Collaboration is exceptionally important on social media. After all, social media is not only for sharing content but also for meeting other creators, businesses, or brands online so you can potentially partner with or get to know them for future opportunities. Collaboration puts the “social” in social media! In this post, we will show you an easy way to build a following and audience on Instagram with the apps co-authoring tool called Collabs.  

Instagram’s collaboration feature, Collabs, was launched in late 2021 and has proven to be an easy way for businesses to work with other Instagram accounts to publish what is called a collaboration post. What makes this so beneficial? When two accounts publish together at the same time, the reach of the post is automatically boosted because of the increased audience size.Two really is better than one! 

Unlike other engagement and reach boosting features available on social media apps, collaborating on Instagram has only one limitation; the account you tag to collaborate with you must accept. Once they do, both of your Instagram handles will appear on the post. There is no need to have a minimum number of followers, payment or special credentials to tag a collaborator. However, even though you could, technically, tag some pretty big names to collaborate with you on a post, that’s not a best practice! Next, we will look at the steps for creating and publishing a collaboration post on Instagram. 

Inviting a Collaborator

From the Instagram app, set up a photo or video to post on your feed or as a Reel like you normally would. Then, after you have written your description, tagged any products if that applies to you and added a location, click “Tag people.” There, you will see the option to “Invite collaborator.” Search for the collaborator and tap on the account to add to the post. After you hit, “done,” the account you invited will be notified that you want to collaborate with them. Once they accept, your post will be shared to their followers and they will appear as an author on the post. 

Accepting a Collab

If another account tags you with a collab invite, here’s what to do to accept it and get the post on your feed. Collab requests will show up on your activity page. When you receive one, tap  “review” to accept or decline the request. If you accept, the post then will appear on your feed with you as an author. 

Tips for Successful Collabs

Simply because collaborating on Instagram is so simple, doesn’t mean you should start tagging everyone, all of the time. Here are some tips for successful Collabs!

1. Have an existing connection with the account you are tagging. You can establish this connection by following them, engaging with them on content and sending them a message about why you think a Collab is beneficial for both of you.
2. Have a plan for the Collab content beforehand. 
3. Maximize the engagement and engage with your new audience on the collaborator’s account. 
4. Be strategic. You don’t want every post to be a Collab. Think about what your main goals are and then research the best accounts to collaborate with that will help you reach that goal the fastest. 
5. If you are going to be regularly collaborating with an account for an extended period of time, consider adding it in your bio with links to the accounts and ask that they do the same.

An example of a Collab on Instagram is this post by @Lululemon (a clothing brand) and @denisemmercedes (digital creator with lifestyle posts). In this example, @denisemmercedes published a post featuring @lululemon products about holiday looks to keep or give as gifts. By collaborating on this post, @lululemon gained access to 1.5 million more people and @denisemmercedes gained access to 4.5 million more people. What is more, when a post is a Collab, each account can easily be clicked on so audiences can continue exploring. 

There you have it! An overview of Instagram Collabs, how to request and accept them and some tips for making the most of the efforts. Once you have an idea for the type of co-authored content you can create, get out there, start tagging and watch your audience grow. And on the other hand, if you are open to others tagging you, put it out there that you want to work on some Collabs. Don’t be shy, be social. It’s social media!