Imagine a future where Instagram releases features that actually help your posts get seen. A future where instead of battling the algorithm, you can increase engagement and audience reach with minimal effort. Hold on tight friends, this isn’t sci-fi, this is actually happening! It’s all possible with Instagram Collabs!
The new Instagram Collab feature allows you to co-create a piece of content with another account. That means that both accounts are listed as publishers of the post, and the post shows up on both account feeds. Just like that, you get twice the audience!
You can use the Collab feature on images and Reels so you aren’t limited in the type of content you create. You can keep doing your thing, but now you get to rock it with friends! We have a handy video on our Instagram page that shows you how to do it, but essentially all you have to do is toggle to the “Tag People” section and invite a collaborator when creating the post. That person accepts the invitation, and then it is published on their feed as well. Easy!
Currently, you can only “Collab” with one other account but we hope they expand this soon. If you’re someone who partners with brands or businesses, this is going to be an incredible feature for you! Giveaways, for instance, just got exponentially easier—no more tallying entries from multiple posts, now it’s all in one place. Creator, business, and personal accounts can all access this feature, so it’s accessible to everyone on Instagram.
In the spirit of collaboration, we took a much-needed break from our laptops to get outside and get creative. After using Lightroom for editing our photos and Google Keep for drafting up our caption ideas, we created a post on Instagram. For this experiment, Caitlin was the originator of the post, meaning she started the post then invited Amy to Collab. All she had to do was tag Amy in the post, and then the option to invite her to collaborate popped up. Exceptional ease of use!
We learned a few important lessons when it comes to using Instagram Collabs. Here’s what we found:
It does matter who originates the post. Only the originator can edit the post after it has been published, and the collaborator will not be automatically notified of any changes.
In addition, whoever starts the post will be the first name in the byline, regardless of where you’re viewing the post. In the area by the caption, only their name will appear.
Yep, still talking about the originator: while both accounts can see the specific post insights, only the OG gets “credit” for it in the overall Insights.
While the reach, impressions, and engagement are calculated from both accounts, “profile insights” are limited to what happens on the OG’s profile. These include new followers, email button taps, and profile visits.
Given this info, it is super important who you decide to collaborate with! Do think carefully about who you partner with as you don’t want to lose control of your aesthetic and voice.
If you are using this feature for a brand partnership, you must still use the branded content partner tools and FTC language to disclose the relationship.
How will YOU be using the new Collab feature? We’re excited by the endless possibilities and the opportunity to have some creative fun that also boosts engagement and reach!