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5 Benefits of Instagram Collab Posts for Brands [+How to Use It]
Think of the time you started following a brand because your favorite sportsperson shared an Instagram collab post with them. How about a retail product you impulsively ordered because a fashion influencer’s post on Instagram featured it?
Instagram has become the go-to social media platform for 'collabs' - short for collaborations. But why do brands prefer it? How does it impact their ROI?
The rise of influencers has significantly changed the social media marketing landscape. According to a survey, 83.8% of respondents believe influencer marketing campaigns attract higher-quality customers than other marketing initiatives. After all, a sneaker collection curated by Serena Williams for a brand like Nike is bound to spark fans' curiosity.
Many creators have built a loyal fan base over the years. So partnering with these influencers on Instagram allows brands to break into a new “circle of trust" of followers.
In this deep dive, we’ll cover everything you need to know about Instagram collab posts for different scenarios.
What is an Instagram collab post?
An Instagram collab post is a post shared between two or more profiles. The post needs an initiator as the primary publisher and collaborator or collaborators who need to consent to being in it.
Unlike tags and mentions, which are just a part of the media or caption, a collab post on Instagram features all the profiles involved. It is visible to the followers of all the profiles involved. While the profiles of all the collaborators are highlighted at the top of the post, the original publisher is earmarked below the media you add.
In the context of social media collaborations, influencer marketing is a win-win strategy — with the combined impressions of followers from the brand’s and collaborators’ profiles.
How does an Instagram collab post work?
Every Instagram collab post has one primary owner. They are the ones who initiate the post and request collaborators to join as authors. Ideally, there should be an existing communication stream between the post owner and the collaborators so that every profile can agree to the collaboration. Here’s how collab posts on Instagram work:
- The post appears on both profiles with the same content, caption and engagement metrics.
- The top of the post displays both account names, while the bottom only displays the original publisher account.
- The post is visible in the main feed of the followers of both accounts, as you can see below.
- Engagement (likes, comments, shares, etc.) is combined and can be accessed by both profiles. However, only the initiator has access to the post's deeper analytics.
- When the collaborator receives a push notification with a collaboration request, they can review it and either “Accept” or “Decline.” Alternatively, they can access the request within the “Messages” tab at the top right-hand corner of their main feed.
5 benefits of Instagram collab posts
Instagram collab posts go beyond vanity metrics. They allow brands to reach a unique audience and build top-of-mind recall through meaningful partnerships. And of course, they come with solid benefits:
1. Increases your reach
Instagram collab posts allow you to tap into your partner's audience, significantly expanding your reach beyond your brand’s usual threshold. With this increased exposure, your brand gets a realistic shot at acquiring more followers and higher engagement rates. Ultimately, it creates better brand awareness in a unique set of potential buyers.
For instance, Rolex partnered with Wimbledon, allowing the watch brand to tap into the tournament's wide fan base. One of its recent Instagram collaboration posts got about 60,000 likes.
Learn More: Social Media Reach vs. Impressions: What's the difference?
2. Improves brand authenticity through UGC
Nothing breeds authenticity more than user-generated content (UGC). Sure, you have your influencers and brands for collaboration and co-marketing. Still, end-users — those who regularly use and recommend your product — often have a more authentic and persuasive influence on others because their trust is often built through real experiences rather than promotional content.
In fact, UGC influences purchasing decisions more than influencer campaigns, especially when you want quick wins from meaningful Instagram collab posts.
Here’s an infographic for more specifics:
Pro Tip 💡: Look out for Reels or images from customers who’ve tagged your page. Scour through these posts and identify the most authentic ones. They should represent what your brand or product stands for. Prepare an outreach for these profiles, asking them if a collab post on Instagram is something they’d consider. If they agree, you have a brand or product callout that stemmed organically.
3. Enhances content creation opportunities
When you collaborate with influencers and brands, you also get a sneak peek into their thought processes and creativity. This will open you up to new and distinctly original perspectives that can resonate with your audience.
For instance, if your brand sells DSLR cameras, onboard photographers as collaborators. Their sense of aesthetics and visual social media storytelling skills can attract the type of buyers you haven’t reached yet.
Take a leaf out of Canon’s Instagram collab post with a photographer. The post got more than 5,000 likes in less than a week, boosting the reach of both the photographer and the brand.
4. Boosts ROI of ad campaigns
Every penny you spend on what you promote on Instagram can yield results. At a time when customer acquisition costs are exponentially growing, ad campaigns with collab posts matter more than ever.
According to a survey on influencer marketing, 63% of consumers aged 18-34 years trust an influencer’s messaging more than a brand. Therefore, boosting your collab posts with influencers through ads will maximize your return on investment.
Read More: Social media ROI: How to measure and improve your ROI
5. Builds a community
#ShotOniPhone — does this hashtag ring a bell? It’s an organic, evergreen campaign by Apple that fosters a sense of community. How? Users who share pictures and videos taken with an iPhone connect on Apple’s forums.
Collaborate on Instagram with accounts that tag your brand and know how to use your hashtags. For example, a fitness brand might initiate a 100-day running challenge and feature collaborative content from participating customers. Similarly, a food brand could showcase recipes created with its products, engaging with users who share their culinary creations to foster a brand community.
Dive Deeper: How to build an online customer community in 2023 (+benefits)
Examples of Instagram collab posts
Everyone has their own playbook for collab posts on Instagram. There is no plug-and-play approach to this. You need to find out what works best for your brand. You can draw ideas and inspiration from the following examples:
1. Nike Football x Erling Haaland
When Nike collaborated with Norwegian footballer Erling Haaland to launch its new Phantom GX football boots, the post really took off. The campaign greatly surpassed Nike Football's average engagement rates, with three posts achieving significant interaction. One of these posts received over 290,000 likes.
This collab was a great way to honor Haaland with boots tailor-made for him while launching a limited number of units to the market. It enabled Nike to tap into the athlete’s fanbase and increase engagement.
2. National Geographic x Hugh Jackman
National Geographic’s Instagram collab with actor Hugh Jackman was a “marvel” (pun intended) in marketing. The post promoted not one but two different products — Nat Geo’s upcoming series Underdogs and Marvel Studios’ movie Deadpool and Wolverine. The Instagram Reel, narrated by Ryan Reynolds (who plays Deadpool), features a wolverine (the animal). We also catch a glimpse of Wolverine, the character (played by Hugh Jackman). The Reel ends with title cards for both the movie and the series.
This collaboration highlights how two brands — National Geographic and Marvel Studios — promoted their products simultaneously in a humorous Reel. They generated significant buzz on social media, with the post garnering more than 233,000 likes.
How to create an Instagram collab post
Note that you’ve seen a few successful Instagram collab posts, let’s find out how you can create your own:
Step 1: Clear communication between all the parties involved is critical before publishing your collab post. Once you hit publish, the post goes live regardless of whether the collaboration request was accepted.
Make a Note: If they accidentally decline your request, you won’t be able to add them back later. So, ensure you’re keeping your collaborators informed about your posting schedule.
Step 2: Add the media you want to post. Once you finalize in-app edits on the media, move to the final publish page and tap “Tag people.”
Step 3: Once you head to “Tag people,” you will find an “Invite collaborators” option to search for creators and invite them to co-author the post.
Step 4: Once the collaborator accepts the invite, they’re shown as authors of the post along with the original publisher. Head to the bottom of the post where collaborator accounts don’t show to distinguish between the initiator and collaborators.
How to allow an Instagram collab post
If you've been invited to collaborate on a post, here's how you can accept it:
Step 1: You'll receive a notification on Instagram as a pop-up, in-feed alert or in your DMs.
Step 2: Once in the app, you will receive a pop notification to review the post. You can accept, decline or cancel the invite (the notification will remain in your DMs if you cancel).
Step 3: If you agree with the content and consent to collaborate as an author, tap "Accept."
Step 4: The post will now appear on your (and the initiator’s) profiles and your followers' feeds.
Key elements of effective Instagram collab post strategies
Trying to figure out how to get started with your brand’s collab posts on Instagram? Well, here you go:
Understand your audience
Use analytics and social media management tools to gain insights into your audience demographics and preferences. This information can help you choose the right collaborators and create content that truly resonates with your audience.
Identify the right influencers
Find influencers whose audience aligns with your target market. Along with your own research, you can validate your findings with tools like Sprinklr that have influencer discovery functionalities to identify potential partners based on audience overlap, engagement rates and brand affinity.
Pro Tip 💡: Spend time zeroing in on the most ideal influencers or brands to do collab posts. A high follower count doesn’t necessarily translate into finding new in-market prospects. It’s a trip back to the drawing board to define ideal influencer accounts like you defined your ideal customer profile (ICP), but it’s worth it. You can manage the entire journey of influencer marketing campaigns using tools like Sprinklr’s Influencer Marketing Platform.
Keep the content relevant
Ensure the collab post aligns with your brand’s or creators’ values and aesthetics. This consistency will help you find common ground with both audiences and lead to better social media engagement.
Pro Tip 💡: Be creative with content. Don't just stick to product photos. Experiment with behind-the-scenes content tutorials or user-generated content to keep your collab posts fresh and engaging.
Measure your brand advocates’ impact
Examine the right social media metrics to determine the impact of your collab efforts. Evaluate performance at the influencer level by identifying top brand advocates and their impact.
Track key performance indicators
Use purpose-built social media analytics dashboards like that of Sprinklr’s Competitive Insights and Benchmarking tool to monitor and compare brand KPIs on influencer strategy. This data can help you refine your approach over time. This particular tool also allows you to gauge the impact of your influencer programs and helps ensure that influencers publish on-brand content.
Plan and schedule strategically
Use social media content calendars to plan and schedule your collab posts at optimal times. For instance, if you are a sports merchandise brand, schedule collab posts with athletes during popular sporting events such as the Olympics. This ensures maximum visibility and engagement.
Use AI tools for automation
AI tools like Sprinklr Social, powered by Sprinklr AI+, can help you automate mundane tasks and improve efficiency. Leverage the platform’s advanced AI capabilities to reply to audiences quickly and increase engagement. It also helps you run grammar checks and even translates your posts into different languages to expand your reach globally.
4 ideas for effective Instagram collab posts
Here are a few Instagram collab post ideas you can draw inspiration from and replicate in your own way:
1. Host special offers
Partner with vendors or influencers to offer exclusive discount codes or special product bundles. This can drive sales while providing value to both audiences.
You can also think of this from a co-marketing angle to run giveaways with another brand. Here’s an example of a hospitality brand collaborating with a beverage-making company.
Learn More: 7 Effective Social Media Contest Ideas for 2024
2. Support a cause
Partner with a non-profit or brand to raise awareness for a social cause. Supporting such causes can foster a sense of shared values and belonging among your audience. Here’s a great example where LinkedIn News collaborated with Save the Children Fund.
3. Create tutorial content
Partner with an expert or influencer to create educational content related to your product or industry. This strategy enhances your followers' experience while demonstrating your expertise. For instance, BlendJet shares smoothie recipes through Instagram collaborations.
4. Add behind-the-scenes collaborations
Collaborate on content that reveals the process of creating a product or planning an event to share a behind-the-scenes look with your audience. This approach offers a real glimpse into your company culture.
Ace Instagram collab posts without the grunt work
Instagram collab posts are now common for users who follow brands, celebrities and influencers. They have become essential for social media marketing.
This is why marketing managers need a comprehensive solution that can handle everything — from influencer discovery to performance tracking — in one go. A purpose-built social media platform like Sprinklr Social can be useful for such requirements.
With AI-powered publishing, content optimization and influencer management features, Sprinklr Social provides branding and social teams with everything they need to create, plan and manage their Instagram collaboration posts for maximum impact.
Want to find out first-hand how it can take your Instagram collabs to the next level?
Frequently Asked Questions
Collab posts appear on both accounts' profiles simultaneously, sharing engagement metrics. Traditional partnerships often involve separate posts or mentions, which don't provide the same level of integration or shared metrics.
Currently, Instagram only allows collaboration between 6 accounts on a single post. This is a 2023 update, before which Instagram allowed collaboration only between 2 accounts.
While Instagram hasn't officially disclosed how collab posts are treated algorithmically, many marketers report seeing increased reach and engagement due to the combined audience of both collaborators.
Key metrics to track include reach, engagement rate (likes, comments, shares, etc.), follower growth and campaign-specific goals, such as click-through rates or conversions.
Collab posts must adhere to Instagram's general and branded content guidelines. Sometimes, Instagram might push for a paid partnership label, especially if the post explicitly sells a product.
