Instagram Takeovers: What You Need to Know

The phrase “Instagram takeover” sounds undeniably cool, but what exactly is it? Well, you might be relieved to find out that it doesn’t have anything to do with corporate mergers or strange acts of social media war. Below is a basic primer on Instagram takeovers, as well as some tips to help you use this powerful tool to boost your brand’s reach and engagement.

What is an Instagram Takeover?

An Instagram takeover is basically an event where you give someone temporary access to your Instagram account for the purpose of content sharing and/or cross-promotion. During the “takeover period” (typically a day), the guest temporarily running your account is allowed to post photos and/or videos to your Instagram feed, and they can also respond to comments from your followers as well. When done right, Instagram takeovers can be a fantastic collaborative tool that can produce benefits for both parties. Not only can it add value to your followers by bringing a different type of content to the table, but it can also expose the guest to an entirely new audience.

6 Tips to Help You Pull Off a Successful Instagram Takeover

1. Set goals and objectives.

What is it exactly that you plan to accomplish with the takeover? What would a “win” look like for you and your guest? By establishing clear goals and objectives, you will be better able to customize your strategy in a way that will ensure that you hit your target. Examples of common goals include increasing brand awareness (follower growth, more views, social mentions, etc.), promoting events or products (higher event registration, increasing conversions, etc.) or boosting community engagement (likes, reposts, direct messages, comments, etc.).

2. Choose a guest.

This is an important strategic decision, because you want to make sure that the guest you choose will share content that is in alignment with your brand while also allowing them the space to share from their own area of expertise. More often than not, Instagram takeovers are conducted by guests who are considered to be influencers in their particular field. When you invite a well-known and well-respected influencer to helm your Instagram account for a day, not only will your followers be able to glean from a top expert in a relevant field, but the credibility of your brand will receive a healthy boost as well.

Another angle to consider is to bring on an employee or colleague to conduct the takeover. They can share their unique perspective regarding what it means to be a part of your company, and they can offer some exclusive “behind the scenes” footage to help your audience connect with the more informal side of your business. This is a great way to add a personal touch that can boost your brand’s image from the inside out.

3. Plan the details of the takeover.

This includes scheduling the date of the takeover, as well as planning out a promotional timeline leading up to that date. You will also need to establish a unique hashtag to brand all posts related to the takeover (consider including the popular IG takeover hashtags #instagramtakeover and/or #takeovertuesday as well). Your plans should include determining what type of content your guest will post – e.g., regular posts, live videos or Instagram Stories – as well as an appropriate time frame for each content type. For example, takeovers utilizing Instagram Stories typically last for a whole day, while live videos might only last an hour.

4. Promote, promote, promote!

Be sure to announce the takeover via Instagram at least two or three times before the date of the event. You should also promote it on your other social media accounts (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.), as you might have several followers on these platforms that do not follow your Instagram account. Your guest should be promoting the takeover on their social channels as well for maximum exposure.

5. Conduct the takeover.

Generally speaking, there are two primary ways to conduct the takeover:

• Giving your guest direct access to your Instagram account. This is known as a “full account takeover.”

• Arranging for your guest to send you the pertinent files (photos, videos, text) that you will then post on their behalf. This is known as a “semi-account takeover.”

6. Conduct a post-takeover review.

After the takeover has been completed (good job!), it would definitely be helpful to conduct a post-takeover review. Compare your pre-takeover metrics to your post-takeover metrics to see how many followers you gained, how many likes or comments the takeover posts received, etc. Analyze this information in light of the initial goals and objectives you established to help measure the effectiveness of the takeover.

Instagram takeovers are a great way to increase exposure for your brand, and they can boost social engagement in a way that’s beneficial for both you and your guest. Use the tips outlined above to help you organize a memorable, effective and FUN Instagram takeover!