Boost Your Instagram Engagement with Collabs
Instagram recently added a collab feature that allows you to share a post on your profile in collaboration with another user. This new practice may be the key to boosting your page’s reach, engagement, and following. Collaboration is easy, and in this article we’re going to cover the basics.
What are Instagram Collabs?
Collaboration posts on Instagram aren’t that different from regular posts. When viewing a collab post, you can see the two users involved in creating the post. This allows Instagram users to visit the profile of either collaborator right from the published post. Your reel or picture displays the exact same on both your profile and your co-collaborator’s profile.
Collabs are often used in Reels. Each collaborator can speak to the camera and essentially “hand” the spotlight to their partner. This makes Reels even more engaging. Collabs can also be used in a regular post with a picture.
Why Create a Collab?
A collab can serve many purposes. You can announce a partnership or upcoming special. Share a product or brand that supports your business’ goals. If you’ve paid an influencer to promote a product, you can turn this into a collab post.
On the results side, collab posts offer extraordinary exposure opportunities. Consider: everyone who sees your collaborator’s posts will now see this post. Even if you both have 500, 5,000 or 50,000 followers, they aren’t likely to be the same people. This is a great way to get your name seen by people who may not otherwise come across your profile.
How do you Find a Collaborator?
But how do you locate the right user to collaborate with? First, let’s look at a few examples of great collab combos:
An influencer does an ad for a brand
A business collaborates with one of their employees (i.e. a hair salon collaborates with one of their stylists, a tattoo shop collaborates with one of their artists)
Two similar businesses create a reel about their services (i.e. a lawn service collaborates with a window cleaning service to promote making your outdoor home perfect)
Create a challenge post or contest with a collaborator
Your partnership strategy will vary depending on which of the above you decide to pursue. If you go the influencer route, it will be similar to the way you work with and approach influencers now. If you want to partner with another business, you’ll need to search on Instagram for a business that fits the kind of content you want to create. Consider your current network first and who might be a great collab partner.
Creating a Collab Post or Reel
Here’s the great news: Posting a collab post is a very simple process. First, create your content. From your Instagram app, proceed through the new post or reel creation process as usual. At the last page before posting, where you review your post, write your caption, and add locations, choose ‘Tag People’.
When you come to the ‘Tag People’ page, you’ll see the option to ‘Invite Collaborator’ at the bottom right. Choose this, search for your collaborator’s username, select them, and click “Done.” From this point, publish your post as usual.
It’s as simple as that! Your collaborator will get a notification asking them about this collaboration request. When they accept, the post or reel will appear exactly the same on your page and their page. Users will also see both your username and your co-collaborator’s username as the creators.
Growing with Instagram Collabs
Instagram collabs give your posts more exposure. With two users instead of one, you have an opportunity to get in front of a large audience you currently don’t reach. These posts also provide fun creative opportunities. They are more engaging, with two creators to watch instead of one. Grow your Instagram by creating a collab post today!
