How to Co-Post on Instagram

Sharing your content on a single profile feels limiting when an audience twice the size is just one click away. Instagram’s Collab feature lets you do exactly that - create one post that appears on multiple profiles, sharing the reach, likes, and comments. This guide will walk you through exactly how to co-post on Instagram, highlight why it's a game-changer for growth, and give you best practices for making your collaborations successful.

What Exactly Is an Instagram Collab Post?

An Instagram Collab post is a single Feed post or Reel that is co-authored by up to four different accounts. When you use this feature, the post appears on the profile grid of every collaborator you've invited (and who has accepted). Instead of creating separate posts and tagging each other, you create a single, shared post.

Here’s the most powerful part: the post shares all its engagement. The like count and the comment thread are the same for everyone. When someone from your audience comments, a person from your collaborator's audience can see it and reply, creating a centralized conversation. Each collaborator's username is visible in the header, making it clear this is a joint effort. In short, it’s a powerful tool for combining audiences and maximizing reach without any extra content creation.

Why You Should Be Using the Collab Feature Right Now

If you're still just tagging other accounts in your posts, you're missing out on a huge opportunity. The Collab feature is more than a novelty, it’s a fundamental tool for organic growth and community building. Integrating it into your strategy can have a surprising impact.

Exponentially Increase Your Reach

This is the most obvious benefit. When you co-post with another creator, your content doesn't just show up for your followers - it's served directly to theirs, too. Their audience will see it in their feeds and on the Explore page, effectively doubling, tripling, or even quadrupling your potential reach with a single piece of content.

Boost Engagement and Social Proof

Because likes and comments are consolidated into one shared pool, the engagement numbers on collab posts often climb much faster. A post that might get 200 likes on your profile alone could easily hit 400 or more in a collaboration. This higher engagement rate signals to the Instagram algorithm that your content is valuable, which can lead to even more visibility. Plus, a post with lots of comments and likes simply looks more credible and popular, providing powerful social proof.

Build Authentic Relationships and Credibility

Co-posting is a great way to formalize and celebrate your relationships with other brands, creators, or partners. When you collaborate, you're essentially giving a co-sign to the other person, and they're doing the same for you. This mutual endorsement builds trust with both of your audiences. It shows that you’re an active, connected player in your niche, opening the door for future partnerships and opportunities.

Tap Into New, Relevant Audiences

If you partner with an account in a similar or complementary niche, you get direct access to a pre-qualified audience. For example, if you're a fitness coach collaborating with a nutritionist, your followers are almost certain to be interested in their content, and vice versa. This kind of targeted audience-sharing is one of the most effective ways to attract new followers who are genuinely interested in what you do.

How to Co-Post on Instagram: The Step-by-Step Guide

Ready to try it out? The process is surprisingly simple and is built right into the normal posting workflow for Feed posts and Reels. You just have to know where to find it.

One important note before you start: you can only use the Collab feature with public accounts. You cannot invite a private account to be a collaborator.

Step 1: Create a New Post or Reel

Open the Instagram app and start creating a post like you normally would. Tap the “+” icon at the bottom of the screen and choose either Post or Reel.

Select your image(s) or video, make any edits, apply filters, and write your caption. Move through the creation steps until you get to the final screen right before you publish (the one where you can add a caption, location, etc.).

Step 2: Tag People and Invite a Collaborator

On this final screen, tap on "Tag People." This is where you’ll find the option to invite collaborators.

At the bottom of the screen, you'll see two options: "Add Tag" and "Invite Collaborator." While tagging simply identifies someone in a photo, inviting a collaborator makes them a co-author of the post.

Tap on "Invite Collaborator."

Step 3: Search for and Select Your Collaborator(s)

A search bar will appear. Type in the username of the person or brand you want to co-post with. As you type, their profile will pop up. Tap on their name to select them.

As of a recent update, you can now invite up to three other accounts to be collaborators on a single Feed post or Reel, bringing the total to four co-authors.

Once you've selected your collaborators, you'll see their tags appear on your preview image, and their usernames will be listed under the "Invite Collaborator" section.

Step 4: Publish Your Post

Once you’re happy with everything, tap "Share" to publish your post. It will immediately go live on your profile grid. At the same time, your chosen collaborators will receive a notification and a request in their direct messages to accept the collaboration.

What Your Collaborator Sees: How to Accept an Invitation

For the post to appear on everyone's profile, each collaborator must accept the invitation. Here's what they need to do:

1. They’ll get a push notification that says, "[Your Username] invited you to be a collaborator on their post."
2. Opening the notification (or checking their DMs) will show a message with a button to "Review" the invitation.
3. Tapping "Review" will show them the post and give them three options: Accept, Decline, or Cancel.
4. Once they tap "Accept," the post will immediately appear on their profile grid and in their followers' feeds.

If a collaborator doesn't respond or declines the request, the post will remain solely on your profile, just like a regular post.

Best Practices for a Winning Collab Strategy

Simply knowing how to use the feature isn’t enough. True success comes from strategic, thoughtful collaborations that provide real value. Keep these guidelines in mind.

1. Choose the Right Partners

Your collaborator should feel like a natural fit. Look for accounts that share a similar target audience, brand values, or aesthetic. A forced collaboration can seem inauthentic and hurt your credibility. For example:

• A local coffee shop could team up with a local bakery.
• A graphic designer could collaborate with a copywriter they work with.
• A travel blogger could co-post with a sustainable swimwear brand.

2. Plan Everything Together, Beforehand

Don’t just send a surprise collab invitation. Reach out to your potential partner first. Discuss the content idea, the caption, and the overall goal of the post. Who will provide the photo or video? Who will write the primary caption? You should both be aligned on the message and creative direction before anything gets created or posted.

3. Create Mutually Beneficial Content

The best collaboration gives something to both audiences. Think about how you can blend your expertise or products. For example, a personal trainer and a meal prep service could create a Reel showing "A Day of Healthy Habits," incorporating both fitness and nutrition. This makes the partnership feel genuine and gives both audiences clear, actionable value.

4. Engage Actively In the Comments After Posting

The job isn’t done once the post is live! Both you and your collaborators should make an effort to reply to comments. When audiences see that the creators are actively involved in the conversation, they're more likely to participate. Use the consolidated comment thread as a mini-hub for community building.

5. Review the Results

After a day or two, look at the Post Insights. Check the reach (specifically the percentage of people who weren't following you), the engagement rate, and any new followers you gained. Analyzing this data will help you understand which types of collaborations resonate most with your audience, so you can refine your strategy for the future.

Frequently Asked Questions About Collab Posts

There are a few common hangups people run into. Here are quick answers to the most frequent questions.

Why can’t I invite someone to be a collaborator?

There are two main reasons this happens. First, you can only collaborate with public accounts. If the user you're trying to invite has a private profile, the option won't work. Second, the feature may not have rolled out to either your account or theirs yet, although at this point it's available to nearly everyone.

Can you add a collaborator to a post after it has already been published?

No. Collaborators must be added before you hit the "Share" button. If you forget to add them, you'll have to delete the post and re-publish it to use the Collab feature.

What happens if I remove a collaborator?

You can remove a collaborator at any time by editing the post, going to "Tagged People," and tapping the "X" next to their name. If you remove them, the post will be taken off of their profile grid and will only remain on yours.

What happens if the main author deletes the post?

If the original creator who published the post decides to delete it, it will be removed from Instagram entirely - including from the profile grids of all collaborators.

Final Thoughts

The Instagram Collab feature is one of the most powerful organic growth tools the platform has released in years. By co-authoring posts, you can tap into entirely new audiences, boost engagement, and build stronger relationships within your community, all without creating twice the content.

Managing collaborations gets easier when you can see your entire content plan laid out visually. That's why we designed Postbase with a clean, drag-and-drop calendar. Our goal is to let you plan out your entire social strategy, including partner posts and collabs, weeks or months in advance, so you always have a clear picture of what's coming next across all your platforms.