Are you exploring new ways to expand your reach on Instagram? Collaborating with other creators has proved time and time again to put content in front of larger audiences and, in return, bring creators more followers and engagement.
Instagram collaborations don’t have to mean advertisements and sponsored posts. Now, Instagram offers collab posts, simplifying the process of bringing two Instagram creators together on one piece of content.
What’s an Instagram Collab Post?
Image from @marvelstudios and @antmanofficial via Instagram
An Instagram collab post is a new-ish feature from Instagram that allows creators to create posts together. When one person or brand creates a collab post with another Instagram account, both accounts will show that content on their feed, essentially making the content co-authored.
An Instagram collab post is one of many ways to grow your Instagram audience. That’s because these posts allow each account to gain shares, likes, and comments on the post. When someone comments on a collab post, for example, that comment will appear underneath the post for both accounts. Also, each account’s name displays at the top of the post, giving Instagram users easy access to view both profiles.
Instagram collab posts are especially effective if you can collaborate with an Instagram influencer who has a relevant audience. As influencers are often viewed as thought leaders in their niche, it’s an excellent way to boost your visibility and your credibility.
How to Create an Instagram Collab Post
Screenshot from @ksustudentaffairs and @kennesawstateuniversity via Instagram
Follow these steps to create an Instagram collab post:
- Choose the photo or video you’d like to use in your post, and create a post or Reel as you usually would.
- Underneath the ‘Caption’ area, tap on Tag People.
- Tap ‘Invite collaborator’ to search for the account you’d like to collaborate with and tap the account’s name.
- Post your content. The other account name will show once they’ve accepted your invite to collaborate on the post.
If you’ve been invited to collaborate on someone else’s post, you can approve or deny the request. Simply tap the invitation in your notifications and review the invite to approve or deny the collab.
4 Tips to Expand Your Reach with an Instagram Collab Post
Screenshot from @_mermaid_ashley and @inglesinababyusa via Instagram
As you can see, creating Instagram collab posts is a simple process. Still, it’s best to use these posts sparingly to get the most out of them that you can when you do use them. Like most forms of content, overdoing an Instagram collab post makes them less special and unique in your feed, which can reduce their efficacy.
Consider the following tips to help you find success with Instagram collab posts.
Monitor User-Generated Content
Regularly browse Instagram for user-generated content about your brand. When you content others post about your product or service, reach out to the content owners to ask if you can become a collaborator on their post. This can be an excellent form of free advertising for your business. You can also create a post or share in your Story that you’re looking for user-generated content to encourage submissions.
Only Collab with Trusted People
If you’re the creator of an Instagram collab post, you have full control over that post, such as deleting it, editing the caption, or adding or removing collaborators. However, if someone else adds you as a collaborator to their post, you won’t have that same control. If you’re not the original creator of a collab post, you might want to have a contract in place when collaborating with the original creator before the post is published.
Share a Giveaway
Find other brands to partner with for a giveaway to share with your audiences. Both of you can contribute to the giveaway, and your shared audience can enter to win the prizes. By pooling your audiences together with a collab post, you each have the potential to get more followers and engagement on your accounts when running an Instagram giveaway.
Avoid Having Too Many Contributors
One of the perks of creating an Instagram collab post is that it forms a tight connection between your audience and your collaborator’s audience. Although you can have more than one collaborator on a post, we suggest only having one or, at most, two. Inviting multiple people to collaborate on a post can water down its sense of intimacy and exclusivity, which may not appeal to your audience or to potential collaborators.
Growing Your Audience with Instagram
Instagram collab posts should be in your toolkit as additional tools to expand your Instagram reach and build a strong, targeted audience. Another easy way to grow your Instagram audience is to add the Instagram follow button to your website. Customize the button and install it in minutes on your site to give visitors a quick and simple way to find you on Instagram and follow you with the click of a button.
