When was the last time you’ve come across an Instagram takeover?
Well, I’d imagine it wasn’t that long ago.
Instagram takeovers are back as a trend, after all with many brands already jumping onto hashtags such as #TakeoverTuesday to plan their own takeovers.
But what makes an Instagram takeover so special?
Why are they the next trend social media marketers are focusing on so much?
Most importantly, how can you host a successful takeover for your brand?
Here is everything you need to know.
An Instagram takeover is the process of “handing out” your account to someone else, to give them control of your brand.
In a takeover, you let someone else run your account (or take it over) and publish regular Instagram posts. Takeover content your guests’ posts, typically, depends on them, and for the duration of the event, they become the owners of your account.
Typically, takeovers last a day, and may often coincide with a special event.
Here’s an example of a typical Instagram takeover:
Think of an Instagram takeover as a new tactic to gather user-generated content that will favor your brand. The difference is that you are not fully in control of the content but you are trusting someone else to do it on your behalf.
Instead of curating content that others are posting on your account, you are selecting a number of people to post directly on your profile.
So why do you want to run an Instagram takeover?
There are many reasons to consider hosting an Instagram takeover.
One of the most important reasons to consider running an Instagram takeover is to boost your brand awareness.
Inviting an influencer or someone with a solid following base in your niche can be a great opportunity to reach the right audience. Your brand is expanding by tapping into the new host’s followers in the most authentic way.
An Instagram takeover can boost your engagement by inviting more people to like and comment on your posts.
Instagram Stories takeovers can lead to increased engagement through Question stickers, Live sessions, Quizzes, etc. You’re able to appeal to your audience with content that makes the approach more authentic.
There can be long-term value in successful Instagram takeovers. Once you manage to invite the right people to take over your account, your followers are starting to trust your partnerships.
Knowing who to invite to your takeovers can be the key to building trust between your brand and your followers. The more they trust your guests, the easier it will be to grab their attention in the future.
Instagram takeovers can be ideal when you are at the very early stages of building your community.
It’s not just about building trust but it’s also about ‘convincing’ the new audience to stay up-to-date with your next steps.
You want to give them a reason to come back by believing in your values and your content.
A reputable guest serves as an additional voice supporting your brand. They can reflect your brand’s values so make sure you spend the right time to pick them.
Not all Instagram takeovers involve influencers and external partnerships. There are many internal takeovers that involve your teams taking over your Instagram account for a day.
An Instagram takeover that involves your employees can boost your brand’s and team’s culture.
It makes your team feel more involved in your marketing plan but it also gives your followers an idea of your daily routine among colleagues.
It’s a win-win situation!
Let’s dive into the practical steps of running a successful Instagram takeover.
It’s easy to plan and host a brand takeover but you still need to go through the logistics that will make your takeover successful.
There are three main stages in the planning process of a successful Instagram takeover:
Let’s go through them in turn:
The first step is to create a list of potential guests for your Instagram takeover.
You need to think of the criteria that will affect your final decision.
Promotion is critical to the success of your Instagram takeover.
The first step is to announce the takeover. Both your brand and your guest should share an image to promote the takeover to both audiences.
This is the post that encourages followers to ‘save the date’. It makes it easier for your audience to prepare for the day by asking questions or keeping an eye on their feed for the new posts.
One post is not enough though.
Make sure you create a plan for your promotional activities.
Treat your takeover as an event.
An Instagram takeover is like a brand partnership. Whether it’s too professional or more casual, you still need to prepare for it.
Here are some aspects to consider in your planning process.
Let’s look now at the best practices that will turn your Instagram takeover into a success.
Start by setting a goal. Do you want to start a takeover to improve your brand awareness? Do you want to share a glimpse of what it’s like working at your company? Your goals will determine your plan on how to make the most out of your takeover.
Don’t forget to review the goals by looking at your Instagram analytics and how the Instagram takeover boosted your account.
Improve the success of your Instagram takeover by promoting it to other channels. You can cross-promote the takeover on other social media channels, your email communication, or even Facebook Groups that might be relevant.
You can also promote the takeover among your team so that others can have a look at it.
If you’re looking for inspiration and creative ideas for your takeover, look at what others are doing. Hashtags like #takeover, #brandtakeover, and #TakeoverTuesday are very trendy But you can also use a branded hashtag to run the takeover.
There’s no need to limit your Instagram takeover in one format. You can create posts for your Instagram feed but you can also share Stories during the day.
It depends on your guest’s availability, their creative skills, and the commitment to the partnership. The options are endless!
An Instagram takeover should be different than your usual posts. It should stand out with its authenticity, creative content, and ideally increased engagement.
Don’t be afraid to try out new ideas and allow your guest to explore new creative tactics. For example, if you haven’t tried out all the Instagram Stickers before, a takeover is a great opportunity to be more engaging with new features.
Remember, let the guests express themselves. As long as they adhere to your overall brand guidelines, they should be able to highlight their authentic voice on your account.
An Instagram takeover can help your brand reach a new audience. It can also boost your engagement while building your community.
All you need is a plan that reflects your objectives.
Looking at the best practices on how to plan and run a successful Instagram takeover, here’s what you need to focus on.
Ready to host your Instagram takeover?