Instagram Shoutouts: Complete Guide

How to do Instagram shoutouts, and how to get them? How much do Instagram shoutouts cost? And what to check before paying for a shoutout?

This guide will give you all the answers.

What Is An Instagram Shoutout?

Instagram shoutout is a way of promoting an Instagram account by sharing a post about that particular account.

Types Of Instagram Shoutouts

There are three main types of Instagram shoutouts:

Timed Shoutouts

Timed shoutouts are posted for a limited period. Usually, the time frame spans from a few hours to a couple of days.

A timed shoutout can represent a post with an image or a video tagging other Instagram users for promotion. A story. Or a description with a link in bio.

Once the time is up, the shoutout post is archived or deleted.

This kind of shoutout costs less than permanent ones.

Permanent Shoutouts

This type of Instagram shoutout is shared permanently. Timed shoutouts can also represent a post with an image or a video tagging other Instagram users for promotion. Or a description with a link in bio.

Due to their permanent nature, these shoutouts are more expensive than the timed ones.

Affiliate Shoutouts

Affiliate shoutouts can be timed or permanent. They can be shared as a feed post, a story. Or a description with a link in bio.

Affiliate shoutouts are free, as the person who posts a shoutout earns a commission from each sale made through the unique link contained in the shoutout.

Instagram Shoutout Best Practices

If you want to make the most of Instagram shoutouts, consider the following best practices.

Use A Story Gap Or Cliffhanger

When planning your shoutout, ask yourself what will make someone click on the post?

To achieve as many clicks as possible, do not reveal the entire content in the shoutout post. Instead, trigger curiosity and a desire to learn more.

Here are some examples of cliffhanger phrases that will spark a desire to click on the shoutout post:

1. You will not believe how it ended up;
2. Person X made Y in the Z time frame. Click on the link to learn more;
3. You will not believe what they did;
4. You have the idea.

Post Interesting Content

This practice may seem obvious. But judging how many shoutouts go without a single click, it is worth mentioning that people love engaging stories, surprising news. And anything different from what they used to see and experience in their day-by-day life.

Content-Stack Your Shoutouts

Content stacking can send your shoutout engagement through the roof.

But the problem is that 99% of people do it wrong. This short piece will show you how to make a perfect content stacking to boost your shoutouts.

Have a Shoutout Schedule

To achieve fast results, have three to four shoutouts posted by different accounts in rotation, across the week.

How Much An Instagram Shoutout Costs?

Use this quick reference to get an idea of how much you should charge or pay for a shoutout. Depending on the account size.

Shoutout Strategies

Rotational shoutouts. This strategy assumes you buy shoutouts from different accounts that post them in rotation.

Single shout. As the name suggests. This is a simple approach of buying just one shoutout from one account.

Omnipresence shoutouts. This strategy assumes your shoutout gets posted at several accounts simultaneously.

Bulk shoutouts. Bulk shouts assume you buy several shoutouts from one account.

How To Get Instagram Shoutouts

Collaboration with influencers in your niche on Instagram

Here is a step-by-step guide to reach influencers for a shoutout deal.

1. On your Instagram;
2. Type your target hashtag;
3. Look for the top posts and choose one;
4. Open the account that shared the post;
5. Check contacts for promo inquiry in bio;
6. If you don’t see any contacts, send a DM;
7. Put **Promo Enquiry** to standout in DMs of the account;
8. Agree on the shoutout price and strategy using the above tips;

Participation in S4S Groups

S4S groups stand for the shoutout DM groups.

Participating in S4S groups means you have to post a shoutout whenever other group members share a post that needs to be boosted with a shoutout.

In return, you get a shoutout from other group members when it’s your turn. This method is free as you pay with your time, energy, and audience.

But remember, you should consider the relevance of other group members to your brand and content.

Otherwise, you may end up losing followers and engagement. Which is the opposite of what you’re trying to achieve.

Before You Buy A Shoutout

Before buying a shoutout from an account, be sure to check the following data:

Check account quality, engagement, and followers’ trends using socialblade.com or Hypeauditor.

Check the account’s former usernames to make sure you’re being promoted to the right place and not wasting your money.

How to check Instagram account’s former names:

1. On the account’s page, tap on the three dots in the right upper corner;
2. Tap on About This Account;
3. Select Former Usernames;