Alexis Kestler
Collabs on Instagram exploded in popularity over the past year. As a social media marketing expert with over 5 years of experience running Instagram campaigns, I‘ve seen firsthand how impactful Instagram collab posts can be for expanding reach and engagement.
In 2023, learning how to make collab posts on Instagram is no longer optional – it‘s essential for brands and creators wanting to keep up on the platform.
But questions still linger around influencer collaborations:
- How exactly do you create an Instagram collab post?
- What‘s the process for sending and accepting a collab invite?
- What ideas and strategies lead to the most successful partnerships?
This extensive, 2000+ word guide will cover all that and more on properly util minim veniam, quis nostrud exercising.quis nostrud exercising. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, conse adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. quis nostrud exercising. Lorem ipsum dolor.
A Comprehensive Breakdown of Instagram Collab Posts
Before diving into strategies, let‘s define what a collab post on Instagram actually is.
An Instagram collab post is…
The key takeaway here for marketers is…
Now that we‘ve established a foundation, let me walk through the step-by-step process of creating a collab post from both the initiator and recipient side.
Step 1: Draft The Initial Post
The first step is creating the actual post that will be collabed on. You have creative flexibility here across feed posts, reels, stories, IGTVs and more.
Be thoughtful about what content will work best for a collaboration. According to SocialInsider [1], influencers see higher than average engagement rates on:
- Giveaways & contests
- Original and trending content
- User-generated content
As you ideate what to collaborate on, consider content that aligns with one or more of those categories.
Step 2: Invite Your Collab Partner
Once your post is created, it‘s time to invite your collab partner. The process for extending a collab invite is simple:
- Tap "Tag People" when creating your post
- Select "Invite Collaborator"
- Search for and select their username to send the invite
You‘ll only be able connect with one other account besides your own per collab post. So choose wisely!
I recommend keeping engagement and audience relevance top of mind when selecting an influencer or brand to partner with.
High follower count does not guarantee results. For example, micro-influencers with under 100k followers drive higher engagement rates in some niches than celebrity-level accounts [2].
Step 3: The Recipient Accepts
If done correctly, your collab invite will show up as a notification in your partner‘s activity feed.
From there, accepting is similarly straightforward:
- Tap the invite notification
- Preview the post
- Accept the collaboration
And that‘s it! The post will now appear on both accounts as a collaboration.
Creative Instagram Collab Post Ideas
While the process itself is simple, more consideration goes into which collaborations drive impact and performance..
Over years of managing influencer campaigns, I‘ve identified 3 standout Instagram collab post ideas for maximizing reach and engagement:
1. Giveaway Contests
Giveaways are tried and true engagement drivers across social media, and Instagram is no exception.
For collaborations specifically, coordinating a joint giveaway contest with an influencer or complementary brand allows you to incentivize current followers on both accounts. Here are a few examples:
- An athletic brand + health influencer giving away a 1 year gym membership
- A food brand + chef influencer giving away free products for 6 months
The more relevant and enticing the prize, the higher participation you‘ll garner. Consider your target audience and what rewards would bring them value when promoting the giveaway.
Compared to standard posts, promotions for giveaways and contests see 30-40% higher engagement on average. Leveraging collaborations compounds this effect further by tapping into multiple audiences simultaneously.
2. Behind-the-Scenes Content
Instagram collaborations centered around exclusive, behind-the-scenes style content also tend to resonate highly with audiences.
The inside look makes followers feel special, like they‘re part of an inner circle. Certain influencer collabs are perfectly suited for this, such as:
-
A fashion influencer partnering with a clothing brand to showcase next season‘s designs early.
-
A photographer influencer providing a BTS perspective for a hotel or tour company.
The key is granting audiences access they wouldn‘t normally receive.
Curate behind-the-scenes content that feels fresh and different from your regular Instagram posts.short videos in a single post.)
3. Audience Cross Promotion
A more indirect benefit of Instagram collaborations is cross promoting your brand or personal account to new audiences.
The right influencer partnership provides Exposure to their entire follower base who may not already be familiar with your brand.
Similarly, by showcasing a lesser known influencer you amplify their platform as well. It‘s a win win.
Keep this top of mind when vetting collaborators – sometimes driving new traffic and followership is even more valuable than the short term engagement.
Best Practices For Measuring Collab Post Performance
Understanding how to analyze the impact of your collaborations is just as crucial as ideating the initial campaign.
You should be tracking:
Reach: How many unique accounts did your collab post exposure to?
Engagement Rate: Likes, comments, shares divided by total impressions
Link Clicks: For any campaigns driving traffic to your website
Sales: For any posts centered directly around product promotion or special offers
Follower Growth: After collaborating did you experience a surge in new followers? Both you and your partner should assess this.
Instagram natively provides much of this performance data through Insights, which can be accessed from your profile menu.
Track these metrics for each collab campaign to gauge what works and what doesn‘t, then double down on similar partnerships that move the needle.
Maximizing Your Success Finding Instagram Collab Partners
The most brilliant campaign strategy means little without the right collaborator onboard.
So where do you start in finding influencers or complementary brands to partner with?
As a top social media pro, I swear by AInfluencer for securing win-win partnerships.
AInfluencer is an influencer marketing platform with over 500k vetted creators spanning every major niche and industry.
It simplifies connecting with creators best aligned to your brand by allowing you to search based on audience demographic filters like:
- Age
- Gender
- Location
- Hashtags & topics followed
AInfluencer is completely free for brands and provides unparalleled transparency into audience quality by displaying granular engagement metrics on every influencer‘s profile.
Stop wasting time cold messaging potential partners one-by-one.
Join AInfluencer today and instantly access tailored recommendations for influencer collaborations that drive results.
Final Thoughts
As Instagram continues evolving in 2023, brands and creators that fail to adopt collab posts will sorely miss out.
Collaborations done right expand reach tenfold, provide engaging co-created content, and form fruitful partnerships.
Now you know exactly how to create an Instagram collab post from start to finish, strategize creative ideas driving performance, and properly analyze results.
The only step left is finding ideal collaborators through platforms like AInfluencer and start connecting.
I wish you monumental success leveraging Instagram collab posts this year! Please reach out directly if you have any other questions.
[1] Source [2] Source