How to Get Shoutouts on Instagram

Getting a shoutout on Instagram can completely change the growth trajectory of your account, driving a wave of new, relevant followers to your profile practically overnight. This isn't about luck, it's about having a strategy. This guide breaks down the entire process, from preparing your account to be worthy of a shoutout to finding the right partners and crafting the perfect pitch to seal the deal.

What Exactly is an Instagram Shoutout (and Why Do You Want One)?

An Instagram shoutout, sometimes called an "IG shoutout" or "Insta plug," is simply when another user promotes your Instagram account on their own page. It could be in a post, a Story, a Reel, or even in their bio. The goal is to get their audience to check out your profile and, ideally, follow you. When done right, this is one of the fastest and most effective ways to grow organically because you're getting a warm endorsement from a trusted source.

There are generally three types of shoutouts you'll encounter:

• Paid Shoutouts: This is the most common model, especially when working with larger accounts or influencers. You pay a fee in exchange for a promotion. Prices vary wildly based on the influencer's follower count, engagement rate, and niche.
• S4S (Shoutout for Shoutout): This is a reciprocal arrangement where you and another account agree to promote each other. It works best when both accounts are of a similar size and serve a similar audience, so the exchange feels balanced and valuable to both parties.
• Organic Shoutouts: This is the holy grail. An organic shoutout happens when another account shares your content simply because they love it and think their audience will too. You can't directly ask for these, but you can create content so good that it happens naturally.

Step 1: Get Your Account "Shoutout-Ready"

Before you even think about reaching out to anyone, your own profile needs to be a well-oiled machine. Imagine someone gives you a brilliant shoutout, sending hundreds of potential followers your way. If they land on a confusing, sloppy, or inactive profile, they're going to hit the back button immediately. You have one chance to make a good first impression.

Optimize Your Profile Bio

Your bio is your elevator pitch. It needs to tell new visitors exactly who you are, what you do, and why they should follow you in about three seconds. A good bio includes:

• A Clear "I help..." Statement: Example: "Helping small business owners master video marketing" instead of just "Marketing Tips."
• A Touch of Personality: Are you funny? Inspirational? Data-driven? Let it show.
• A Call-to-Action (CTA): Tell them what to do next. "👇 Grab my free checklist" or "Shop our new collection 🛍️."
• A Link in Bio: Use your link wisely. It should direct visitors to your most important resource - your website, a popular product, or a free guide.

Curate Your Content Grid

New visitors will judge your account based on your 9-12 most recent posts. Does your grid look cohesive and professional? Is the value you provide immediately obvious? Each post should contribute to the story you're telling about your brand.

Don't just post random photos. Ask yourself:

• Is my branding (colors, fonts, photo style) consistent?
• Does my content educate, entertain, or inspire my target audience?
• Is it high-quality? Grainy photos or poorly edited videos are a non-starter.

Your goal is to make a potential follower think, "Wow, I need more of this in my feed." If your grid looks good, they'll believe the rest of your content is quality, too.

Step 2: Find the Perfect Shoutout Partners

Not all shoutouts are created equal. A promotion from an account with one million fake followers will do nothing for you. The key is to find accounts that share your target audience and have a genuinely engaged community.

How to Identify Potential Partners

Start your scavenger hunt in a few key places:

• Check Who You're Following: You're likely already following accounts in your niche that could be great partners. Make a list of them.
• Use Niche Hashtags: Search for hashtags your ideal follower would use. If you sell sustainable home goods, search #sustainablehome or #ecofriendlyliving. Look at the top-performing posts - the accounts that created them are your potential partners.
• Explore the "Suggested For You" Feature: When you follow an account in your niche, Instagram's algorithm will suggest similar profiles. This is a goldmine for finding more accounts just like it.
• See Who Your Competitors Are Working With: Look at your competitors' tagged posts to see if they're getting shoutouts from other accounts. This is a great way to find influencers who are already open to collaborations in your industry.

Analyze and Vet Potential Accounts

Once you have a list, it's time to do some detective work. Follower count is just a vanity metric. You need to look closer at what really matters: engagement.

Check Their Engagement Rate

A good engagement rate (likes + comments ÷ followers) is typically between 1-3%. If an account with 100,000 followers only gets 200 likes and 5 comments per post, that's a major red flag. Their audience is either fake or completely disengaged. Look for active, healthy comment sections with real conversations, not just a string of "Nice post!" from bots.

Analyze Their Audience

Does their audience match yours? A fitness influencer likely isn't the best partner for your baking business. If an account has a "professional" or "creator" profile, they may be willing to share a screenshot of their audience demographics (age, location, gender) from their Instagram Insights. Don't be afraid to ask for this, especially for paid collaborations. Their media kit should have this information readily available.

Step 3: Craft a Pitch They Can't Ignore

Influencers and popular accounts get dozens, if not hundreds, of DMs every day. Vague, generic, and selfish messages get ignored or deleted instantly. Your pitch needs to be professional, personal, and straight to the point.

Never send a message that just says, "S4S?" or "Collab?" It screams low-effort.

Creating Your Outreach Message

Whether you're sending a DM or an email (which is often more professional), follow this simple structure:

1. Personalize the Opening Line: Start by acknowledging their work. Mention a specific post, Reel, or Story of theirs you enjoyed. This shows you're a genuine fan, not a bot spamming accounts.
   Example: "Hey [Name], I loved your recent Reel on camera settings for beginners. The tip about shutter speed was a game-changer for me!"
2. Introduce Yourself Briefly: State who you are and what your account is about. Keep it short and sweet.
   Example: "My name is Sarah, and I run @ShutterSuccess, where I share simple photography tips for entrepreneurs."
3. State Your Proposal Clearly: This is where you make your ask. Be direct. Are you looking for a paid shoutout? An S4S? Be specific about what you’d like.
   Example (Paid): "I'm looking to partner with creators in the photography space and would love to know if you offer paid shoutouts. Could you share your rates for a Story and/or in-feed post promotion?"
   Example (S4S): "Since our audiences are so similar, I was wondering if you'd be interested in a shoutout for shoutout?"
4. Explain the "Why": Tell them why this partnership makes sense. What value will their audience get from your content? This shows you're thinking about their community, not just yourself.
   Example: "I think your audience would get a lot out of my simple tutorials on product photography, which could really help them level up their brand."

Follow-Up Etiquette

If you don't hear back, it's okay to send one polite follow-up message about a week later. Simply bump your original message or email with a friendly check-in. If you still don't get a response, take the hint and move on. Don't pester them - it's an easy way to get blocked.

Step 4: Maximize the Results of Your Shoutout

Congratulations, you've secured a shoutout! The work isn't over. Now you have to prepare for the wave of traffic and make sure you convert as many of those new visitors into followers as possible.

Prepare Your Content and Profile

Before the shoutout goes live, have a killer piece of content ready on your feed. This could be your best Reel, a super-valuable carousel post, or an eye-catching graphic. It's the first thing new visitors will see. Also, double-check your link in bio. Make sure it's working and leads to something truly valuable.

Engage During the Shoutout

As soon as the shoutout is live, be present. Reply to every comment on the shoutout post itself (if you can) and on your own posts. Welcome new followers enthusiastically. Consider posting a warm "Welcome!" message to your Stories and running a poll to get to know your new community members. The more you engage, the more your new followers will feel connected to your brand from day one.

Final Thoughts

Getting shoutouts on Instagram is all about building relationships and providing clear value. By preparing your profile, strategically identifying the right partners, and crafting a thoughtful pitch, you move from just asking for a promotion to creating a partnership that benefits everyone involved.

Once you get that flood of new followers, it's about keeping them engaged. We designed Postbase to make this easier. Our visual content calendar helps you plan and schedule your posts across all your platforms, so when you get that awesome bump in traffic from a shoutout, your feed is already filled with great content that will convince new visitors to stick around for the long haul.