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Are you planning to host an Instagram takeover? Looking for more information about how to host it successfully to grow your audience? If so, here's everything you need to know.
Are you planning to host an Instagram Stories takeover? If executed correctly, an Instagram takeover can help you tap into new audiences and amplify your reach. Keep reading to find out how to host an Instagram takeover successfully and boost your brand awareness.If you’re looking for ways to boost your reach, gain new followers, promote a new product, or collaborate with content creators, you’ve come to the right place. Not only can Instagram Stories takeovers boost your reach, but they are also the perfect way to diversify your content marketing strategy. After all, why not mix things up?Instagram takeovers are one of the hottest trends on the social network. Many brands have already jumped onto hashtags such as #TakeoverTuesday when executing their own Instagram takeovers.But what makes Instagram Stories takeovers so special, and why are they becoming so crucial for popular brands?More importantly, how can you host a successful Instagram takeover for your brand?Read on to find out everything you need to know!
An Instagram takeover is the process of having someone literally “take over” your account to give them control of your brand.In an Instagram takeover, you let someone else run your account and publish regular Instagram posts. They might share content they have created themselves or share content that you have been collaborating to create.The duration of the Instagram takeover typically depends on your content marketing strategy and what you want to achieve, but takeovers typically last anywhere from a single afternoon to a whole weekend. They can coincide with a particular event, product launch, or they may just run on a specific day to align with your marketing calendar.The takeover content your content creator is sharing will depend on them, and for the duration of the event, they become the owners of your account.Here’s an example of a typical Instagram takeover:
Think of an Instagram Stories 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 content creator (or creators) to post directly on your profile.Our tip: If you’re truly not comfortable with a content creator posting on behalf of your account, you can simply ask them to send screenshots or video content to one of your team members so they can post it on your brand’s behalf.So, why is an Instagram takeover a good idea?
There are countless reasons to consider hosting an Instagram Stories takeover.
One of the most important reasons to consider running an Instagram takeover is to boost your brand awareness.An influencer takeover can be a great opportunity to reach your target audience. Your brand could reach new followers by doing a cross-promotion with an influencer and tapping into their followers authentically.
An Instagram Stories takeover can boost your engagement by increasing the activity on your page. Depending on how you execute your takeover, you can also invite more people to like and comment on your posts which can boost engagement even more.Instagram Stories takeovers can lead to increased engagement through interactive content like Question stickers, Polls, or Quizzes. If you really trust your host, they could even do an Instagram Live. These videos typically appear first in the Stories feed, so your content will be seen by more of your followers. Just be sure you have a very clear brief before your host goes live!Your host could also invite your Instagram followers to interact with them via direct messages on Instagram. These Instagram features can enable you to appeal to your target audience with content. In this way, you can focus on building connections with your community authentically.
Apart from the obvious short-term gains, there can be long-term value in hosting successful Instagram takeovers. If you invite the right people to take over your account, your Instagram followers will start to build a stronger affinity with your brand.Knowing who to invite to host your takeovers can be the key to building trust with your Instagram followers. The more they trust and respect your host, the easier it will be to grab (and hold) their attention in the future!But not only that – you need to be able to trust your host. This is very important, especially if you are going to hand the reigns of your brand (and your account details) to your host.Remember, if your Instagram account has a large number of followers, you shouldn’t be giving your account details to just anyone. You should only give them to a host you trust inherently – and, as a failsafe, you should have contracts in place to ensure your account doesn’t get compromised.
Instagram takeovers can be ideal when you are at the very early stages of building your community.It’s not just about evoking interest and building trust with new followers. It’s also about convincing your 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 staying interested in your content. A strong content marketing strategy and content plan will ensure you consistently have strong content to keep any new followers interested.A reputable host serves as an additional voice supporting your brand. They can (and should) reflect your brand’s values, so make sure you spend the time to carefully select the right one!
Not all Instagram takeovers involve influencers, high-profile experts, and external partnerships. There are many internal takeovers that involve your team members taking over your Instagram account for a day.Instagram Stories takeovers that involve your employees can boost your team culture internally, helping your team feel more involved in your digital marketing plan.But they also help outsiders see the faces behind your brand. They show that you value your employees. They also lend an air of authenticity to your brand by offering a glimpse into the life of your brand’s world.All in all, it’s a win-win!So, why Instagram?Well, Instagram is one of the best social media platforms for takeovers because it allows you to post polished content on your feed while adding more personal and often unpolished content on Instagram Stories. Hosting an Instagram Stories takeover allows content creators to be disruptive without disrupting your usual flow of content!And all this is without even mentioning the fact that, unlike Snapchat, Instagram has a colossal user base, with an estimated 1 billion users worldwide…! Your host can also utilize the Instagram Stories swipe up link to directly link to your brand’s products, services, or a booking page.
Let’s dive into the practical steps of running a successful Instagram takeover.It’s easy to plan and host an Instagram takeover but any smart marketer knows that you still need to go through the proper logistics to actually ensure your takeover is a raging success.Some of the best Instagram takeovers are the ones that are well planned and have a host who aligns perfectly with the brand.There are three main stages in the planning process of a successful Instagram takeover:
Let’s go through them in turn. Ready?
The first step is to create a list of potential hosts for your Instagram takeover.You need to think carefully about all the criteria that will affect your final decision.
Promotion is critical to the success of your Instagram takeover.The first step is to announce your takeover. Both you and your host should share a post or a Story (or multiple pieces of content) to promote the takeover to the widest audience possible.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 detailed plan for your promotional activities.Treat your takeover as an actual virtual event.
An Instagram Stories takeover is like a brand partnership. Whether it’s professional or more casual, preparation is still crucial if you want to avoid mistakes.Your guidelines will be dictated by your overall social media marketing strategy as well as your specific campaign objectives. Even though your host may have worked with your brand before, you still want to have very clear written guidelines to ensure the host knows exactly what to do.This is even more crucial if you’re planning for your host to cover an event or do an Instagram Live!Here are some aspects to consider in your planning process.
Our tip: Your brief and guidelines for your host should make it easier for your host, not more complicated! They should outline all the relevant details and be as specific as possible without having too many rules associated with them.We suggest limiting your takeover to one particular product or product range. This narrows down the parameters for your host and makes it easier to create content. When you send your brief, be sure to include specific links to particular products or services, and be very clear on how customers can purchase.
Let’s look now at the best practices that will guarantee a successful Instagram takeover!
Start by setting clear goals for your Instagram takeover. These might be guided by your wider social media marketing strategy, or could just relate to a product launch or a smaller goal.Do you want to start a takeover to increase 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 progress against your 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 your 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. You can search other campaigns by using hashtags like #takeover, #brandtakeover, and #TakeoverTuesday.Speaking of hashtags, decide what hashtags you might use. You might want to use some of the above hashtags or you can use a branded hashtag to run the takeover. This means that you can track any user-generated posts that are generated from the campaign.
There’s no need to limit your Instagram takeover to one format. Your host can create posts for your Instagram feed but they can also share Stories during the day, too! You might even choose to use just Stories and leave your Instagram Feed for brand-generated content.It depends on your host’s availability, their creative skills, and the scope of 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 host 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 your content creators express themselves. As long as they adhere to your overall brand guidelines, they should be able to highlight their authentic voice on your account while representing your brand.
Ready to host your Instagram takeover?An Instagram Stories takeover is a fun way to help your brand reach new audiences and generate new followers. It can boost your engagement while nurturing your community.All you need is an Instagram marketing plan that reflects your wider social media marketing objectives.Looking at the best practices on how to plan and run a successful Instagram takeover, here’s what you need to focus on.
So, there you have it. Are you ready to launch a successful Instagram takeover? Remember; before you even think about hosting an Instagram Stories takeover, you should have a solid content marketing strategy in place. That content needs to grab the attention of new followers and keep them interested in the long term, not just for the duration of your takeover. Otherwise, any new followers you gain during the takeover will drop off in the long term.Your content marketing strategy should help you to craft a consistent social media calendar with a variety of Instagram Posts, Reels, and Stories for your followers. That way, you can maintain momentum and follow up on the fabulous content you’ve generated during your takeover. Keep posting and always keep your followers wanting more. Good luck!
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