How to Invite People to Collaborate on Instagram

Inviting collaborators to your Instagram posts is one of the most effective ways to expand your reach, boost engagement, and create fresh content that audiences love. This guide breaks down exactly how to use the Instagram Collab feature for Feed posts, Reels, and Live videos. We will also cover the strategy behind finding the right partners and crafting an outreach message that actually gets a yes.

Why Should You Collaborate on Instagram?

Before we get into the step-by-step, it’s worth understanding why the Collab feature is such a powerful tool for growth. It goes far beyond simply tagging another account in your photo. When you use the official Collab feature, the post appears on both of your profile grids, and both of your usernames appear in the post's header. This co-authorship unlocks a few key benefits.

1. Instantly Access a New, Targeted Audience

The biggest advantage is shared exposure. When a collaborator accepts your invitation, your post doesn't just show up on your feed - it shows up on theirs, too. It’s served to their followers just like one of their own posts. This means you get your content, your brand, and your username directly in front of a new group of people who are likely interested in your niche because they follow your partner.

2. Skyrocket Your Engagement and Reach

Because the post is shared across two accounts, all the likes, comments, and shares are consolidated. Instead of splitting engagement, you combine it, creating a single, powerful piece of content. This increased activity signals to the Instagram algorithm that your post is high-value, which can lead to it being pushed out to an even wider audience on the Explore page and hashtag feeds. Your reach multiplies, and social proof builds much faster.

3. Build Credibility and Social Proof

Partnering with another creator or brand acts as an endorsement. When someone your audience trusts collaborates with you, that trust transfers over. It shows that you are a respected voice in your industry. For new brands or creators, collaborating with a more established account can lend you instant credibility that would otherwise take months or even years to build on your own.

4. Create Amazing, High-Value Content

Two heads are often better than one. Collaborations are an opportunity to break out of your regular content format and offer something new to your audience. Merging different skills, perspectives, and creative styles can lead to content that is more engaging, informative, and valuable than what you could create alone. Whether it's a joint tutorial, a fun challenge, or a Q&A session, collabs keep your feed interesting.

How to Invite Someone to Collaborate on an Instagram Feed Post or Reel

Ready to create a joint post? The process is integrated directly into the regular Instagram posting workflow. It’s simple, but you have to do it before you hit publish. Follow these steps carefully.

Step 1: Create a New Post or Reel

Start the process just as you normally would. Tap the '+' icon at the bottom of the screen and select either "Post" or "Reel." Choose your photo(s) or video, make your edits, apply filters, and trim your clips. Tap "Next" to move to the final screen where you write your caption.

Step 2: Write Your Caption and Navigate to ‘Tag People’

On the final screen, write a compelling caption that preferably mentions your collaborator and explains the partnership. Add your hashtags and location. Below the caption area, you'll see a menu with options like "Add Music," "Add Topics," and "Tag People." Tap on Tag People. This is where the magic happens.

Step 3: Choose 'Invite Collaborator'

Once you tap "Tag People," you’ll see your image or video with a prompt, “Tap photo to tag people.” To the right, you'll find two options: "Add Tag" and Invite Collaborator. A standard tag simply links to their profile. A collaborator invite makes them a co-author. Tap on 'Invite Collaborator.'

Step 4: Search for and Select Your Partner

A search bar will appear. Type in the username of the person or brand you want to collaborate with. Be careful to select the correct account, as there can be many similar usernames. Once you find and tap on their profile, their tag will appear on your content, distinguishing itself as a collaborator invitation. You can invite up to three collaborators for a single post.

Step 5: Share Your Post

Once you’ve added your collaborator(s), tap “Done.” You’ll be taken back to the main publishing screen. Finish any other adjustments and hit the "Share" button. Your post will now go live on your Instagram profile and grid.

Step 6: The Collaborator Accepts the Invite

Your work is done, but the process isn't complete yet. Your collaborator will receive a notification and a direct message informing them that you've invited them to collaborate on a post. They have the option to review the post and then "Accept" or "Decline" the invitation.

Once they tap "Accept," two things happen:

• Your post will instantly appear on their profile grid.
• Their username will be added to the header of the post next to yours.

From that point on, the post will collect engagement from both of your audiences in one place.

Can You Add a Collaborator to an Instagram Post After Publishing?

This is one of the most frequently asked questions, and the answer, unfortunately, is no. The option to "Invite Collaborator" is only available during the post-creation process. Once a Reel or Feed post is live, you cannot go back and add a collaborator to it later. You can still tag their account in the photo and mention them in the caption, but you won't be able to make them a co-author.

The only workaround is to delete the original post and re-upload it from scratch, this time following the steps above to invite the collaborator. Be cautious with this approach, as you'll lose all the likes, comments, and shares you accumulated on the original post.

How to Collaborate on Instagram Live

Co-hosting an Instagram Live is another fantastic way to partner with creators, answer questions from your audience in real-time, and drive a ton of engagement. Here's a quick guide to going live with a guest.

1. Start Your Live Broadcast: From the Instagram home screen, swipe right to open the camera, and then select "Live" at the bottom. You can add a title for your Live session to let people know what it's about. When you’re ready, tap the broadcast button to go live.
2. Invite Your Guest(s): Once your broadcast has started and a few viewers have joined, look for the icon at the bottom of your screen that looks like a person's silhouette with a plus sign (or sometimes two overlapping faces). Tap this icon.
3. Send the Invitation: A menu will pop up allowing you to search for the user you want to go live with. Find their username and tap "Invite." You can invite up to three guests to join your Live broadcast at the same time.
4. Your Guest Accepts: The person you invited will receive a notification asking them to join your Live video. Once they accept, your screen will split to show both of you side-by-side to all viewers from both your accounts.

Your Instagram Live collaboration is now active! The combined audiences will be notified, and viewers can interact with both of you simultaneously.

The Art of the Collaboration: Finding Partners and Crafting Your Pitch

Knowing how to use the feature is half the battle, the other half is finding the right people and convincing them to work with you. A thoughtful strategy will get you much further than sending random invites.

Who to Collaborate With

The best collaborators aren't always the accounts with the most followers. Focus on alignment.

• Find Complementary Niches: Look for creators whose content complements yours. For example, a home organization expert could collaborate with an interior designer, or a fitness coach could partner with a nutritionist. Their audience is already primed to be interested in what you offer.
• Check for Value Alignment: Make sure your potential partner's brand values, tone, and overall vibe match yours. An inconsistent partnership can feel strange and inauthentic to both of your audiences.
• Prioritize Engagement over Follower Count: An account with 15,000 highly engaged followers is far more valuable than one with 100,000 silent ones. Look at their comments, shares, and the community they've built. That's the real measure of their influence.

How to Pitch Your Collaboration Idea

Sliding into someone's DMs with "wanna collab?" is rarely effective. A professional and personalized approach works best.

1. Build a Relationship First: Don't make your first interaction an ask. Follow them, engage with their content genuinely for a few weeks, reply to their Stories, and leave thoughtful comments. Show them you appreciate their work before you ask for something.
2. Send a Clear, Concise DM: When you're ready to pitch, keep your message direct and respectful of their time.
3. Personalize Your Opening: Start with a specific compliment. "I loved your recent Reel on time-blocking..." shows you've done your homework.
4. Propose a Specific Idea: Vague proposals are easy to ignore. Instead of "Let's collaborate," try: "I'm creating a Reel breaking down 3 common myths about sourdough baking, and I thought your expertise would be perfect for myth #2. Would you be open to filming a short 15-second clip to contribute?"
5. Explain the Mutual Benefit: Briefly mention what’s in it for them - exposure to your engaged audience, a finished piece of content for their feed, or the chance to share their knowledge on a new platform.

Final Thoughts

Using the Instagram Collab feature is straightforward on a technical level, but its real power comes from a smart strategy. By pairing the simple step-by-step process with thoughtful outreach and a focus on finding truly aligned partners, you can dramatically accelerate your account's growth, credibility, and engagement.

Once you start lining up collaborations, keeping track of your content schedule becomes a whole new ballgame. Juggling your posts and your partners' timelines can get complicated fast, and this is where planning becomes essential. At first, we found ourselves drowning in spreadsheets to manage it all, so we built Postbase to fix that chaos. The visual calendar lets you plan out your entire collaborative campaign, drag and drop posts to find the perfect timing, and get a bird's-eye view of your strategy across all platforms without all the manual work.