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How to Collaborate on Instagram and Double Your Reach

Developing your Instagram community can help grow your brand and following. You not only have fresh content created, but you also make new connections! And exciting news! → Collaborating on Instagram just became a lot easier.

There are a variety of ways you can collaborate with other businesses and users on Instagram! A very common practice is to exchange shout-outs. However, there is a powerful new feature that has taken Instagram by storm. The Instagram Collab feature is quickly becoming a key tool for Instagram Creators looking to gain followers and engage with each other’s communities!

Why Collab is an Invaluable Feature

Collabs embrace a newer approach to co-publishing feed posts and reels! The Collab feature can be used with both image and video posts, however, the bulk of successful Collabs are in video format (as they capitalize on the popularity of short-form video content)!

DYK: Instagram users over the age of 25 spend more than 32 minutes per day on the app, with video-content taking precedence? It’s not a bad time to start clicking “record”!

What Makes Collabs So Popular?

Collabs are a great method to broaden your reach as a Creator or Business. When co-writing an Instagram post, both collaborator’s usernames will appear in the header! This means that both sets of followers will see the Collab post, and it will appear on both profile grids.

Since you’re “sharing” ownership of the post, you also reap the collective amount of shares, views, likes, and comments! Ultimately, you’ll be saving time because the feature credits everyone involved in creating the post while also broadening your reach and engagement.

How to Collaborate with Another Instagram Account

Collabs let you invite someone to work on a feed post or reel in-app. When you tag people, you have the option to invite a collaborator!

invite collaborator
invite collaborator

Tap invite collaborator, and share the post as usual. The co author will receive a request in their DM’s.

instagram app
instagram app

The post will not publish on their profile grid until they accept your request! If you are invited to a collab, it will show up in your DM’s right away. Both your handles will show at the top of the post once you accept the invitation.

Collab Etiquette:

While putting together a simple Collab strategy, you will want to start by determining which Brand or Creator will be a good match! Make a list of 3-5 accounts of whom you could send a collaboration pitch to.

First, do your homework. Link up with someone who has a comparable or complimentary audience. Send some suggestions for the type of Collab you’d like to run. If you’re co-creating the content, think of Collabs as a short campaign. It’s managed by you and the collaborator!

Alternatively, you can cross-promote existing posts. They just require a little coordination among the co authors involved.

*Note: Make sure to check with someone before inviting them to collaborate! Let your Collaborators know when your instagram post or instagram reel goes live so that they can join in as soon possible.

Finally, here are, 4 Situations in which YOU can use Collabs:

1. If you’re a Creator, Co-Create with the Community!

If you’re planning to record, shoot, or produce video content as co-creators, Collabs can be a great way to meet new users in the Instagram community!

There are a few things you can do to make sure your Collaborations are effective: First, make sure the Collaborator has a similar audience to yours. Collaborating with someone who has a different aesthetic or clientele is typically ineffective. Second, be sure you and the other person have a good relationship with each other and communicate strongly! This will help the entire campaign run smoothly.

2. If you’re an Expert, Create Educational Content!

Collabs are an easier and more convenient way to share information on Instagram. You can reach more viewers by sharing your material in a variety of ways. The more people you reach, the more people recognize your branding, thus having a positive campaign.

Partner with someone who can help you achieve an educational goal, and lift each other up together while marketing towards a wider audience.

3. If you’re a Brand, Utilize Influencer Marketing!

Instagram’s Collabs feature provides brands with a new way to increase engagement and collaborate with other users. You can use the feature to create and put out engaging instagram posts and reels, build customer relationships through an Influencer’s target audience, and increase traffic to your website or online store simply by sharing the campaign material across both accounts (reinforcing the brand’s credibility)!

Tip: As a brand, make sure the Creator’s aesthetic is compatible with your instagram feed! After all, this photo will be on your page too.

4. And Lastly for Anyone, Run Joint Giveaways!

Anyone can host a joint giveaway with small brands or other creatives on Instagram! Collabs make it easy for users to participate in mass giveaways by allowing followers to simply tap on Collaborators’ profiles from the post’s header.

To begin the giveaway process, you’ll need to agree on what will be included in the contest. Before you post: go over all of the specifics with your Collaborator (including the reward, how to enter, the deadline, etc).

Once the giveaway is live, keep an eye on the entries and engage with participants! This is key to retaining new followers. When the contest is over, you’ll be able to see all the entries and choose the winner!

Conclusion:  Why Collabs are Here to Stay

Social media is built on social interaction. Collaborating expands your profile’s reach, generates trust in your brand, and helps you build a community, enhancing your social media presence.

E-commerce is evolving into social commerce, therefore in 2024 and beyond, it will be critical to collaborate if you want to grow your impact, brand, or business!

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