How to Tag a Business on Instagram

Tagging a business on Instagram is one of the quickest ways to build connections, share brand love, and get more eyes on your content. Whether you’re a creator working with a brand, a small business shouting out a local partner, or just a fan sharing a product you love, tagging is a powerful tool. This guide breaks down every way you can tag a business - from a simple post mention to Stories, Reels, and product tags - and explains why doing it right is so important for building your own brand.

Why Tagging a Business on Instagram is a Smart Move

Before getting into the how-to, it’s worth understanding why tagging is more than just a label. Used correctly, it’s a powerful networking and visibility strategy packed into a single feature.

• Boosted Visibility: When you tag a business, you're not just speaking to your own audience, you're creating a pathway for their audience to find you. If the brand re-shares your post, story, or reel, your content gets introduced to their followers, which can be a huge source of organic growth.
• Building Relationships: Every tag is a digital handshake. It signals that you’re part of their community and value what they do. This is how relationships start - whether you're aiming for a future brand collaboration, networking with like-minded businesses, or just showing support for a brand you admire.
• Providing Social Proof and Context: Tagging adds a layer of credibility to your content. It shows followers where that amazing coffee is from, what brand of sneakers you’re wearing, or what software you used to design a project. This transparency builds trust with your audience and provides them with real value.
• Becoming User-Generated Content (UGC): For brands, user-generated content is gold. It’s authentic, relatable, and works as free marketing. By tagging a business, you are essentially submitting your content for their use. Being featured is mutually beneficial: they get authentic content, and you get valuable exposure.

The Basics: How to Tag a Business in an Instagram Feed Post

The most common place you'll tag a business is in a standard photo or video post on your feed. There are two primary ways to do this, and for the best results, you should always use a combination of both.

1. Tagging the Account in the Photo or Video Itself

This method physically links the business’s profile to your post and adds your content to the “Tagged” section on their Instagram profile page. It’s the most direct way to get their attention.

Step-by-step instructions:

1. Start by creating a new post (tap the + icon at the bottom of the screen).
2. Select the photo or video you want to share, apply edits or filters, and tap Next.
3. On the final screen where you write your caption, tap on Tag People.
4. Tap anywhere on the photo or video. A search bar will appear.
5. Start typing the business's username (e.g., @postbase). Instagram will show you a list of matching accounts.
6. Select the correct one. A tag will appear on your image, which you can drag to position correctly. You can repeat this process to tag up to 20 accounts in a single post.
7. Once you're finished, tap Done and share your post as usual.

This is the most effective method because it permanently lives on the brand’s profile in their Tagged content tab - unless they manually remove it.

2. Mentioning the Business in Your Caption (@mention)

An @mention is when you type the business's handle directly into your caption. It creates a clickable link to their profile but functions a little differently from a photo tag.

Step-by-step instructions:

1. While writing your caption, simply type the @ symbol followed immediately by the business's username (no space).
2. As you type, a list of suggested accounts will pop up.
3. Tap the correct account to officially mention them. Their username will turn into a blue, clickable link in your caption once the post is published.

So, what’s the difference? An @mention sends a notification to the business, but it does not add your content to the "Tagged" tab on their profile. This means your post can easily get lost in their notifications. For this reason, consider an @mention a supplement, not a replacement. The best practice is to always tag the business in the photo/video and @mention them in the caption. This doubles your chances of being seen.

Level Up: How to Tag a Business in Instagram Stories

With Stories being a hub for casual, in-the-moment content, tagging is an essential feature for shoutouts, product features, and location check-ins. Tagging in Stories is powerful because it gives the business an easy, one-tap way to reshare your content to their own Story.

Using the @Mention Sticker

The sticker is the most visually prominent and widely used method for tagging in a Story.

Step-by-step instructions:

1. Open Instagram Stories by swiping right from your home feed or tapping your profile picture.
2. Take or upload your photo or video content.
3. Tap the Sticker icon (the square smiley face) at the top of the screen.
4. Select the @MENTION sticker from the options.
5. Start typing the business's username and select it from the list that appears.
6. You can tap the sticker to cycle through different color and style variations. Use two fingers to pinch, zoom, and rotate it until it fits your aesthetic.

When you tag an account this way, they receive a notification that lets them "Add This to Your Story." This friction-free reshare button is your best bet for getting that valuable repost.

Tagging with the Text Tool

Alternatively, you can tag a business using the standard text tool for a more integrated, less "sticker-like" feel.

Step-by-step instructions:

1. After creating your Story, tap the text icon (Aa) at the top of the screen.
2. Just like in a caption, type the @ symbol and start typing the business’s username.
3. Select the correct one from the pop-up list. The name will then be underlined.
4. You can now customize the text with different fonts, colors, and backgrounds just like any other text on your Story.

This method functions identically to the @Mention sticker, the business still gets a re-share notification. The choice between them often comes down to purely visual preference.

Going Viral: Tagging a Business in Instagram Reels

Reels are one of the most powerful tools for organic reach on Instagram right now. Using tags here can completely amplify your results.

1. Invite a Business as a Collaborator

The Collaboration feature is a game-changer. If a business accepts your invitation, the Reel is shared with both your audience and theirs simultaneously. It appears on both of your profiles and shares the view count, likes, and comments.

Step-by-step instructions:

1. Create your Instagram Reel and tap Next to get to the final sharing screen.
2. Tap Tag People.
3. You'll see an option to Invite Collaborator. Tap it.
4. Search for the business account you want to collaborate with and select their profile.
5. After you share the Reel, the business will receive a request to become a collaborator. If they accept, the Reel will show up on their profile grid as if they posted it too.

This is the most powerful way to partner with a business, but save it for times you have an existing relationship or a formal partnership. A cold invite to a massive brand is unlikely to be accepted.

2. Mention the Business in the Reel Caption

Just like a standard feed post, you can - and should - @mention the business directly in your Reel's caption. This guarantees they're notified about the Reel even if a collaboration isn't appropriate.

Driving Sales: Branded Content and Product Tags

For more official business relationships, Instagram provides specific tools to tag products and disclose paid partnerships.

How to Tag Products (Instagram Shopping)

If you feature a specific product in your post, you can tag it directly. This allows users to tap on your content to see product details and click through to purchase, much like a digital storefront.

To do this:

• The business must have an active Instagram Shop set up with a product catalog.
• On the final share screen for a post, tap Tag Products.
• After tapping the photo to place the tag, first search for the brand’s main account.
• Once you've selected the brand, you will then be able to search their product catalog. Find and select the specific product.

A small shopping bag icon will appear on your content, signaling to users that it's shoppable.

How to Use the Paid Partnership Label

For influencer marketing and sponsored campaigns, transparency is essential. Instagram’s "Paid partnership" label clearly discloses your relationship with a business.

To use it, follow these steps:

1. On the share screen for any post, story, or reel, go to your Advanced Settings (or find the option under a menu denoted by three dots).
2. Find the option for Add paid partnership label and turn it on.
3. Tap Add Brand Partners and search for the business. You will only be able to tag businesses that have approved you as a content creator.

This will add a "Paid partnership with [Brand Name]" sub-heading just below your username, keeping you compliant with advertising guidelines.

Common Tagging Mistakes to Avoid

• Tagging the Wrong Account: Always double-check spellings. Tagging a fan account or an inactive profile provides a dead link and looks unprofessional.
• Spam Tagging: Don't tag popular brands in your posts just to get visibility if your content has nothing to do with them. It clutters their tagged feed and may lead to them blocking your account. Keep tags relevant.
• Only Using a Caption @Mention: You're missing a big opportunity. By not tagging the photo or video directly, your content won't appear on their "Tagged" tab, drastically reducing its long-term visibility.

Final Thoughts

Tagging a business on Instagram is far more than a simple footnote, it's a foundational networking strategy for anyone looking to build an audience, establish credibility, and create community. From a basic photo tag to a Reel collaboration or a shoppable product pin, each type of tag opens doors for new collaborations, greater reach, and more meaningful interactions.

Keeping track of your content plan and all the brands you’re partnering with or shouting out can be a lot to manage. At Postbase, we designed our visual content calendar specifically to solve this issue, letting you see your entire strategy and collaborative posts at a glance. When those brands respond to your tags with engagement and DMs to discuss future work, our unified inbox helps you stay on top of every conversation so you never miss a connection.

```