If you're a driven business owner that is constantly looking for ways to boost your social media engagement, then the Instagram "Collab" feature is definitely for you. The feature allows business owners and content creators to collaborate on feed posts and reels, leading to more engagement and more exposure to a larger audience who otherwise might've missed out on your content.

How It Works

There are three types of accounts on Instagram: personal, business, and creator accounts. Business and creator accounts have the ability to invite other accounts, whether they follow you or not, to be a collaborator on a post or reel that is posted by you.

Those invited to collaborate with your post are given the opportunity to accept or decline. If they accept, the post will be added to their feed as well as yours. Although the post will be displayed on two different feeds, the likes and comments will be shared. This is the major benefit of the feature, as each account will gain more exposure and grow their online presence.

How to Collab

Steps 1 & 2:

By clicking the plus sign located in the top right corner of your Instagram profile, you can choose to create a post. From there, select which photo or video that you wish to upload and collaborate on. 

Steps 3 & 4:

Once your post is selected, you'll tap the "Tag People" option beneath where you've written your caption. From there, you'll be given the option to invite a collaborator. 

Steps 5 & 6:

After you've found the person/business you want to collaborate with, tap "Done" in the top right-hand corner of the app and continue posting as usual. 

Why It's Important for Salon & Spa Owners

The beauty industry is a visual industry, meaning social media is a great place to showcase your brand, attract new clients, and drive traffic to your website by posting regularly and collaborating with other beauty professionals.

Instagram's collaboration feature gives business owners and creators a way to cross-promote and gain more exposure. The feature is an easy way to maximize your social media time with little to no additional effort. If you're a busy salon owner doubling as a social media manager, there's no need to worry about another complicated Instagram feature. With a simple tap or two, you're automatically exposing yourself to a larger online community.

Below is an example of how one salon, Salon Yeager, has utilized Instagram to collaborate with one of their stylists. 

Below is an example of how one of our clients, Salon Yeager, has utilized Instagram to collaborate with one of their stylists.

This stylist invited Salon Yeager, their employer, to be a collaborator on this post. By doing so, this business account was able to highlight the work of a talented stylist, showcase their services, and share engagement through likes, comments, and shares. Both accounts benefit from more exposure, so it is a win-win.

This same mentality can be used when collaborating with larger accounts, specifically beauty brands. Consider what retail products you sell or frequently use in your salon and how you might be able to utilize their followers. Create a relevant and quality post, invite them as a collaborator, and see what happens!

About the Author:Lucas Renfroe is a founding partner of Salon.Marketing, a digital marketing agency specializing in the salon and spa industry.  Lucas also co-owns Roots Southern Salon in Savannah, GA.  He works with other salon owners on a daily basis to overcome the challenges of leveraging Search Engines to generate more new clients.  You can reach him at lucas@firstpagelife.com.