How to Create an Instagram Collab Post

In the dynamic world of social media, an Instagram collab post has become an essential strategy for influencers and brands alike. These partnerships enable influencers to expand their reach, while brands benefit from increased exposure and authenticity.

However, executing a successful Instagram collaboration requires careful planning, effective communication, and strategic execution. This guide will delve into the key elements of a fruitful collaboration and provide valuable insights for influencers and brands using Hopper HQ to optimize their Instagram collaborations.

What is an Insagram Collab Post?

The Instagram Collaboration post feature enables two users to jointly share a post on their feeds or Reels.

Introduced in June 2021, this tool allows you to collaboratively create content with another Instagram user, resulting in the post being displayed on both of your profiles.

Through this collaboration, you have the opportunity to share views, likes, and comments, enabling you to leverage and engage with each other’s communities. This presents an incredible opportunity for exposure and reach expansion!

An important note to consider is that the original author of a collaboration post must have a public profile.

Benefits of an Instagram Collab Post

1) Enhance your brand’s reach

One of the easiest ways to maximize your brand’s exposure is by taking advantage of the increased reach that collaborations offer. If you often find yourself struggling to overcome the Instagram algorithm, collaborations can provide an opportunity to appear in users’ Feeds through the accounts they already follow and engage with regularly.

2) Amplify engagement levels

Moreover, as more users discover your content, the chances of receiving comments and other forms of engagement multiply. Even if you and your collaborator have a similar audience, it’s highly likely that a significant portion of their followers will be new to your brand. This expands the pool of potential users who can interact with your content. Remember, timing your Instagram posts strategically can further skyrocket the level of engagement you receive.

3) Expand your follower base

We’re all aware that the endorsement of someone we already know, like, and trust can greatly influence our decision to trust someone new. When your content appears in people’s feeds with that implicit seal of approval from a brand or creator they already follow, they are much more inclined to visit your profile and hit the “follow” button compared to if you randomly appeared on their Explore page. Building credibility and trust is just one of the many effective ways to gain more followers on Instagram.

4) Boost sales through Instagram shopping

If your brand is already utilizing shoppable posts, why not leverage this sales-friendly feature in conjunction with collaborations? By combining collaborations with Instagram shopping, you not only enjoy the benefits mentioned above but also increase the likelihood of converting users who come across your posts into actual buyers. This seamless integration allows you to maximize your sales potential and capitalize on the power of collaborations.

How to publish an Instagram Collab post

When creating an Instagram collab post, remember that there are two essential parts to a successful publication. The initial phase requires the post creator to generate the Post or Reel in their typical manner, while the subsequent step involves inviting the collaborator to share it.

Step 1. Craft a Feed Post or Reel as per your usual process.

Step 2. Incorporate any desired customizations and particulars

Step 3. Access the post details menu and choose “Tag People.”

Step 4. Select “Invite Collaborator” from the available options.

Step 5. Utilize the search bar to locate and select the desired collaborator, then click “Done.”

Step 6. Finalize the post details before selecting the “Share” button.

Now that the post has been created from your end, it’s time for the collaborator profile to accept the invitation.

Step 1. Go to your activity page.

Step 2. Click on the invite notification.

Step 3. Tap Review.

Step 4. Select Accept.

Tips for Creating a Successful Collab Post

1) Define Your Collaboration Goals:

Clearly define your collaboration goals from the outset. Determine what you aim to achieve through the collaboration, such as increasing brand awareness, driving sales, promoting a new product, or reaching a specific target audience. Setting specific and measurable objectives allows you to track the success of the collaboration and adjust your strategy accordingly. It will also help provide you with a good baseline of what a successful Instagram collab post means for your business.

For example, the skin and body care brand Coco and Eve, collaborated with influencer @worldofcolorx to debut their new travel kit essentials. In which the caption clearly lists what’s included with the support of a short video to visually show what customers can expect.

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2) Identify the Right Partner:

Choosing the right partner is crucial for a successful collaboration. Look beyond follower counts and consider factors such as audience demographics, engagement rates, and alignment of values. Find influencers or brands whose target audience aligns with yours and whose values and content resonate with your brand. This alignment will ensure that the collaboration feels authentic and reaches the right audience. For example, it would make sense for a fitness instructor to build a collab with a fitness brand. They’d have very similar audiences who would benefit from the partner brand.

3) Craft a Compelling Collaboration Brief:

Depending on which side of the collaboration you’re in, you may be the one responsible for creating the guidelines for the post.

Create a collaboration brief that serves as a roadmap for the partnership, taking into consideration the branding of both brands. The brief should outline the campaign objectives, key deliverables, timeline, and any guidelines or restrictions. Include details such as the number of posts, for example, whether will be it a one-time collab or a month-long campaign, required hashtags, content themes, and preferred posting schedule.

A clear and comprehensive collaboration brief helps both parties understand expectations and ensures a smooth workflow.

4) Foster Authenticity and Creativity:

Authenticity is key to a successful collaboration. Encourage your collaborators to infuse their unique style, voice, and expertise into the partnership. This allows the content to resonate with their audience and maintain the trust they’ve built. Encourage creativity in content creation, enabling influencers or other brands to showcase your products or services in a natural and genuine way to their audience.

Coming back to the post brief, it’s important to leave room for both profiles to get creative and benefit as much as possible from the Instagram collab post. For example, in the collaboration between Lululemon and Shayla0h, careful wording was used to provide the right essence for the collaboration. This post brought the brand over six thousand likes and an abundance of comments.

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5) Leverage Storytelling and Story Features:

Instagram Stories provide a powerful platform for collaborations. Influencers and brands can leverage this feature to create engaging, behind-the-scenes content, sneak peeks, interactive polls, and swipe-up links to drive traffic. Stories offer a more authentic and immediate way to connect with audiences, allowing for greater interactivity and creativity in collaboration content.

Why not start creating a buzz before the collab post to ensure maximum exposure? With a tool like HopperHQ, where you can automatically schedule and publish Instagram stories, helps to streamline this process and save you time. Providing you with more availability to for example engage with your and your collaborators’ audience.

6) Monitor and Measure Performance:

Regularly monitor and measure the performance of your Instagram collaboration. Track key metrics such as engagement rates, reach, conversions, click-through rates, and brand mentions. Analyze the data to understand what’s working and what can be improved. This data-driven approach helps you optimize your strategy, make informed decisions, and refine future collaborations for better results.

It will also provide incredible insight into your audience, who they follow and what topics most interest them. Which will be useful feedback for future Instagram collab posts. These analytics can also be provided by creating an account on Hopper HQ.

7) Nurturing Long-term Partnerships:

View Instagram collaborations as opportunities to build long-term partnerships. When you find influencers or brands that consistently deliver high-quality content and generate a positive response from your audience, foster those relationships for future collaborations. Cultivate trust, maintain open communication, and explore new collaboration opportunities to create a network of trusted partners for ongoing success.

These influencers who seem to resonate well with your target audiences can for example become brand ambassadors. By providing a long-term collaboration like this, you can always ensure that the best profiles will be continuously promoting your brand.

Wrap up:

Instagram collaborations have transformed the influencer marketing landscape, providing a valuable avenue for influencers and brands to reach and engage their target audience. By defining collaboration goals, selecting the right partner, crafting compelling briefs, fostering authenticity and creativity, leveraging storytelling, monitoring performance, and nurturing long-term partnerships, influencers and brands can maximize the impact of their Instagram collaborations and achieve their marketing objectives.