I spotted a post in my LinkedIn morning scroll from Austin Null — and it stopped me in my tracks because it had two names at the top instead of one.
So I commented: is that what I think it is? He said it was
Then Mya Shell, who I’d done a collab-style post for brand partnership the week before (ironically!), tagged me on LinkedIn’s own announcement: Collaborative Posts are coming.
The short version: soon, two or more people, plus LinkedIn Pages (!), can share one post together, with every collaborator listed at the top. It’s in beta with creators and brands now (I guess I missed my invite in the mail) and will roll out over the coming months.
As someone who has been using collab posts on Instagram forever and will get a lot of use out of this feature on LinkedIn, I figured I’d write up everything we know so far.
If you’ve used Instagram’s collab posts, you know the shape. On LinkedIn, where your name next to a brand carries professional weight, the stakes are even higher.
Here’s what they are, how they’ll work, and why they matter most for the creator–brand relationship.
What is a LinkedIn Collaborative Post?
A LinkedIn Collaborative Post lets two or more accounts (people and pages) publish the same post together. Every collaborator’s name sits at the top, and the post lands in all of their networks at once, not just the original author’s.
Quick note: this isn’t the same as LinkedIn’s Collaborative Articles, the AI-prompted explainers you get invited to “add your perspective” to. Collaborative posts are about co-authoring one post with people you’re connected with.
This is also a step above tagging/mentioning. All participants get equal credit, and the post will appear in all their followers’ feeds, giving the post way more mileage.
How LinkedIn Collaborative Posts work
LinkedIn has confirmed the basics in a help article. The setup is an invite-and-accept flow, much like Instagram. One account creates the post and invites collaborators, which can be personal profiles or pages. Until an invited account accepts, no one sees them listed on the post. Once they accept, every collaborator’s name appears at the top, and the post shows up across all their networks.
Collaborating as a page works a little differently: a super admin has to be in the loop. They can allow members and other pages to collaborate with the page, and they get notified of invitations as long as collaboration notifications are switched on (Me → Settings → Notifications → Collaborations). LinkedIn is still rolling that notification out, so not every page admin has it yet.
⚡A few things we don’t know yet: how many collaborators one post can have, who can edit or delete it once it’s live, and whether everyone gets the analytics (on Instagram, each collaborator does). I’ll update this as the rollout widens.
How to create a collab post on LinkedIn
Since this is still in beta, not everyone can make a collab post yet, but there are already instructions.
From your profile, go to Me → Settings → Notifications → Collaborations. If you run a page, make sure a super admin does this too, because a Page can’t appear as a collaborator until someone accepts on its behalf.
When the feature reaches your account, the flow should feel familiar if you’ve used Instagram (you’ll spot it in the video example below from LinkedIn’s post). You create the post, invite your collaborators, and once they accept, it publishes across all your profiles at once.
A few things worth lining up before then:
- Know who you’d co-author with. Make a short list of the creators, brands, or Pages whose name you’d actually want next to yours.
- Tidy the front door. A collab post sends new people to your profile, so check that your headline, banner, and recent posts say what you want them to.
- Have a post worth sharing. The feature adds reach; it doesn’t make the content good. Save your stronger ideas for the partnerships that matter.
💡You can plan and schedule the surrounding content in Buffer while you wait for the collab feature itself to land. Get started here →
Why this matters most for creators and brands
Collab posts are a credibility trade, and the value runs in both directions.
When a creator co-authors with a brand’s page, each side gives the other something it can’t easily buy on its own. The creator brings their voice and an audience that actually engages, instead of a logo posting into the void. The brand brings a co-sign: its name at the top of your post, next to yours, in front of everyone who sees it.
People underrate that second part. A tag is easy to ignore. Shared authorship reads as an endorsement, and on LinkedIn, that endorsement is professional currency. If you’re early or mid-career, an established brand publicly attaching its name to your work can be worth even more than the extra impressions.
It also changes the dynamic. This isn’t a brand ‘renting’ a creator’s audience for a day, as they would in a regular sponsored post. Both names are at the top, so both audiences and both reputations are in it together.
The timing tracks, too. LinkedIn launched its first Creator Marketplace in June, built to connect brands with creators directly. Collaborative posts are part of what that connection looks like in the feed.
6 ways creators and brands can use LinkedIn collab posts
Most of these tips mirror what already works on Instagram, adjusted for how people show up on LinkedIn.
- Brand partnerships. This is the obvious one. A creator and a brand page co-author a single post, so the partnership reaches both audiences and reads as a real collaboration instead of a paid mention.
- Co-marketing with a peer. Two creators, or two brands with overlapping audiences, team up on a launch, a report, or a joint event. Both networks see it from someone they already follow.
- Team amplification. Employees co-author with the company page. The post gets a human face at the top instead of a logo, and the company taps into the trust its people have built.
- Event and Live recaps. This is what I first spotted on Austin’s post: a recap of his LinkedIn Live, shared by everyone involved. Co-hosts and guests all carry it to their own networks.
- Launches and announcements. Putting both the partner and the brand on a product or feature announcement shows the work was shared, rather than handed off.
- Customer and community spotlights. Co-author with the person whose story you’re telling. It lands better coming from both of you than from the brand alone.
What’s next
That’s everything we know so far. Collaborative Posts are still in beta, and the details will probably keep shifting; I’ll update this piece as they do.
In the meantime, keep an eye on your notifications and start a short list of who you’d want at the top of a post with you. We’ll be testing the feature ourselves, so watch this space: we’ll share our own collabs once we get our hands on it.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the difference between LinkedIn Collaborative Posts and Collaborative Articles?
Collaborative articles are AI-prompted explainers that invite members to add a perspective to a shared piece. Collaborative posts are regular posts co-authored by people and pages you choose, with every collaborator credited at the top. Different feature, different purpose.
When are LinkedIn Collaborative Posts launching?
They’re in beta now with a group of creators and brands, and LinkedIn says they’ll roll out more widely over the coming months. Not every account has access yet.
Can a LinkedIn Page collaborate with a creator on a post?
Yes. Members and pages can both create collab posts and be invited as collaborators. For a page, a super admin has to enable collaboration and accept the invite before the page appears on the post.
How many collaborators can one post have?
LinkedIn hasn’t said yet. On Instagram the cap is the original poster plus five others, but there’s no confirmation LinkedIn matches that.
Do all collaborators see the post’s analytics?
Unconfirmed for now. On Instagram, every collaborator can view the post’s insights from their own account. I’ll update this when LinkedIn clarifies.
How is a collab post different from tagging someone?
A tag points at another account: only the original poster is the author, and by default only their followers see it. A collab post gives every participant equal credit and shares it across all their networks.
