How To Create a Successful Instagram Takeover
Instagram Takeovers are a rising practice where business and influencer accounts engage with one another to build brand awareness and acquire new followers. This initiative is when an account is taken over by another account or team member to share content on behalf of the official account owner.
Why Do An Instagram Takeover?
There are many reasons why a business would implement an Instagram takeover such as sharing fresh content, gaining new followers, generating credibility, boosting engagement, or even creating event exposure. According to HubSpot, 71% of businesses use Instagram for promotions and exposure.
For example, we recently did a takeover for the Design Social Pop up event that we co-sponsored in Newport, Rhode Island. In order for the takeover to be successful, we considered the following while executing our takeover:
Set a goal
All marketing initiatives require a goal in mind and takeovers are no different. For this particular takeover, we had a few; generating credibility, boosting engagement, and promoting the event.
We established credibility from our expertise in the interior design industry and also living and working near the location, therefore we could share our favorite places to visit, shop, dine, and get inspired.
Decide On The Format
For this event we knew our audience values architecture, interiors, and travel so it was important for us to showcase that through quality photography and interesting insights. We collaborated with local photographer, Shannon Hammond to take photos around Newport that highlighted historical buildings, aesthetically pleasing views, and any content that would get event goers excited to explore the area. Not only did Shannon’s photography style align with the project, she also has a significant Instagram following so cross collaborating with her was a natural fit.
Take Time to Plan
Dedicate the proper time to plan and create the content on the feed you are “taking over.” For us, it took about three weeks to get everything in order. We suggest creating a shot list of to keep your shoot day organized. It’s also important to establish a narrative with a beginning, middle, and end that tells a more complete and compelling story. And finally, use a scheduler (we use Later) to plan your visual feed, captions and hashtag strategy far in advance.
Build Anticipation
People love a good countdown. Before the start of your takeover, be sure to announce it on your feed and/or Instagram stories. Utilize the countdown sticker feature in stories to remind people when the takeover is starting. On the first post, introduce yourself and explain who you are and how long you will be doing the takeover. This will prompt followers to know what is coming next and they will be more excited to follow along. Building anticipation keeps followers coming back.
Leverage Multiple Features
Instagram rewards you when you use a mix of features on Instagram such as stories, reels, and video. Before Instagram stories, users only posted content they felt they needed to share. Now, stories can highlight real time events, which opens the platform to broader content - and a better opportunity for your content to be seen. In fact, Hootsuite confirms that 500 million accounts use stories daily. With posting to stories and the use of videos, graphic imagery, and professional photos, we were able to build brand exposure for both businesses. Upfront research of the target viewer demographics for both organizations is vital to ensuring the posted content is well received. Over the course of our takeover, we reached 65% accounts that were not following the Design Social Popup and tripled the posts’ impressions.
Engage With Followers
The more you engage with your audience by responding to comments, the more your posts will be seen. Did you know that your posts are only seen by about 10% of your followers and the more comments, likes and saves you get on a post Instagram will open your post to a larger audience? Boost your visibility in real time while building authentic connections with your audience.
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