram post
Here’s how to accept an Instagram collaboration invitation from another user:
- Click on the notification you receive in your Activity Page. This will take you to the post, where you’ll see a message saying: “@user invited you to be a collaborator on their post.”
- Look for the blue Review button next to the message and tap on it. A window with the option to either accept or decline the invitation will pop up.
- Â Choose Accept and you’re all set. You’ve successfully accepted the Instagram Collab request. From now on, you’ll be listed as a post-author. The post will also be visible on your profile and to your followers.
PRO TIP
On Instagram, brands are often confronted with the challenge of managing multiple threads of communication, content approval, and team roles.Â
This is where social media management tools like SocialBee shine, making collaboration easier for effective content creation and distribution thanks to its:
- Efficiency: With features like internal notes and content approval, SocialBee reduces the review process to just a few minutes.
- Unified platform: Instead of juggling content, notes, and cloud storage, performance analytics, everything from content drafts to results can be managed on a single dashboard.
- Workspaces: Workspaces allow for compartmentalization, ensuring that the content for Brand A doesn’t mistakenly go live under Brand B’s profile.
- Roles & permissions: SocialBee’s hierarchical roles, from Owner to Contributor, ensure that everyone knows their responsibilities and has access to a specific set of permissions.Â
Manage all your content creation, publishing, and collaborations efficiently from SocialBee.
10 Instagram Collaboration post ideas
Here are some great Instagram Collab post ideas to help you increase your visibility on the platform:
- Show your products in action
- Launch a product
- Cross-promote your other accounts
- Announce an upcoming collaboration or event
- Support a non-profit or charity
- Promote a giveaway or discount codeÂ
- Start a challenge or trend
- Collaborate with influencers or content creators
- Create Instagram Collab posts with other brands
- Provide behind-the-scenes access
1. Show your products in action
If you’re selling physical products, the Instagram Collabs feature is great for showcasing them in action. It’s advisable to find a popular influencer or UGC creator who can demonstrate the value of your product. Here is how @Nike manages to achieve that:
Your collaborator could create a quick video tutorial on how to use your product, showcase the end result with a picture, or even demonstrate a before-and-after transformation. Their authenticity and uniqueness can enhance the appeal of your brand, ultimately getting you more customers.
2. Launch a product
You can apply the same strategy to your next product launch. Teaming up with another brand or influencer allows you to tap into the combined power and engagement of both audiences.Â
This is how @barbiestyle incorporates this strategy into their marketing plan by collaborating with luggage company @beis:
Adding a collaborative element to the content you’re already creating means that you won’t have to invest a lot of extra time or resources in your launch.
3. Cross-promote your other accounts
If you have multiple Instagram accounts, you can take advantage of one of them to promote another through a collab post.Â
Let’s say you have a main brand account and a separate account for customer support, job openings, or a glimpse into your office life. Creating collaborative posts not only boosts both accounts’ visibility but also saves you plenty of time.
Here is an example of how @dior showcases their beauty account through collab posts:
Despite its worldwide popularity, @dior understands the power of cross-promotion and uses it to maximize sales.
4. Announce an upcoming collaboration or event
Do you have an event or collaboration in the works? Instagram Collabs offers a fantastic opportunity to create buzz and spread the word. Take a page from @miamiopen’s book:
It doesn’t matter if it’s a tournament, a product launch, or a podcast interview. Sharing an Instagram Collab post will generate excitement, build anticipation, and drive more engagement, ultimately increasing sales.
5. Support a non-profit or charity
Supporting an NGO on Instagram can give your brand a human touch, showcase your values, and increase awareness. To amplify the impact, collaborate with experts, creators, or organizations who share the same cause or topic. Here’s a collab example for inspiration:
This will bring more eyes to an important cause, while also gaining you popularity points with your audience. Customers will be more loyal to a brand whose values align with theirs.
6. Promote a giveaway or discount code
Organizing a giveaway is another ingenious way to generate engagement on your Instagram profile:
To drive sales for your product you can also offer your audience a discount code. And if you join forces with another brand or creator for the giveaway, the results can be even more impressive.Â
7. Start a challenge or trend
Creating a challenge or trend is an enjoyable way to generate buzz around your brand. The best part is that this idea is very easy to tailor to (almost) any industry.
Here is an Instagram Collab post between a food influencer and a dough specialized restaurant.
When you combine that with the power of an Instagram collab post, you engage a wider audience who can join in the challenge and spread the word to their friends.Â
8. Collaborate with influencers or content creators
Brands have been collaborating with celebrities since forever. Just think about how many billboards you’ve passed while out and about that featured a famous actor or singer promoting a company. Collab posts are your social media billboards, and featuring people with lots of followers and engagement on Instagram will increase your reach massively.Â
Here’s how @cacharel did it:
When working with a content creator or influencer, choose someone who is in a similar field or industry. This ensures that your partnership will make an impact on both of your audiences. To find content creators who share your niche and values, explore various influencer marketing platforms and analyze their portfolios.
9. Create Instagram Collab posts with other brands
Are your efforts aligning with a brand that targets a similar audience? If so, that brand could be the key to some successful Instagram collab posts. You could promote each other’s content or organize a joint sale. Take a look at how @dudefridges and @hidden.valley put a humorous twist on their collaboration:
Before you get to work, carefully consider the kind of content that would both captivate your audiences and provide them with value.
Chances are the brand you’re collaborating with has a slightly different approach than yours when it comes to their social media strategy, so find a creative way to implement both your unique styles into the post.
10. Provide behind-the-scenes access
Offer a unique look into the daily operations of your business, or perhaps a sneak peek of an upcoming event. Here is an example of how you can customize this idea to fit your particular industry:
By collaborating with a brand ambassador or a loyal customer for this insider view, you can build authenticity and transparency with your followers.
Frequently asked questions
The Instagram Collab posts work for all users, regardless of their follower count. In fact, even if you have a smaller following, many creators and brands may be interested in collaborating with you if your engagement is solid.
Yes, you can invite up to 20 different account to collaborate on an Instagram Collab post. This increased since the feature first launched, when it allowed up to six accounts to collaborate.
No, you can’t. Unlike the tagging feature, where you can add people after you’ve published a post, the collaboration feature only allows you to invite collaborators to your posts before you hit the publish button.
The original author is the owner of the Instagram collab post, so when they delete the post, it will also be deleted from the collaborator’s feed. If you just want to remove a collaboration from Instagram, open the collab post, tap on the options icon (which resembles three vertical dots), then select “Stop Sharing” and confirm your choice.
Start making Instagram Collab posts a part of your strategy!
Collab posts are incredibly useful for anyone who wants to increase their reach organically. And with Instagram Collabs becoming an increasingly relevant social media strategy component, brands must adapt their ways to this reality.
To take your Instagram success to the next level, use SocialBee to plan and schedule your content ahead of time. Take advantage of collaboration features like internal notes and content approval to make the entire process smoother between every team member. Start your 14-day free trial today!