An effective Instagram takeover can be a good way to engage or re-engage users, broaden your social media reach, or show your followers how someone else uses your products or services. When you hand your account over to the right host for a day or a week, you’re not just getting new content—you’re gaining credibility, showing your products in real-world use, and potentially finding a long-term partner who actually gets your brand.
Learn how this type of social media takeover works, how it can benefit your social media strategy, and how to execute a smooth takeover on your own brand page.
What is an Instagram takeover?
An Instagram takeover is a social media marketing technique in which a specific individual temporarily takes over hosting your brand’s Instagram account page, either on an ad hoc or recurring basis. The person might use Instagram Stories, Reels, Instagram Live, grid posts, or some combination of all four, depending on your goals for the social media takeover.
For example, Upstate of Mind by Compas Life Apparel had influencer @emygin take over the company’s Instagram Stories to share a day in her life as an avid hiker and Adirondacks-based content creator. The post announcing the takeover emphasizes the outdoor setting and adventurous lifestyle that’s central to the brand’s identity.
What are the benefits of an Instagram takeover?
A successful Instagram takeover delivers three main advantages:
1. Exposure to a new audience. The primary appeal of a well-executed Instagram account takeover is the overlapping of two distinct audiences. There should be some interest-based overlap between your brand’s audience and your host’s followers, but ultimately, a successful Instagram takeover helps increase brand awareness by drawing new eyes to your page.
2. A fresh perspective on your brand or product. Instagram story takeovers can shake things up with a new visual style and tone without disrupting the look and feel of your grid. Embracing an outside point of view also allows potential customers to see how your products fit into someone’s life, rather than relying solely on product photography or ad campaigns.
3. Potential for long-lasting partnerships. Instagram story takeovers can be a low-stakes way to find best-fit brand ambassadors or influencer affiliates. If you enjoy working with the host and find their content garners a boost in engagement or sales, you might consider working with them on a more regular basis.
Who can host an Instagram takeover?
Instagram takeover hosts typically fall into one or two of the following categories:
- Celebrity or influencer. Whereas influencer marketing involves paying content creators to feature your brand in their own content, an influencer takeover invites a celebrity or other notable person to host your page for a period of time. Your host can also cross-tag in-feed posts and Reels to share the takeover content on their own social media channels as well (known as Instagram collabs), expanding your reach.
- Employees. For brands and businesses built on unique skill sets or with offerings that benefit from extra explanation, employee takeovers can be smart. For example, an expert baker might give a bakery’s followers a behind-the-scenes glimpse at how they make their bread and pastry creations.
- Industry experts. Choosing an expert in your industry lends credibility to your brand, positioning you as a leader in your category. If your brand sells outdoor apparel and equipment, for instance, you might choose a professional rock climber or trail runner to take over your business account and show your gear in action.
- Loyal customers. A customer takeover could involve a member of your loyalty program with a particularly compelling testimonial or brand experience posting user-generated content (UGC) featuring your products on one or more social media platforms.
How much do Instagram takeovers cost?
Compensation for a social media takeover can vary. While celebrities, influencers, or even micro-influencers may be interested in receiving monetary compensation, industry experts, loyal customers, or employees may be happy simply for the exposure or an opportunity to increase their own following. Still others may be interested in receiving products or services in exchange for their participation.
How to run an Instagram takeover
- Set goals and metrics
- Create content guidelines
- Choose a host
- Define the parameters
- Work out the logistics
- Launch your campaign
- Analyze the results
Ready to incorporate these tactics into your broader social media marketing strategy? Here’s how Instagram takeovers work.
1. Set goals and metrics
Before you go looking for ideal hosts, define what success looks like. What does your Instagram takeover need to accomplish?
Common takeover strategy goals include:
- Increase reach and/or follower count
- Build hype and drive sales for a product launch
- Increase positive sentiment about your brand
Next, decide on a few key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure your campaign’s success. Common KPIs include new followers, shares, comments, or other forms of engagement, like clicks to your website, newsletter subscriptions, or sales.
Match your metrics to the takeover’s length. A single grid post won’t move the needle as much as a full day’s worth of Instagram Stories or Reels, so set expectations accordingly.
2. Create content guidelines
Content guidelines provide instructions for anyone unfamiliar with your brand’s style. If you have preferences about how someone should refer to or use your product, communicate these ahead of time.
Other considerations might include:
- Use of relevant branded hashtags
- Language or subject matter guidelines
- How hosts should interact with commenters or field questions from viewers, or whether they should engage with commenters or viewers at all
3. Choose a host
A potential host’s audience—size and engagement rate—and credibility or cultural caché will drive your decision when it comes to paid takeovers, but there are other factors to consider as well. A host’s ability to create authentic behind-the-scenes content that will humanize your brand, for example, might be a driver if you’re aiming to improve sentiment.
4. Define the parameters
Once you’ve reached out to your host, work together to define the collaboration and the content they’ll create. For example, you could ask them to publish an initial Instagram feed post to introduce themselves and share the takeover schedule with your followers, followed by Instagram Stories during the actual takeover window. You could also collaborate on a Reel for both of you to post afterward for those followers who missed the takeover event.
Pin down the specifics in a creative brief. Address these questions:
- When will it start, and when will it end?
- What types of content will your host create? How many posts will they generate?
- What key messages should your host impart?
- What products will be featured?
- Which formats will these posts take (e.g., Instagram Stories, a carousel post on the grid, a Reel, or some combination thereof)?
- Who will be in charge of posting and tagging both parties?
- How long will it be available on your brand profile? (Many Instagram Story takeovers last for a set period of time, but you could download the content and repackage it into a permanent Reel, with permission.)
- Will the host re-post content on their profile, and if so, which pieces?
- Who owns the rights to the content published as part of the takeover? Will you have permission to reuse the content in the future?
5. Work out the logistics
If your host is skilled enough to handle a full account takeover and you’re comfortable with them accessing your account, the best way to accomplish this is to create a new password. Use this to grant your host temporary access, and then change your password after the takeover is complete.
On the other hand, maybe you’re not comfortable giving away the keys to your kingdom, or you’re working with a host who doesn’t feel confident posting Instagram Stories or creating Reels on their own. In that case, you don’t need to change your Instagram settings—just ask your host to send you their content for you to edit and post.
6. Launch your campaign
Once it’s time to launch your takeover, the next phase of social media management begins. Delegate someone on staff, like your team’s social media manager, to post content on schedule or oversee the content as it’s uploaded by the host. This person should monitor comments, views, and engagement, and communicate with the host as needed. Collect data on the takeover’s performance so your team can analyze these figures after the fact.
When the takeover is finished, publish a final wrap-up post to let your followers know the event has ended, and share a call to action (CTA) that capitalizes on the increased attention while you have it. For example, you might offer a promo code—and have the host share the code with their audience from their own account, too.
7. Analyze the results
After the takeover, you or your social media manager will assess the KPI data you collected. Did the takeoverincrease engagement as planned? Which posts attracted the most viewers? What do the comments reveal about audience response? Apply your findings to the design and execution of your next Instagram Story takeover.
Instagram takeover examples
Looking for inspiration? Here are five real-world examples of Instagram takeovers:
1. Partnership Editions
The mission of Partnership Editions is to make remarkable art accessible to everyone through curated, limited-edition releases. The company’s takeover strategy reflects that mission: feature the artists who create the work. The above post, spotlighting the process and work of artist Cecilia Reeve, teases a new collection launch.
2. Sculpey
Polymer clay supplier Sculpey regularly features customer takeovers on its Instagram page. These artists apply for spots on the Sculpey Design Squad, a rotating roster of featured creators who receive exclusive benefits and payment for marketing projects like takeovers and tutorials. Showcasing different art styles and diverse uses of Sculpey’s product boosts customer engagement and provides fresh inspiration for the brand’s followers.
3. Aurafil Thread
For brands that offer foundational supplies, takeovers are one of the best ways to showcase the product’s endless potential. Quilter Barbie Mitchell hosted a takeover for Aurafil, which sells Egyptian cotton thread. The collaboration tapped into the brand’s core niche (sewing and embroidery) while sharing technical deep-dives and tutorials. In the above post, Barbie—both a loyal customer and an expert source—shares how she incorporates Aurafil into her own designs.
4. RubiaWear
Dancewear is part fashion statement and part functional gear: in order to resonate with its target audience, it must be visually appealing and show that it’s comfortable and can withstand the rigor of a physically demanding class or performance. Takeovers, like the above choreographer post from dancewear brand RubiaWear, provide proof point that the gear works in real conditions—the final nudge a potential customer might need before purchase. They also make current customers proud to support the brand by seeing it embraced by their peers.
5. Diaspora Co.
An Instagram takeover can be part of a larger project, like this storytelling series called “Notes from the field” from spice company Diaspora Co. Every month, the company’s farm partner manager, Neha Sumitran, gives followers a closer look at one of Diaspora’s working farms. The series lives mainly on the brand’s blog and in its newsletter, but Neha teases highlights in her Instagram takeovers. This approach shows how internal takeover content can support a brand’s mission and potentially help it reach a new audience in the process.
Instagram takeover FAQ
What is an Instagram takeover?
An Instagram takeover is a social media marketing technique in which a specific host curates or creates content for your page for a short window of time. You can either grant the takeover host temporary access to your Instagram account, allowing them to post directly, or they can send photos, videos, and captions for you to post on their behalf. The latter grants you increased visibility and input on what they publish to Instagram and potentially other social media channels.
How do you give access for an Instagram takeover?
To grant external (temporary) access to a takeover host, create a new shared password that allows the host to log into your Instagram account directly.
How do you end an Instagram takeover?
To end an Instagram Story takeover, reset your password, then close out the featured content with a sign-off post from your host and a call to action for your followers. That might mean asking your audience to visit your website, buy a product, or sign up for updates.
