LinkedIn collab posts: what they are and how to use them

What is a LinkedIn collab post?

A collab post is a single post that appears on more than one person’s profile. You create it, invite one or more collaborators, and once they accept, the post shows to the audiences of everyone involved. Instagram has had something similar for a while.

At the time of writing, LinkedIn is rolling the feature out in stages, so you may not see it yet. If you cannot find it in the composer, check again later, and read LinkedIn’s own help pages for the current details.

How do collab posts work?

You write the post and add collaborators from the composer. Each person gets an invitation, and they are not listed on the post until they accept. Once they do, the post reaches each person’s followers, and the people involved can see how it performs.

If you manage a company Page, an admin may need to turn on collaboration for it before Page posts can use the feature. Check your Page settings if the option is missing.

How do you create one?

The steps are short, though the menus may change as the feature develops.

• Start a new post in the composer.
• Write the post and add any media.
• Choose the option to add collaborators and search for the people you want.
• Send the invitations and publish the post.
• Wait for each person to accept. The post appears on their profile once they do.

Who benefits most from collab posts?

Anyone whose reach depends on partnerships. Creators who work together, brands and the people who represent them, speakers and the organisers of an event, and customers and vendors all gain from sharing a post. Each side brings its own audience, so the post travels further than it would from one account.

The post also carries a kind of endorsement. When two people stand behind it, readers take it a little more seriously than a one-sided announcement.

What are good uses for collab posts?

• Announce a partnership from both sides at once.
• Promote an event with the host and the speakers.
• Publish a joint interview or a podcast episode.
• Share a customer story together with the customer.
• Show a product launch with the team who built it.
• Co-write a short how-to that draws on two points of view.

How is a collab post different from tagging someone?

A tag mentions a person in your post. The post stays on your profile and reaches your audience, and the person you tagged only gets a notification. A collab post shows on both profiles and reaches both audiences. It is a shared post, not a mention.

A repost is different again. It shares someone else’s existing post with your followers and adds your comment. Choose a collab post when you are creating something together, a tag when you want to credit someone and a repost when you want to amplify something already published.

What should you agree before you invite someone?

Because the post goes out under more than one name, agree on the details first. Settle the wording, the images, the timing and who will reply to comments. A short message to confirm each point avoids awkward edits later.

Decide, too, who will watch the replies. A shared post can attract many comments, and a fast, friendly response from both people helps it along.

Can you schedule a collab post?

Creating a collaboration involves invitations that LinkedIn controls, so do not assume a scheduler can set it up. Plan the invitation inside LinkedIn, and use your scheduler for the rest of your queue.

With Content Postiz you can still schedule your regular profile and Page posts, add a first comment from the same author and review everything on one calendar. Use collab posts for the moments that justify the extra coordination.

How do you make a collab post worth sharing?

A shared post only works if both sides have a reason to promote it. Start by asking what each audience gains. If the post is purely an announcement about one person, the other collaborator has little to add. If it tells a story, shares a lesson or offers something useful, both audiences have a reason to read it.

Write it so it makes sense to someone who knows only one of you. Introduce each person in a line, say how you know each other and explain why the post matters now. A reader who sees the post on a stranger’s profile should understand it without extra context.

Finally, give people something to respond to. A question near the end, such as what the reader would add or how they handled the same problem, gives both audiences a way to join in.

What mistakes should you avoid with collab posts?

• Inviting someone before you have agreed the wording and the timing.
• Choosing collaborators whose audience has nothing in common with yours.
• Treating the post as an advertisement. Readers can tell when a collaboration is only a promotion.
• Forgetting to reply. A shared post gets comments from two networks, and unanswered questions look careless.
• Overusing the feature. If every post is a collaboration, it stops feeling special.

How do you measure whether a collab post worked?

Look at the same numbers you would for any post: impressions, reactions, comments and profile visits. Then compare them with your usual posts. A good collaboration should reach more people than either account would alone, and it should bring new followers from the other person’s audience.

Ask your collaborator to share their numbers too, so you can see the whole picture. Note what worked, such as the format, the topic and the time of day, and use it to plan the next one.

What should you do after a collab post goes live?

Stay close to it for the first day. Reply to every comment from both audiences, thank new followers who arrive from the other account, and share the post to your own network if it makes sense. Ask your collaborator to do the same, since replies from both of you keep the conversation active.

A few days later, review the results together. Talk about what drew people in, what you would change and whether it is worth working together again. A good collaboration often leads to a second one, and the notes you make now make the next one easier.

Frequently asked questions