How to Collab on Instagram to boost engagement

No matter how many followers you have, there are people who haven’t found your Instagram posts.

Expanding your presence and getting more eyes on your content is essential for growth, whether you’re looking to boost your following or build brand awareness. And collaborating with other users is a great way to expand your audience.

In the past, Instagram only let you tag or mention other users in your posts. But now, you can actually make a single post that credits two accounts and shows up in both audiences’ feeds — also known as Instagram Collabs.

Collaborative posts are the ultimate way to amplify your content while fostering creative partnerships with other Instagram users. Rather than relying on tags, mentions, and hashtags to gain visibility, you can co-create content to reach more people in a way that feels authentic.

We’ll break down how to Collab on Instagram, discuss the booming benefits, and provide you with inspiring real-life examples. You’ll learn how to grow your Instagram presence and earn loyal followers along the way.

What is an Instagram Collab post?

Collabs on Instagram are an exciting way to co-author content and team up with other accounts. When you want to create a post that credits both your account and another, you can invite someone as a collaborator. If they accept, the post goes live in both of your followers’ feeds, bringing it to more people and allowing their shared audience to view, like, and comment.

Before posting a Collab, remember to adjust your privacy settings. Private accounts can send collaboration invitations only to those who follow their account. And if the original creator switches their account to private, only their followers can view the collaborative post.

3 benefits of Instagram Collab posts

Being a content creator doesn’t have to be a solitary journey. Collaborating with other people on the platform is a fun way to build community while bringing your account to more users. Here are three benefits of creating Collab posts on Instagram:

1. Improve reach

Collabs open your content up to a whole new audience. Your content will land on the other creator’s followers’ homepages and may even spark their curiosity enough to visit your profile and press Follow.

2. Enhance engagement

Posting two separate pieces of content across different accounts results in two distinct sets of engagement. But collaboration lets you create a single piece of content that reaches both audiences. That means all of the engagement happens in one place, increasing the number of likes, comments, and shares and showing new users your account’s value.

3. Boost authenticity

Authenticity is about more than creating content and captions. You’ll want to show potential followers your personality and likeability, and collaborating with others is a great way to show them who you are.

How to do a Collab post on Instagram

If you already know which account you want to Collab with and what you want to post, the hard part’s over. Follow these steps to learn how to invite a collaborator on Instagram and share your audience:

1. Open the Instagram app
2. Tap the middle new post icon and select the photo or video you want to post
3. Press the blue “Next” button and edit your content
4. Press the blue “Next” button and write a caption
5. Tap “Tag people”
6. Select “Invite collaborators”
7. Type the handle of the user you’d like to collaborate with and select them
8. Press the blue “Done” button

Once you press post, your collaborator will receive a direct message inviting them to collaborate. After they view and accept your request, Instagram will share your post with both of your audiences. That’s why it’s so important to make sure the other account knows what you’re up to and has agreed on a plan — otherwise, they might not accept.

How to accept a Collab on Instagram

If someone else posts a Collab with you, you’ll receive a notification in your Instagram direct messages. Here, you can review the request, including the content and caption, and accept or decline.

How to Collab on Instagram Reels

Collaborating on a Reel is nearly the same process as creating a collaborative photo or video. Follow these steps to team up on Reels:

1. Open the Instagram app
2. Tap the middle new post icon, press “Reel,” and select your video
3. Press the gray “Next” button and add music if desired
4. Press the blue “Next” button and write a caption
5. Tap “Tag people”
6. Select “Invite collaborators”
7. Type the handle of the user you’d like to collaborate with and select them
8. Press the blue “Done” button

Similarly to creating a collaborative post, your request will appear in the other person’s direct messages, waiting for their approval. Once they accept, your Reel will go live on both of your pages.

How to enable collaborative posts on your Instagram account

To collaborate on Instagram, you’ll need to ensure your account settings are ready for action. If you’re having trouble receiving an invitation from your collaborator, follow these steps:

1. Open the Instagram app
2. Visit your profile page
3. Tap the menu icon in the top right corner.
4. Select “Settings and privacy”
5. Click “Tags and mentions” under “How others can interact with you”
6. Enable “Allow tags from people you follow”

Now, other users you follow can invite you to collaborate on regular posts and Reels.

Examples of effective Instagram Collabs

Your content has to be top-notch and appeal to both accounts’ audiences to reap the rewards of a Collab. If you aren’t sure what direction to take, here are some examples from Linkers and how they used the Instagram collaboration feature to the fullest:

1. Teaming up with a creator in a similar niche

Collaborating with creators in the same niche as you effectively ensures both audiences will resonate with the content. You can always exchange analytics to measure your potential reach and demographic differences.

This collaboration between the LA Clippers and the NBA demonstrates two prominent organizations bringing their audiences together. Although the post has a simple caption, both are well-known accounts that can benefit from an audience with a shared love of basketball.

2. Partnering with a creator to drive a shared goal

Lots of creators collaborate to introduce real-life collaborative projects or products. It’s a creative way for both parties to show their contribution and direct users toward supporting their goal, whether that’s buying a new product, supporting a charity, or engaging with a project.

This collaboration between Tony Hawk and Metallica merges the world of heavy metal and skateboarding to promote the band’s new music video. The clip showcases engaging visuals of Metallica and skateboarder Felipe Nunes against the backdrop of their single “Too Far Gone.”

This collaboration works well because a large segment of both audiences resonate with skateboarding and metal music — and they might be eager to watch the music video that unites both passions.

3. Collaborating with yourself

Creating collaborative posts using multiple accounts you own or run is a clever way to promote your pages. Just make sure both pages relate to each other so you don’t catch your audience off guard.

This collaboration between Selena Gomez and Rare Beauty, the cosmetics company she owns, is an excellent example of how you can leverage your personal brand to build your business.

As the owner and face of the brand, Selena can speak candidly about why she created the matte lipstick from the post. This Instagram Collab both directs fans of the singer-actress to her business and shows Rare Beauty followers a personal take on the business owner behind the brand. And Selena’s account is the fourth-most followed person on Instagram, so this post will have a huge reach.

FAQs

If you still aren’t sure about how to Collab or what makes this strategy great, here are some frequently asked questions:

Can you add a collaborator to a post after publishing it?

You can’t add a collaborator on Instagram after posting. If you want to Collab, you’ll have to delete the post, add your collaborator, and re-publish it.

Do Instagram collaborations work for photos and videos?

Yes! You can collaborate on photos, videos, and Reels, enabling you to share content in the format that best suits your idea.

Why can’t I delete a collaborative post?

Only the original creator of the collaborative post can delete it. If you want them to remove it, try reaching out to the original creator.

Expand your Instagram presence through effective collaboration

Knowing how to Collab on Instagram with like-minded creators on posts of all kinds can expand your reach, improve your engagement, and open up your content to a whole new audience base.

If collaborating isn’t your style, there are dozens of other ways to add value for your followers or make money using your Instagram account. You can post multiple catchy photos at a time to show the behind-the-scenes of your life or direct users to your website or ecommerce store.

Don’t forget to join other creators on Linktree to maximize your “link in bio” on social media. You’ll build a customizable page that showcases your personality while hosting all of the important links in your life.