Build Your Brand: 10 Solid Ways to Collaborate on Instagram

Co-authored by Ben Whitehair

Last Updated: August 25, 2021 References

With such an incredible capacity to deliver striking images and content, Instagram can be an invaluable tool to grow your personal brand. One of the best ways to do that is through a collaboration with another account. By joining forces together you can reach a wider audience and grow your following. It’s much easier than you may think and there are a ton of great ways to do it. To help you out, we’ve put together a handy list of tips and ideas you can use to pull off the perfect collab.

1

Reach out to another user to partner with.

Shoot them an email so it looks more professional. Spend some time researching potential collaborators that could benefit your own brand as well as their own so they’ll be much more likely to want to work with you. Look for people and accounts that share similar interests and have similar target audiences—even when you collaborate, you want your message to be consistent.^{[1]
X
Expert Source

Ben Whitehair
Social Media Expert
Expert Interview. 20 April 2021.} When you find them, send them a message and ask if they’re interested in teaming up for a collab.^{[2]
X
Research source}
- For instance, if a lot of your content is fitness-related and aimed at single guys aged between 18-30, you could team up with another fitness account that targets the same audience.
- Try sending them a message like, “Hey! I think we could team up for a really great project that could boost both of our follower counts. Are interested in collaborating?”
- You could also try, “My page is focused on healthy eating and your page highlights the benefits of a FODMAP diet. I think it could make for an interesting and beneficial collaboration! Do you want to give it a shot?”
- DMs can sometimes get lost in the mix, so try sending an email when you can. Check their page bio or website for their email or contact submission form.

2

Take and post photos together.

Tag each other and ask your followers to check them out. Get together with your partner and snap some great-looking photos together. Post them separately on each other’s accounts and be sure to tag the other person. Include some fun captions and make them slightly different so they feel more genuine and unique.^{[3]
X
Research source}
- You could post a picture of you and the partner you’re collaborating with at a rock-climbing gym, tag them, and include a caption like, “Just hanging around with @derekmiller.” They can post the same image to their account, tag you, and have a caption like, “I told @sarahsmith I wasn’t going to post a dumb joke, but I didn’t want to leave her hanging.”

3

Make a fun video together.

It’s more dynamic and is a great way to keep your followers engaged. Moving images and videos can be a fun way to mix things up with your collaboration. Record yourselves doing something together and post them separately to each other’s accounts. Tag each other and include a catchy caption to draw in each other’s followers.^{[4]
X
Research source}
- If you’re a runner, you could partner up with another runner, and post a video of the two of you racing around with a caption like, “Has anybody seen @chrislee? I think I lost him!” They can post the same video with a caption like, “Makes sense @tinajane couldn’t find me. She was too busy eating my dust.”

4

Share content on each other’s stories.

It’s a fun and simple way to collaborate. Instagram Stories are temporary posts that vanish after a day. Add photos and videos to your story and tag your partner. They’ll be able to share it to their own stories, and now both of your sets of followers can view it!^{[5]
X
Research source}
- For example, if you’re trying a dish that your collaboration partner made, you can take a photo of it, post it to your stories, and tag them. They can then share it with their stories.

5

Go on Instagram Live together.

Gain exposure and share connections with each other. Instagram Live is a feature that allows you to host a live video call that both of your sets of followers can watch as it’s actively happening. Let your collaboration partner know when you plan to go live, start up a live video, and then invite them to join. You can talk about anything you like such as new projects or products you’re working on, an update about your collaboration, or just talk about each other’s lives. It’s an incredibly personal way to share content with your followers.^{[6]
X
Research source}
- If you’re a makeup blogger on Instagram, for instance, you could go live with another blogger and talk about new products you’re using or that you’re excited about.
- If you’re a music reviewer, you could loop in another reviewer or even a musician to talk about a new album, new song, or a new artist.

6

Hold a contest together.

It’s a great way to boost engagement. Start an Instagram Live call with your collaboration partner and set it up so it’s like a game show. Ask questions and allow your followers that are watching to submit their answers. If they’re correct or they give the most interesting answer, select a winner for a prize! You can use your own products as gifts if you have them or buy gifts that you can give to the winners.^{[7]
X
Research source}
- For instance, if your account is dedicated to sneakers, you could host a contest with a shoe designer or another sneakerhead and ask specific questions about sneaker lore. If someone guesses correctly, you can give them a pair of shoes as a prize!
- A live contest is also just a great way to add personality to your account and grow your relationship with your followers.

7

Host giveaways with another user.

You can cross-promote each other’s accounts. Giveaways can be a super effective way to cross-promote you and your collaboration partner’s accounts. Post an image of the item you’re giving away, add rules that require the participant to like the post, share it, and tag a friend. Tag your partner that you’re collaborating with and have them post the giveaway to their account as well. Set a time frame for the giveaway contest, and when it’s over, choose your winners!^{[8]
X
Research source}
- For example, you could giveaway a spa kit that includes scented candles, soap, and a bath bomb in a basket. Post an image of the basket, tag your partner, and add a caption like, “Partnering up with @chrismakesbathbombs on this giveaway! All you need to do is like this post, share it, and tag a friend in the comments. We’ll be picking 3 lucky winners on Friday!”

8

Swap pages with another Instagrammer.

Try it out for a day or so but don’t do it for too long. Give the account your partnering with access to your account and get their login info. Add your own flavor to the account for the day by posting your own images, stories, and videos. You can also interact with their followers as yourself, just keep it fun! Allow your partner to do the same on your account. As long as it’s entertaining, most of your followers will think it’s a cool idea.^{[9]
X
Research source}
- For example, you could post an image of yourself with a caption like, “Hey, it’s Ashley! I’m running Brian’s account for the day, so get ready for some shenanigans!”
- You can also post fun images and videos of yourself to their Instagram Stories, which are temporary and disappear after 24 hours.
- You may want to check with your partner before you post something just to make sure they’re okay with it.
- Make sure you trust the other person before you give out your account info. When you’re finished swapping pages, change your password so it’s more secure.

9

Start a new page together.

Run a joint account that can promote both of your main accounts. Create an entirely new page that is dedicated to being a collaboration between you and your partner. Post pictures, memes, videos, and other content that reflects the theme you’re going for.^{[10]
X
Research source}
- If you make Star Wars-related memes, for instance, you could partner with an account that makes It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia-themed memes and call it “It’s Always Sunny on Tatooine,” which includes cross-over memes.
- A successful collaborative page can drive more people to your individual accounts as well.

10

Create an Instagram toolkit.

It can help you and your partners stay organized. Write out the details of the collaboration campaign that includes information like captions, post types, and the times you want to post images and videos. Give your collaboration partner the toolkit so they know what to tag, what images to use when to post to their account, and any other details so they’re on the same page as you.^{[11]
X
Research source}
- Your toolkit could be a pdf, a shared Google doc, or a Word doc so you can easily share it.
- For instance, your toolkit could include information like, “Post shared the photo in the morning on Monday. Post to stories at noon. Post shared video at 5 p.m.”
- You could also add info like, “Use the hashtag #fabcollab” or “Be sure to tag all accounts.”

Warnings

Make sure you vet the account before you partner with it to make sure they’re a real person, and avoid giving any financial or personal information if you don’t know who’s behind the account.^{[12]
X
Research source}

⧼thumbs_response⧽
Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0