A well-run social media takeover generally is a win-win state of affairs for you and your collaborator. In a crowded content material panorama, takeovers are a good way to seize consideration, share new views, and interact your viewers.
On this information, we’ll break down how your model can profit from a social media takeover, stroll you thru the method step-by-step, and share actual examples to spark concepts in your subsequent marketing campaign.
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A social media takeover is a sort of influencer collaboration the place somebody quickly posts content material in your model’s social media account. That “somebody” might be an influencer, trade professional, content material creator, or perhaps a group member.
In the course of the takeover, they’ll create and share posts — often in their very own voice and magnificence — to have interaction your viewers and produce a recent perspective to your feed.
Takeovers supply a relatable, real-world look into your model — one thing audiences crave greater than ever in 2025. Let’s break down why they’re such a robust tactic for social media groups.
Enhance your model’s publicity
Influencers and creators typically include extremely engaged, area of interest audiences. Their vote of confidence in your model can go a great distance in constructing credibility and reaching new individuals who may not in any other case uncover you.
Takeovers additionally assist diversify the voices in your channel. By collaborating with creators from totally different backgrounds and views, you may introduce new faces, concepts, and experiences that resonate with a broader viewers.
For instance, Broadway Sacramento invited one in every of their ensemble forged members to take over their account and share a behind-the-scenes have a look at rehearsal life. The consequence? A singular perspective that supplied followers an insider’s view of the manufacturing course of.
Takeovers are additionally good for particular occasions. Whether or not it’s a product launch, cultural second, or trade gathering, these occasions typically create well timed, participating content material that’s best for collaborative storytelling.
Mannequin Mika Schneider, as an illustration, documented her expertise at Paris Vogue Week for Vogue France’s YouTube channel, bringing followers alongside for a uncommon glimpse behind the scenes of a significant vogue occasion.
Achieve new followers
Takeovers might help develop your viewers in a significant method. By partnering with creators who align along with your model, you’ll attain potential followers who’re genuinely interested by what you supply, not simply random clicks.
The hot button is to decide on collaborators whose content material fashion, values, and followers align along with your best buyer. The precise takeover doesn’t simply entice extra followers: it attracts the proper ones.
Construct model affinity
Takeovers additionally humanize your model. When somebody your viewers trusts shares your story of their voice, it creates a extra genuine connection.
That’s particularly highly effective when launching a brand new product or marketing campaign. A creator-led takeover can add credibility and pleasure, making your announcement really feel extra like a trusted suggestion than a gross sales pitch.
1. Outline SMART objectives
Takeovers needs to be enjoyable, however additionally they must assist your bigger advertising technique. Begin by setting SMART objectives to make sure you and your collaborator are aligned on what success seems like.
- Particular. Clearly outline what you wish to obtain, similar to boosting engagement or selling a product launch.
- Measurable. Determine which metrics you’ll observe—follower progress, attain, clicks, conversions, or one thing else.
- Achievable. Set sensible objectives primarily based in your present viewers dimension, finances, and timeline.
- Related. Be certain that the takeover helps your broader advertising and enterprise goals.
- Time-bound. Set a transparent timeline, together with content material deadlines and wrap-up reporting.
In 2025, many groups additionally use AI instruments to assist with goal-setting. You should use AI to forecast efficiency benchmarks, analyze viewers conduct, and even advocate marketing campaign codecs primarily based on previous success.
Taking the time to outline SMART objectives—and backing them with knowledge—offers your takeover the strategic basis it must ship actual outcomes.
2. Decide your community
When you’ve set your SMART objectives, select the social platform that most closely fits your marketing campaign. Completely different platforms supply totally different content material codecs and attain, so contemplate the place your target market is most lively, and the way they like to have interaction.
For instance, BuzzFeed Tasty hosted a dwell stream on TikTok to advertise their cookware line. If their main viewers was Gen Z, TikTok was probably a greater match than Instagram for that exact marketing campaign.
At all times match your platform to your viewers and marketing campaign objectives. A takeover on the correct community is much extra more likely to drive outcomes than one which merely follows developments.
3. Create an in depth plan of motion
The success of your takeover will depend on having a strong plan. With out clear expectations, you and your collaborator might find yourself misaligned on deliverables, tone, or timing.
Map out all the small print upfront. Make sure you may reply:
- When will the takeover begin, and the way lengthy will it run?
- What sort of content material will likely be created (e.g. posts, Reels, Tales, Lives)?
- Who’s chargeable for writing captions or copy?
- What number of posts will likely be shared through the takeover?
- Will you utilize a branded hashtag or marketing campaign hashtag?
- Ought to content material embody polls, hyperlinks, or different interactive parts?
Share your model’s social media fashion information to assist keep consistency. However don’t overdo it. A part of the enchantment of a takeover is letting your visitor share content material in their very own voice and magnificence.
Many groups in 2025 additionally use AI instruments to assist this step. AI might help draft publish copy, generate hashtag concepts, counsel visuals, or suggest a posting schedule primarily based on viewers exercise. These instruments could be particularly useful in case your visitor creator is new to your model or content material workflows.
Planning every little thing upfront, whereas leaving area for creativity, units you each up for a easy, participating takeover.
4. Discover the correct creators
Partnering with the correct individual is vital to a profitable takeover. Influencers and content material creators typically have extremely engaged area of interest audiences, making them an ideal match for model collaborations.
Should you go the influencer route, begin by figuring out potential collaborators:
- Have a look at creators who already observe or interact along with your model.
- Discover who your viewers is already listening to.
- Prioritize creators who align along with your values and target market.
When evaluating potential companions, don’t simply concentrate on follower depend. Additionally contemplate:
- Previous collaborations. Are they skilled with branded content material?
- Area of interest. Does their content material overlap along with your trade or viewers?
- Engagement charges. Are their followers lively and ?
- Content material high quality and tone. Will their fashion resonate along with your model?
- Media kits. Ask for one if accessible. It typically consists of viewers demographics, pattern posts, and pricing.
That stated, influencers aren’t your solely choice.
Staff could be wonderful takeover hosts. They already know your model, can create content material rapidly, and supply an genuine behind-the-scenes view.
For instance, WebinarGeek runs month-to-month worker takeovers on Instagram. Group members share what it’s prefer to work on the firm, serving to enhance employer model and entice new expertise.
And if you wish to get much more artistic, contemplate letting your mascot (or workplace pet) take part. WebinarGeek additionally created an Instagram Reel with Enterprise Booster Kiki, the workplace canine. Somewhat enjoyable can go a great distance in making your model extra relatable.
5. Arrange permissions
Earlier than your takeover goes dwell, you’ll must determine how your visitor creator will publish content material to your account, with out compromising safety or shedding management of your model voice.
There are a number of alternative ways to do that, and the best choice will depend on your platform, objectives, and the kind of content material being shared.
Pre-delivered content material
On this setup, the creator sends all content material to your group upfront. You assessment it, make any vital edits, and schedule it to go dwell.
- That is the most secure choice. You retain full management of your accounts and don’t must share login particulars.
- It additionally works effectively for deliberate campaigns that don’t depend on real-time interplay.
- Instruments like Hootsuite Planner allow you to schedule all takeover posts in a single place, which is good if you would like every little thing lined up forward of time.
The principle downside is that this format limits spontaneity. If real-time engagement is a key aim, chances are you’ll wish to contemplate a extra collaborative strategy.
Restricted permissions
Most social platforms now supply methods to collaborate with creators — no password sharing required.
Use the Collab function to co-author posts that seem on each your model’s account and the creator’s.
Misfits Market used the Instagram Collab function with Kelly Mitchell to offer an informational video on crimson wine.
For influencer partnerships, Instagram’s Creator Market is the go-to software in 2025. It helps you to uncover vetted creators and handle campaigns straight.
TikTok
Whereas visitor posting isn’t accessible, the TikTok Creator Portal has expanded options for locating creators and internet hosting Dwell co-streams. This can be a strong choice for interactive, event-style content material.
Fb
On Fb, you may assign particular roles to web page collaborators, although most manufacturers keep away from giving full Editor entry.
As an alternative, strive collaboration instruments or use exterior platforms to handle content material contributions safely.
Hootsuite
Should you’re utilizing a social media administration platform like Hootsuite, you may add creators as group members and assign customized roles. For instance, you would possibly:
- Enable them to add content material, however require approval earlier than publishing.
- Grant full editor entry for posting.
- Allow them to reply to feedback or messages with out managing posts.
Customizing permissions offers you flexibility whereas maintaining your account safe.
Password handover
In uncommon circumstances, you should still want at hand over login credentials: for instance, to entry sure platform options that don’t assist restricted permissions.
Should you go this route:
- Use a safe password supervisor to share entry privately.
- By no means ship credentials over e-mail or chat.
- Revoke entry and reset passwords instantly after the takeover ends.
Whereas much less frequent now, this strategy can nonetheless work if sturdy safety practices are in place.
6. Promote the takeover
Don’t wait till the takeover begins to get the phrase out. Constructing anticipation is vital to creating positive your viewers really tunes in.
Work along with your takeover host to tease the content material earlier than and through the occasion. They will publish on their very own channels to let their followers know what’s coming. Make sure they tag your model or use a marketing campaign hashtag to make it straightforward for individuals to observe alongside.
For instance, photographer Peter Garritano promoted his Instagram takeover of New Yorker Picture each on the model’s web page and his private account.
By cross-promoting the content material, he helped attain a wider viewers and generate buzz earlier than the posts even went dwell.
And don’t restrict your promotion to only one platform. Even when the takeover is occurring on Instagram or TikTok, you may nonetheless advertise on LinkedIn, X (previously Twitter), or anyplace else your viewers is lively.
The band Aespa used Twitter to announce their takeover of a SiriusXM station. By selling throughout a number of platforms, they made positive extra followers knew in regards to the occasion and the place to tune in.
The extra channels you utilize to advertise your takeover, the extra possibilities you need to spark curiosity and engagement.
7. Observe your success
As soon as the takeover wraps, it’s time to measure what labored. Return to the SMART objectives you set in the beginning and consider your outcomes in opposition to them.
Most social platforms supply built-in analytics, however they typically have limitations—quick knowledge home windows, restricted filtering, and an absence of context.
Utilizing a extra superior software like Hootsuite Analytics offers you deeper insights. You may observe metrics like attain, engagement, follower progress, hyperlink clicks, conversions, and extra, multi function place.
In 2025, instruments like Hootsuite go effectively past the fundamentals. You may:
- Benchmark efficiency in opposition to previous campaigns or trade averages.
- Analyze sentiment to know how individuals felt in regards to the content material.
- Observe UGC and influencer content material throughout platforms to see what’s resonating most.
Irrespective of which metrics matter to your group, a transparent reporting course of helps you show the affect of your takeover and study what to refine subsequent time.
And don’t neglect to share the outcomes with stakeholders. A customized report with the correct highlights might help safe buy-in for future collaborations.
Simply schedule and handle all of your social media content material from Hootsuite’s tremendous easy dashboard. Schedule posts to go dwell when you’re OOO — and publish at the absolute best time, even when you’re quick asleep — and monitor your publish’s attain, likes, shares, and extra.
