Brands use different methods to boost their visibility, and Instagram takeovers are one of them. You let someone with influence or expertise take over your account. This means you borrow their credibility to benefit your brand.
With well-known companies like Sephora and HubSpot using this strategy, it’s natural to wonder: How do you run an Instagram takeover? Why is it worth trying, and what are some ideas you can use for your next takeover?
We’ll cover all of this in the blog. Keep reading!
What Are Instagram Takeovers?
An Instagram takeover is a popular Instagram influencer marketing strategy when a brand lets an influencer, a creator, a team member, or a partner temporarily post content on its Instagram account.
Instead of your usual feed or Stories, the guest takes control for a day or a few days. They share posts, Stories, Reels, or Lives using their own style and voice.
The brand (the “host”) usually announces the takeover ahead of time. This way, followers know to expect something different. The brand can then either let the guest post directly or ask them to send their content in advance.
How Do Instagram Takeovers Work?
Now that you know the Instagram takeover meaning, let’s see how they work:
- First, the brand picks a guest host: this could be an influencer, a customer, an employee, another brand, or even an expert.
- Then, both sides agree on a format and rules: Will the takeover be Stories-only, or will it include feed posts? Reels? Live sessions? For how long?
- The brand will announce and promote the takeover (on Instagram and sometimes other channels) to build anticipation.
- Next, the guest posts from the brand’s profile according to plan: the content could be behind-the-scenes clips, day-in-the-life content, product showcases, Q&As, and more.
- After the takeover, the brand reviews performance, including follower growth, engagement, comments, and clicks.
Why Do an Instagram Takeover?
Instagram takeovers are beneficial for both brands and influencers. Here’s how it can help businesses and creators:
Instagram Takeover Benefits for Brands
Attracting new audiences is not the only advantage of an Instagram takeover for businesses. Here are other benefits:
1. Fresh, authentic content
First and foremost, takeovers give brands a new voice and style. The days of polished posts are over. Followers prefer real content from someone they trust, and that’s what a takeover can provide.
2. Access to a new audience
When the guest host promotes the takeover to their own followers, the brand is exposed to a whole new group of people who may not have discovered it otherwise.
3. Higher engagement
Takeovers often generate more replies, DMs, and Story interactions because followers feel like they’re watching something real and personal.
4. Trust-building through a familiar face
In takeovers, you’re borrowing the guest’s credibility. This helps brands look more relatable and human. Let’s say it’s a major advantage.
As Gary Vaynerchuk puts it:
“The behavior behind Instagram Story takeovers is about deepening relationships, gaining exposure, hacking distribution, and raising awareness. And, the reason why they work is that they are a true win-win situation. That’s why they’re great — it’s all about value exchange.”- Medium.
5. Low production effort
More importantly, you’ll have a whole day of content without having to create or shoot it all yourself.
Instagram Takeover Benefits for Influencers
Now, let’s see how running an Instagram takeover can help creators:
1. Greater exposure and new followers
It’s not just brands that attract new audiences. Influencers get visibility on the brand’s account, as well. This helps them reach people outside their usual audience.
2. Long-term partnerships
Takeovers often lead to long-term brand relationships, paid collaborations, or recurring content opportunities. Many brand ambassadors come out of social media takeovers.
3. Creative freedom
Compared to structured campaigns, takeovers usually give influencers more freedom. They can show their personality, routines, and behind-the-scenes moments with fewer limitations.
4. Portfolio-worthy work
Another advantage of Instagram takeovers for creators is to provide a strong piece of evidence that influencers can show to future clients. You can say, “I ran a takeover for X brand.”
5. Authority boost
Last but not least, being invited to host a takeover positions the influencer as someone the brand trusts and respects. This means more credibility.
How to Do an Instagram Takeover in 7 Steps
To run a successful Instagram takeover, you need a plan. This includes defining your goals, finding the right host, and checking the key metrics.
You also need to define the content type and promote the takeover ahead of time. Here’s a step-by-step guide to do an Instagram takeover:
Step 1: Define Your Goals
Start by deciding what you want to achieve with the takeover. Clear goals guide every decision, and you know what you should track in the end. You can set the following as your Instagram takeover goals:
- Growing your audience,
- Boosting engagement on posts or Stories,
- Promoting a new product, campaign, or event,
- Driving traffic to your website (Instagram Story takeovers are best for this objective).
Remember, knowing your goals also helps determine the type of content your guest will create and the platforms to focus on (feed posts, Stories, Live, or Collabs).
However, you don’t just need broad goals like “boost engagement.” It’s best to set more specific and measurable KPIs. Think of increasing Story views by 20%, gaining 500 new followers, or driving 100 clicks to a landing page.
Step 2: Choose the Right Takeover Host
Selecting the right person to lead the takeover is crucial. The guest should not only bring fresh content but also connect with your target audience authentically. You can partner with these:
#1 Influencers
Instagram takeovers are a powerful influencer marketing strategy, and influencers are the most popular hosts. Because they have large, engaged followers, they can also create content that resonates.
Remember, you should prioritize engagement over followers. A micro-influencer (10K–50K followers) with 5–10% engagement is more useful than a mega-influencer with 500K followers and only 1–2% engagement.
Besides, you need to make sure their content aesthetic, tone, and values match your brand. For example, if you’re a luxury skincare brand, it’s not a good idea to work with an edgy influencer, even if they have millions of followers.
#2 Customers / Brand Advocates
Did you know that your real customers can take over your Instagram account? They provide social proof and build trust. Yes, we’re talking about user-generated content.
As the data suggests, 93% of marketers leveraging user-generated content in their marketing say it performs better than branded content. Besides, 6 in 10 consumers find UGC more authentic (Backlinko).
So, encourage loyal customers to host “takeovers” around user-generated content campaigns or reviews. That’s what Aurifil Thread did during an Instagram takeover in 2023.
#3 Employees / Internal Experts
Let’s call employees your internal experts! They can humanize your brand and highlight company culture, values, and authenticity. This happens through day-in-the-life content or BTS posts.
According to studies, employee-generated content (EGC) is shared 24 times more than branded content. Finnair is a great example of employee Instagram takeovers.
The brand lets its own flight attendants (staff) take over the airline’s Instagram account for a few days. They usually share their life as crew members, travel photos, and personal stories.
#4 Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)
You can also partner with subject matter experts. These types of hosts add credibility and educational value, particularly for B2B or niche industries.
In fact, working with recognized experts can attract new audiences looking for reliable information.
Another good thing about SME takeovers is that they’re often saved as Stories highlights and shared long-term.
Step 3: Select the Type of Takeover
Instagram offers different formats for takeovers. You should choose the one that best fits your needs. Let’s break down each type:
#1 Instagram Feed Post Takeover
Guest hosts create static posts, carousels, or short Reels for the brand’s feed. This type is the most effective one because feed posts continue surfacing weeks later through Explore and hashtag feeds.
Moreover, the brand can use descriptive captions that improve Instagram keyword search visibility.
A feed takeover also feels more intentional and curated than Stories. That makes it ideal for experts or creators where quality matters.
#2 Instagram Stories Takeover
Story takeovers are temporary, behind-the-scenes content hosted by the guest. While they are temporary, they are a great way to get quick, frequent visibility.
The reason? Studies show that users tap through Stories 3x more than they scroll the feed (RivalIQ). The good news is that you can also convert stories into reels and highlights, or use them in ads.
#3 Instagram Live Takeover
The most important thing about the Live session takeovers is that the guest interacts directly with your audience. That’s why it’s perfect for product demos or Q&A sessions.
Live Instagram takeovers also trigger notifications. This gives them instant visibility that Stories and feed posts don’t automatically get.
Besides, sometimes, mistakes, laughter, and real moments build trust. Something you don’t have in polished reels.
#4 Instagram Collab Posts
An Instagram collab post is a single post that appears on both accounts. According to Meta’s Creator Lab, collab posts have an average engagement rate 30% higher than other posts.
This type of takeover is also great for user-generated content. Brands can work with micro-influencers and turn a single piece of content into a shared post.
Contests, product launches, events, or brand announcements are some of the best Instagram collab ideas to get instant reach.
Step 4: Create Guidelines and Rules
Every marketing strategy needs guidelines, and IG takeovers are no exception. Let’s take a look at the most important rules:
- Determine the takeover duration and posting schedule,
- Define the content type, tone, and branding requirements,
- Decide on hashtags and whether you’ll track the event with a branded hashtag,
- Clarify approval processes, whether posts are pre-approved or live.
Step 5: Promote the Takeover
If you want your takeover to get average views or turn into a viral event, you need to promote it. Most brands simply post a single announcement and hope people remember. But that’s not enough. You should treat it like a mini-campaign.
For instance, you can create one main post in your feed and a couple of Stories that explain who, when, and what to expect.
It’s best to share 2–3 short teasers in the days before the takeover. Think of a behind-the-scenes clip, a hint about the content theme, or a short intro from the guest host.
While the promotion content is important, the channel also matters. This means you need to promote the takeover across platforms where your audience is already active.
Even a quick post on TikTok, LinkedIn, X, YouTube Shorts, or email can help pull people in.
Step 6: Give Access & Execute the Takeover
It’s the day of the takeover, and you need to decide how the guest should post. There are two ways to give the account access:
- Partial access (recommended): This is when the guest sends you the content, and you post it from the brand account.
This method is safer and gives you control. It also feels authentic if captions and stickers are preserved. This way is ideal if you want quality control.
- Full access (use carefully): In this method, the guest posts directly from your account. This is useful for Lives or real-time reactions, but it’s riskier! You’re handing over your profile.
It’s recommended to do this with trusted partners and strict security measures, including:
- Use Meta Business Suite / Account Roles: You don’t have to share your password. Instead, you can add the guest as a content creator/contributor,
- If you have to share your password, create a temporary password and change it immediately after the takeover,
- Only give access the day before and revoke it the hour the takeover ends,
- It’s also smart to have a backup admin online during the takeover in case of password or posting issues.
We also recommend that you have an on-the-day checklist:
On-the-day Checklist for Instagram Takeovers
- Ask your team to watch the account. It doesn’t have to be in a stressful way. Just one of your staff members keeps an eye on posts, comments, and DMs so nothing slips through.
- Engage with users. Like, reply, and jump into the comments. A quick “Love this!” or “Great question, here’s the answer” makes the takeover feel alive.
- Have a “just in case” plan. We’re not talking about a long crisis plan, just a short script for things like a tech issue, login problems, or off-brand posts.
- Watch Story performance as it happens. Fortunately, you can note where viewers drop off, which Story slide got the most replies, when view counts peak, etc.
- Share reminders while it’s happening. Try a quick Story from your brand account, something like “Don’t miss our takeover, it’s happening now!” It helps catch people who weren’t on Instagram earlier.
- Save everything. Don’t forget to download the guest’s videos and Stories. It will help if they disappear or need re-posting later.
- Keep an eye on followers. Monitor if you’re gaining or losing followers during the takeover. This way, you can figure out if you need to change the content.
Step 7: Measure Results and Follow Up
The takeover is over, and it’s time to figure out whether the whole thing actually worked. Start by checking the numbers that relate directly to your goals (we talked about earlier). They include:
- Story views,
- Likes, comments, shares,
- Follower growth,
- Link clicks/website traffic,
- Saves.
That said, you shouldn’t just rely on the numbers. Dig a little deeper and look at who followed you. Did they match your target audience?
Watch unfollows too. If they’re just a few, it’s ok. But a big drop means the takeover wasn’t successful. You may receive messages and replies during the show. Don’t ignore them.
And, if you’ve done multiple takeovers, compare the timing. Which hour of the takeover performed best?
Top Instagram Takeover Ideas
Decided to include Instagram takeovers in your marketing strategy? Don’t worry! There are many ways you can perform a takeover and get what you want:
1. Influencer Takeovers
As we mentioned earlier, this method is the most popular one. You let an influencer post on your account for a day or days. It’s important to pick an influencer whose audience matches your target demographic (not just high follower count).
For example, the famous beauty brand, Sephora, often uses makeup influencers doing takeovers to demo products or share tutorials.
2. Employee Takeover
Instead of an external influencer, you can work with one of your own employees to take over the account. Followers see real people behind the brand, and that builds trust.
If you want to make the most of it, choose someone friendly and comfortable with being on camera.
3. Customer Takeover
This idea is great. You invite a loyal customer or fan to take over your account and share how they use your product or service in real life. It’s extremely authentic and works. Just make sure to choose an engaged customer who matches your brand values.
One of the best Instagram takeover examples is by HubSpot. It shares snippets of life at the company with hashtags like #hubspotemployeetakeover.
4. Expert Takeover
Another effective Instagram takeover idea is to ask a niche expert (doctor, chef, instructor, specialist) to take over your Instagram.
They can offer valuable content, such as tutorials, advice, industry insights, or educational content. People trust experts. So, choose an expert with credibility and good communication skills.
Take Broadway Plus, for example. The brand invited Kimberly Marable (cast member of a musical) to take over their Instagram for a day.
She gave a behind‑the‑scenes look at touring life, rehearsals, performances, and day‑in‑the‑life content.
5. Event / Launch / Product‑Demo Takeover
You can use a takeover to promote a launch event, new product, or demo. This gives followers early access, behind‑the‑scenes, or live previews.
You’re free to invite an influencer, SME, or even internal team to host the takeover. Make sure to have clear CTAs: swipe-up link (if available), discount codes, sign-up link, or pre-order link.
Best Instagram Takeover Examples to Learn from
There are many successful examples of Instagram takeovers you can get inspired by. From Sephora to Canva and HubSpot, these examples have something to teach you. Let’s dive into them:
#1 BBC Earth & 500px
This is probably one of the oldest Instagram takeover examples. Known as a brand-swap or cross-community takeover, 500px photographers took over BBC Earth’s Instagram for a week.
They shared photos and nature content, which led to 5% follower growth for BBC Earth over the week. This campaign highlights the importance of choosing the right partner.
What’s more, high-quality visuals can create engagement and make your takeover memorable.
Image Source: MarketingSherpa
#2 Goop
Goop is a wellness powerhouse created by Gwyneth Paltrow. The brand invited mindfulness expert Dr. Shauna Shapiro to take over their Instagram Stories.
During her takeover, she guided followers through a meditation to help with stress and negativity. This is one of the best Instagram Story takeover examples as followers got a useful, actionable experience, not just a promotion.
#3 Sephora
Sephora is an expert at running Instagram takeovers with makeup artists or beauty influencers for a product demo or tutorials. That being said, it doesn’t just work for Sephora.
Every beauty brand can leverage this format to combine influence, education, and product showcasing.
#4 Little, Brown and Company
Instagram takeovers are not limited to beauty or fashion brands. Little, Brown and Company is a publishing brand that runs author takeovers.
They let an author post on their official account. Behind‑the-scenes of their life, writing process, Q&As with readers, and glimpses of upcoming books are some of their takeover content.
You can also find employee takeover examples on their IG account, like this one:
#5 California Fibers
California Fibers is a platform that promotes fiber/ textile artists. The brand once invited an artist to take over their account, showing her studio, works‑in‑progress, and creative process.
This example suggests that you don’t need a big budget to create a good takeover. Just let a real artist show real work, and that will create authenticity.
Bottom Line
As you’ve seen, Instagram takeovers are becoming increasingly popular. Even small brands are now using them to boost awareness and get more visibility.
What matters most is having a clear plan. Define your goals and KPIs from the start, whether that’s increasing Story views, boosting engagement, or driving more traffic to your website.
You should also focus on creators or influencers who genuinely align with your brand values and overall message. And don’t forget to set clear guidelines and expectations for the takeover to keep everything on track.
No matter if you choose an expert, a creator, or even one of your employees. Real examples can spark ideas. Take a look at your competitors’ Instagram accounts and see how they run their takeovers, and you’ll find many takeover ideas to learn from.
FAQs
1. How Long Should an Instagram Takeover Last?
An Instagram takeover usually lasts from a few hours to a full day. However, most brands let it run for 24 hours, especially if it’s a story takeover.
2. Should I give the Guest My Instagram Login?
To keep your account safe, it’s best to avoid sharing your login info. Ask the hosts to send their content, then upload it yourself.
3. What Social Media Takeover Guidelines Should I Give the Guest?
You can give them a clear brief that explains what to post, the tone to use, which topics to avoid, and when the takeover starts and ends. Share your brand rules, hashtags, and any must-have content. If they need account access, set basic security steps like a temporary password and 2FA.
