How to Add a Brand Partner on Instagram

Adding a paid partnership label to your Instagram post tells the world you're working with a brand, keeping things transparent for your audience and unlocking powerful ad tools for your partner. This guide walks you through the exact steps for adding a brand partner to any Instagram content, why it's so important for organic growth, and what happens behind the scenes once you tap publish. We'll cover everything from Feed posts and Reels to Stories, including how to add the label even after you've already posted.

What Is the 'Paid Partnership' Label, and Why Does It Matter?

The "Paid partnership" label is a disclosure tool provided by Instagram to help creators clearly identify content that they've been paid to create. This small line of text, which appears right under your username, is more than just a formality - it's a cornerstone of ethical influencer marketing.

Its primary job is to provide transparency. Audiences want to know when they're seeing an organic recommendation versus a sponsored one. Using the label builds unshakable trust, showing your followers that you value honesty. This is not just good practice, in many regions, including the United States, regulations from bodies like the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) mandate clear disclosure of paid endorsements. Using Instagram's built-in tool is the simplest way to comply with these rules and avoid potential legal trouble.

Beyond compliance and trust, the label opens up a world of possibilities for you and your brand partner. When you tag a brand, they gain access to the post's organic performance metrics and, more importantly, they get the ability to amplify your content as a "partnership ad." This means the brand can put paid ad spend behind your creative, authentic content to reach a much larger, targeted audience - a huge win for both of you.

Who Can Use the Paid Partnership Label?

Before you start looking for the button, you need to have the right account type. The paid partnership feature is exclusively available for Professional accounts on Instagram. This includes both:

• Creator Accounts: Designed for public figures, content producers, artists, and influencers.
• Business Accounts: Best for brands, retailers, local businesses, and organizations.

If you're still using a Personal account, you'll need to make the switch. It's free and only takes a minute. Just head to your profile, tap the hamburger menu (☰) in the top-right corner, go to Settings and privacy > Account type and tools, and select "Switch to professional account." Once you're set up as a creator or business, the paid partnership tools will be available to you.

How to Add a Brand Partner to an Instagram Feed Post or Reel

Tagging a brand partner is an integral part of the content creation process. The steps are the same whether you're uploading a single image, a carousel, or a Reel. You'll find the option on the very last screen before publishing.

Here's the breakdown:

1. Create Your Content: Open Instagram and start creating your Feed post or Reel as you normally would. Add your media, write your caption, tag relevant people, and add your location.
2. Navigate to Advanced Settings: On the final "Share" screen (where you write your caption), scroll down to the bottom and tap on Advanced settings.
3. Find the Branded Content Section: Inside Advanced Settings, look for the "Disclosure and paid partnership" or "Branded content" section. Tap on it and toggle on the Add paid partnership label switch.
4. Add Your Brand Partner: After you enable the label, a new option, Add brand partners, will appear. Tap on it.
5. Search and Select the Brand: Use the search bar to find your partner brand's official Instagram handle. Some brands may require your request to be approved before the tag can be finalized. Select their account from the list. You can add up to two brand partners if needed.
6. Allow Partner to Boost (Optional but recommended!): You might also see a toggle for Allow brand partner to boost. Leaving this on is how you give them permission to run your post as a partnership ad. This is often a key part of brand collaboration contracts, so make sure it's enabled if that's part of your agreement.
7. Share Your Post: Once you've added your brand partner, go back to the share screen. You should now see the brand's name listed under the "Add paid partnership label." All that's left is to hit that Share button!

Your post will go live with a "Paid partnership" label appearing between your username and the location tag when the partner approves it.

How to Add a Brand Partner to an Instagram Story

Adding a paid partnership label to an Instagram Story is just as straightforward, though the steps are slightly different, as the option lives within the Story editor's sticker tray.

Here's how it's done:

1. Create Your Story: Swipe right from your home feed or tap the plus (+) icon and select "Story." Record your video, take a photo, or upload media from your camera roll.
2. Open the Sticker Tray: Once your content is ready, tap the sticker icon (the smiley face in a square) at the top of the editing screen.
3. Find the Paid Partnership Tool: This part has changed recently. Instead of a direct "Paid partnership" label, you first need to use the @mention sticker to tag your brand partner. Tap the @mention sticker and tag the brand's handle.
4. Enable the Disclosure: Once the brand is tagged, new options may appear or you may need to continue to the sharing phase. In some versions, you proceed to the next step, where you tap a "Disclosure" option below your story sharing options. Toggle on "Add paid partnership label."
5. Select a Brand Partner: Search for and select the brand partner's handle. Place the "Paid partnership" tag anywhere you like on your Story - most creators place it near their username at the top.
6. Share to Your Story: Once the tag is in place, you're ready to share. Anyone who views your Story will now see the disclosure clearly and discreetly.

The Brand's Role: Approving a Partnership Tag

Just because you've added the tag doesn't mean it will appear right away. For the "Paid partnership" label to be visible on your content, the brand partner must approve your tag. They have control over this process to prevent anyone from falsely claiming a sponsorship.

Here's what happens on their end:

1. Notification: The brand receives a notification and a request in their Branded Content settings.
2. Review: They review the content to make sure it aligns with campaign guidelines and their brand image.
3. Approval: Once they approve, the "Paid partnership" label will instantly appear on your post for all users to see.

If you've posted and don't see the label, politely reach out to your brand contact and ask them to approve the tag on their end. Brands who frequently work with creators are usually quick to do this. After approval, they can also start setting up a partnership ad using your content.

Can You Add a Brand Partner After Posting?

Yes, you can! We've all been there - you're so focused on crafting the perfect post that you hit "share" a little too soon. Luckily, Instagram allows you to retroactively add the paid partnership label to existing Feed posts and Reels.

To do this:

1. Navigate to the post or Reel you want to edit.
2. Tap the three dots (...) in the top-right corner and select Edit.
3. Right above the media, you'll see an option to Add Paid Partnership Label. Tap it.
4. Turn on the toggle and add your partner just as you would during the creation process.
5. Tap Done to save your changes.

Keep in mind, your partner will still need to approve the tag. Unfortunately, this functionality doesn't exist for Instagram Stories. Once a Story is live without the label, you can't add it in later. The only solution is to delete the Story and re-upload it with the label correctly applied.

Key Benefits of Using the Official Paid Partnership Label

Going through the official process of adding a brand partner does more than just meet a legal requirement. It's a smart marketing strategy that benefits everyone involved.

• Unlocks Shared Insights: When the label is active, both you and your brand partner get access to the content's performance metrics in your respective Professional Dashboards. The brand can see reach, impressions, likes, comments, and saves, helping them accurately measure campaign ROI.
• Enables Partnership Ads: This is the big one. By allowing your partner to boost, you transform your organic post into a high-powered ad. They can use Instagram's robust ad targeting tools to push your content to ideal customer segments, maximizing the campaign's reach far beyond your own follower count.
• Strengthens Brand-Creator Relationships: Using the official tool signals professionalism. It streamlines reporting, simplifies ad creation for the brand, and demonstrates your understanding of the influencer marketing ecosystem. This makes you a more attractive and reliable partner for future collaborations.
• Maintains Audience Trust: Hiding a sponsorship or only using a vague #ad can feel deceptive. The clean, clear "Paid partnership" label is universally understood. It tells your audience that you're upfront about your business relationships, and they'll appreciate the honesty more than you realize.

Final Thoughts

Mastering how to add a brand partner on Instagram is no longer an optional skill for creators - it's fundamental. The baked-in features not only help you stay compliant and build trust with your followers but also give your brand partners the crucial tools they need to measure and amplify your successful collaboration. Follow these steps and make transparency a seamless part of every sponsored content workflow.

Managing sponsored posts is just one piece of the puzzle. We built Postbase to streamline the entire social media management process, especially for agencies and creators who are juggling multiple campaigns. You can use our visual content calendar to plan out collaborations weeks in advance, see where brand partner content fits in with your organic posts, and manage all your engagement from one clean inbox. So, when those sponsored posts drive a flood of new comments and DMs, you're not overwhelmed switching back and forth between apps.