You know what's a real pain? All that back-and-forth in DM chats and the chaos of Google Docs when you're trying to collaborate with someone on Instagram. Ugh, not my favorite thing at all!
That's why I took charge and crafted something awesome in Dubsado. Yep, I built a system that swoops in, streamlines everything, and makes collaboration a breeze (aka, Instagram collaboration workflow in Dubsado!). No more mess, no more wasted time—just pure efficiency!
And guess what? Everyone who's hopped on board with me has showered me with a thousand praises! They've been raving about how smooth, time-saving, and downright professional it feels to collab with me. And you know what they said next? "We want that magic too, in our own Dubsado!"
I put up a story poll, and my DMs blew up with requests to spill the secrets. You wouldn't believe it - 83% of you said, "I want that in my Dubsado too!”
And why did you like it so much? Because it's not just about saving time; it's about reclaiming our sanity and focusing on what truly matters—growing our Instagram profiles like bosses! So let's dive in and make the collaboration game way more exciting and way less stressful!
In this blog post:
Understanding the Instagram collaboration workflow
Let's break down the Instagram collaboration (or other social platforms like YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok and Facebook) workflow into four phases:
Phase 1 - A quick chat to share ideas and get the basics sorted—like who's doing what and when it's due.
Phase 2 - Gathering info like brand kit, fonts, etc.
Phase 3 - The actual work, like writing copy, designing the graphics, recording clips, etc.
Phase 4 - Farewell, feedback, and analysis (the commonly forgotten part!)
How to create an Instagram collaboration workflow in your Dubsado
We’ll need to create the following assets in your Dubsado:
Two project statuses
Lead capture form (Collab Form)
Questionnaire (Collab ‘n’ Create Spot)
Canned Emails
Appointment Scheduler (Collab Prep Call)
Collab Workflow
1. PROJECT STATUSES
Create 2 project statuses:
Lead - Collab Inquiry
Job - Collab WIP
This basically separates the collabs you’re working on from the ones you are yet to get on a call with.
2. LEAD CAPTURE FORM
Create a new lead capture form from Templates → Forms. This will help us create a new project in Dubsado for every collab without manually entering the details.
Make sure:
You add the name and email address short-answer fields.
From the Form Settings,
Select and apply ‘Collab Workflow’ as the default workflow (create an empty workflow for the time being to apply here. We’ll add the workflow actions later.)
rename the Project Title as - Collab - {{client.name}}
3. QUESTIONNAIRE (OR THE COLLAB FORM)
Create a new questionnaire from Templates → Forms. This questionnaire will act as your collaboration space to brainstorm ideas, gather info, write content copy, and finalize finer details like posting date and responsibilities.
Here’s a sample form that you can replicate in your Dubsado.
4. CANNED EMAILS
Copy-paste below two canned emails to your Dubsado's canned emails library.
Email #1: Collab | 01 | Collab Prep Call confirmation
Subject line: Let's get ready for our Collab Prep Call!
Hey {{client.firstName}},
Thank you for teaming up with me for this collab!
Here are the details for our Collab Prep call:
Date & Time: {{appointment.start | mediumDate}} at {{appointment.start | shortTime}} ({{appointment.duration | duration}})
Meeting Link: {{appointment.location}}
You can easily add this event to your calendar right from here: {{appointment | calendarLink}} You know the deal - if it's not on the calendar, it's not happening, right? And a quick reminder: Life happens, and that's okay. If you need to cancel or reschedule, here are the magic links: {{appointment | appointmentCancelBtn}} {{appointment | appointmentRescheduleBtn}} No need to save this info right away (except for the calendar part - gotta have that covered, right?). I'll send over the meeting link an hour before our call as a reminder. Thank you again for joining in - I'm genuinely thrilled about our collab! Catch you soon! {{brand.emailTemplate.signature}} | Email #2 Collab | 02 | Collab discussion recap Subject line: Recap of our collab discussion Hi {{client.firstName}}, Absolutely loved meeting you today! Here's a quick summary of what we discussed during our call. From responsibilities to completion dates to brand kit and bio, I've outlined everything in detail in this space: {{form | formLink}} In essence, if you're comfortable, this space will serve as our collaboration canvas. Thanks again for taking the time to connect and brainstorm ideas. Looking forward to creating something amazing together! {{brand.emailTemplate.signature}} |
5. APPOINTMENT SCHEDULER
Add a new scheduler template or duplicate an existing one and name it ‘Collab Prep Call’.
Update the Basic settings (appointment duration and availability).
Go to Advanced settings, to
select the confirmation email (Collab | 01 | Collab Prep Call confirmation)
select and add the lead capture form (Collab Form) in the ‘Additional form’ space.
turn ON the notifications and add your reminders. I recommend sending minimum 3 reminders before the call - 72, 24 and 3 hours before the call). If you don’t already have appointment reminder emails in your canned email library, you’ll need to write them before adding here.
hit ‘SAVE’.
6. COLLAB WORKFLOW
Go to Templates → Workflows and open the empty ‘Collab Workflow’ we created when we were preparing the lead capture form. Click on ‘Add Action’ and apply the following actions there:
ACTION | WHEN | CONTENT/ASSET | NOTES |
Change Project Status | 0 day(s) after workflow started | Collab Inquiry | |
Create ToDo | 0 day(s) after all previous actions complete | Mark as done after the collab prep call is completed to send the collab questionnaire | |
Send Form | 0 day(s) after all previous actions complete | Collab ‘n’ Create Space (Questionnaire) | Email to send: Collab | 02 | Collab discussion recap |
Change Project Status | 0 day(s) after all previous actions complete | Collab WIP | |
Archive Project | 1 day(s) after project end date | | Set the content posting date as the project end date to automatically archive the project (OPTIONAL) |
Or you can skip the last step (Archive Project) and manually archive this project after the collab is officially completed.
Expert Tips
Tailor these email templates and forms to fit your brand vibe. Make it feel like home sweet home for everyone involved.
Be ready to tweak and adjust. Not every collaboration is the same, so be open to fine-tuning your setup.
Lastly, remember this isn't just about a collab post. It’s a chance to impress the socks off your collaborators - it's your chance to give them a taste of what working with you looks like. Be reliable, prompt, and attentive, and trust me, the word-of-mouth referrals will start rolling in.
Conclusion
Instagram collaboration doesn't have to be a headache—it can be the most exciting part of your Insta journey. It's time for you to jump on this train. Grab Dubsado, follow the steps, and watch the magic happen. But hey, don't forget to add your flavor to it! Customize, tweak, and make it yours.
Was this helpful? Have another client portal or Dubsado question? Hit me up on Instagram @thedeeptisaini or email me at deepti.saini@outlook.com