How to Collab on a Story on Instagram

Collaborating on an Instagram Story is a simple yet powerful way to team up with another brand or creator to reach new audiences and grow your account. This guide breaks down exactly how to create a shared Story, step-by-step, and covers the strategies you need to make your collaboration a massive success.

What Exactly is an Instagram Story Collab? A Quick Clarification

First, let's clear up a common point of confusion. Unlike Instagram Feed posts and Reels, which have a formal "Invite Collaborator" feature that makes the content appear on both profiles simultaneously, Instagram Stories do not have a built-in "collab" feature. Instead, collaborating on a Story is done through a simple but effective mention-and-reshare process.

Here’s how it works at a high level:

• One person creates an Instagram Story and uses the @mention sticker to tag their collaborator's account.
• Once posted, the tagged person receives a direct message (DM) notification.
• Inside that DM, there is a handy "Add to Your Story" button.
• The collaborator taps that button, which allows them to reshare the original Story onto their own profile, adding their own text, GIFs, or stickers to it.

Even though it's technically two separate Stories, this system creates a seamless experience for your followers. They see you and your partner sharing content about each other, effectively creating a promotional crossover that works wonders for visibility and engagement.

Why Bother Collaborating on a Story? The Big Wins for Your Brand

Putting in the effort to coordinate a Story collab can feel like extra work, but the payoff is substantial. It's one of the most organic ways to grow your brand and connect with more of the right people. Here are the main benefits.

1. Get Tapped into a Brand-New, Relevant Audience

This is the biggest benefit by far. When you collaborate with another account, you get a direct introduction to their followers. If you've chosen your partner wisely, their audience will likely share interests with yours. It’s like a warm recommendation from a trusted friend. These new viewers arriving from your collaborator's Story are much more likely to follow you and engage with your content than people who discover you through a random hashtag or the Explore page.

2. Skyrocket Your Engagement and Interactions

Collaborations break the monotony of your usual content. Your audience gets to see a fresh face or a different perspective, making them more likely to interact. You can run Q&As where you both answer questions, use poll or quiz stickers that involve both brands, or start a fun challenge. This burst of activity signals to the Instagram algorithm that people are loving your content, which can boost your Story's overall reach.

3. Build Social Proof and Credibility Instantly

Partnering with a respected creator or brand in your niche acts as an endorsement. It instantly tells both of your audiences that you are a legitimate, trustworthy player in your field. This is particularly valuable for newer brands or creators trying to establish a foothold. When someone your audience already knows, likes, and trusts publicly aligns with you, a significant chunk of that trust transfers over to your brand.

4. Create Unique, Authentic Content with Less Effort

Stuck in a creative rut? A collaboration is the perfect solution. Teaming up with someone else means you can bounce ideas off each other and create content you couldn't have made alone. Think Instagram takeovers where another creator shows a "day in the life" on your Stories, or behind-the-scenes content from a joint event. It’s fresh, it’s authentic, and it splits the content creation workload.

How to Start and Post a Story Collab: Step-by-Step for the Initiator

Ready to kick off your own collab? The process on your end is pretty straightforward. It all starts with creating a story and a simple tag.

Step 1: Coordinate With Your Partner First

Please don't just randomly tag another brand and hope for the best. A great collab is a planned collab. Reach out to your potential partner via DMs or email beforehand. Discuss what you'd like to do, what the goal is, and when you'll post. Make sure you're both on the same page and excited about the partnership. A simple heads-up makes the entire process smoother and shows professionalism.

Step 2: Create Your Instagram Story Content

Open Instagram and swipe right to access the Story camera, or tap the plus sign (+) at the top of your screen and select "Story." Create your content just as you normally would. You can:

• Take a photo or record a video in the moment.
• Upload a pre-made image or video from your camera roll. This is ideal if you’ve created a branded graphic or edited a video promoting the collaboration.

Step 3: Tag Your Collaborator Using the @Mention Sticker

This is the most important step for making the collaboration work. After you have your photo or video ready in the Story editor, tap the sticker icon (the smiling square face) at the top of the screen.

From the sticker tray, select the @MENTION sticker. Start typing your collaborator’s Instagram handle. Instagram will pull up a list of matching users. Tap the correct account to add the sticker to your Story.

Pro Tip: You can tap the mention sticker to cycle through different color styles and transparencies to better match the look of your Story. You can also pinch and drag to resize and reposition it anywhere you'd like.

Step 4: Add Context and a Clear Call-to-Action (CTA)

Don't just post a photo with a tag! Give people a reason to care. Use the text tool to explain what the collaboration is about.

• Are you hosting a giveaway together? Explain the rules.
• Are they doing an account takeover? Introduce them properly.
• Are you launching a joint product? Build up the hype!

And make sure you include a call-to-action. Tell people exactly what you want them to do next. For example: "Go follow @[partner's_handle] for some amazing tips!" or "Swipe up to check out our new product on their site!"

Step 5: Publish Your Story

Once you’re happy with how everything looks, tap the "Your Story" button at the bottom left to post it. As soon as it's live, your collaborator will receive a notification that you've mentioned them, kicking off their part of the process.

How to Accept and Reshare a Story Collab: Step-by-Step for the Collaborator

If you're on the receiving end of a tag, your job is just as important. Here’s how to complete the collaboration by sharing it with your audience.

Step 1: Check Your DMs for the Mention Notification

When someone mentions you in their Story, Instagram sends you a notification directly to your Direct Messages (DMs). Open your inbox and you'll see a preview of their Story in your message thread with them.

Step 2: Tap "Add to Your Story"

Below the preview of their Story, you'll see a prominent button that says "Add to Your Story." Tap it. This action will open up Instagram's Story editor with their Story embedded and ready for you to customize.

The original poster's Story will appear as a movable sticker that your followers can tap to visit the original creator's profile - a key part of what makes these collabs work so well.

Step 3: Add Your Own Creative Flair

This is your chance to add your voice to the collaboration rather than just blindly resharing. The background of your Story will initially be a color-matched gradient from the original Story, but you can change it or add your own content. For example, you can:

• Add a Reaction Selfie: Take a photo or video of yourself reacting to the initial Story to create a more personal touch.
• Use the Text Tool: Add your own commentary, thank your partner for the shoutout, or ask your audience a follow-up question.
• Include Stickers: Drop in a poll, a quiz, or a Q&A sticker to make the reshare interactive for your audience.

Step 4: Post It to Your Story

Once you've customized the Story to your liking, tap "Your Story" to publish it. That completes the loop! Now, both of your audiences are seeing the collaborative content, directing traffic and engagement between your two profiles.

Best Practices: How to Plan a Story Collab That Actually Works

Knowing the steps is one thing, but knowing the strategy is what separates a forgettable mention from a collaboration that drives real results.

1. Choose the Right Partner

Your partner should be aligned with your brand's values and target audience. Don't just look at follower count. Look at their engagement rate. An account with 5,000 highly engaged followers is far more valuable than one with 50,000 passive followers. Ask yourself: "Would my audience genuinely be interested in what this person/brand has to offer?" If the answer isn't a clear "yes," find another partner.

2. Plan the Go-Live Time Together

Coordinate your posting schedule. For maximum impact, you both want to be available to engage with comments and DMs when the Stories go live. Decide on a day and time that works well for both of your audience's peak activity hours.

3. Make the "Why" Super Clear

Your collab needs a purpose. Here are a few engaging ideas:

• Instagram Takeover: Let your collaborator post on your Stories for a day. It's a fantastic way to provide fresh content and introduce a new personality to your audience.
• Joint Q&A or "Ask Me Anything" (AMA): Ask your audiences to submit questions for both of you. You can each post Stories answering questions, tagging each other in every slide.
• Co-Promote a Launch or Event: If you're launching a product, podcast, or workshop together, use Stories to build awareness and direct traffic.
• Giveaways or Contests: Host a joint giveaway where a condition of entry is to follow both accounts. This is a tried-and-true method for mutual follower growth.

4. Promote It Before It Happens

Treat your collaboration like a mini-event. Post "countdown" stickers on your stories in the days leading up to it. Announce it with a feed post. The more you hype it up, the more people will tune in when it finally goes live.

Final Thoughts

Teaming up with fellow creators through Instagram Story collaborations is a smart, organic approach to expanding your reach and building community. It's built on a simple "mention and reshare" mechanic, but when planned thoughtfully, this strategy can provide a huge boost in engagement, credibility, and brand growth.

We’ve seen how planning is the foundation of a successful collaboration, and this is exactly where a visual-first tool shines. With Postbase, we built a content calendar that lets you map out your entire social media strategy at a glance. You can easily spot gaps in your schedule ideal for a collab, plan promotional posts leading up to the event, and get a clear, organized view of what goes live when - across all your accounts.