More than 73% of brands in Emplifi’s sample used Instagram Collabs during the first half of 2026. That figure describes the brands studied, not every

brand on Instagram (Emplifi, 2026).

In Emplifi’s study, extra-small brands saw 5× as many interactions on creator-published Collabs they accepted as on their regular posts.

A well-matched partner can help a smaller account get noticed (Emplifi, 2026).

In ecommerce and retail, creator-published Collabs that brands accepted got more than 5× as many shares and reposts as regular brand posts.

Sharing helps a post move beyond its usual audience (Emplifi, 2026).

Imagine a designer making shirts for a local shop. A Collab can show the finished work, credit the designer and the shop, and introduce each one to the other’s followers. That is an example of how I would use the feature, not a measured result.

Emplifi found that Collabs published by creators and accepted by brands had the strongest interaction gains in its study.

When creators speak in their own style, the partnership can feel more natural to their followers (Emplifi, 2026).

Reels showed the strongest Collab gains among the post formats Emplifi studied. A quick video could show the creative process, the finished work,

and the people behind a partnership (Emplifi, 2026).

A shared post does not automatically double reach. A study of 100 Collab posts found that the smaller account tended to gain reach, while the larger one could lose some. I would choose partners for audience fit and compare the results afterward (Schöttl et al., 2026).

Collabs make it easier to create something together and let both partners share in it. My view is that the best results come from the right partner, a strong idea, and a post that gives both audiences something worth seeing.