- Sharing others’ posts on your Instagram Story is a great way to engage with your community and curate content
- Always get permission from the original poster before reposting their content
- Instagram has built-in features that make it easy to share posts to your Story while giving credit to the original creator
- Use this feature strategically to build relationships, promote others, and add value for your followers
Sharing content from others on your Instagram Story is a fantastic way to engage with your community, curate interesting content for your followers, and build relationships with other creators or brands. However, it’s crucial to do it the right way – by getting permission and properly crediting the original poster.
Instagram has made it super easy to share posts to your Story with just a few taps. Let’s go over the simple steps, as well as some tips on when and how to use this feature effectively.
Table of Contents
- Find the post you want to share. This could be from your feed, someone’s profile, or the Explore page.
- Tap the paper airplane icon below the post. This will bring up the “Share to” options.
- Select “Add post to your story”. The post will now appear as a sticker that you can resize, rotate, or reposition on your Story.
- Customize and add context. You can draw on the sticker, add stickers, text, GIFs, or write a caption explaining why you’re sharing this post.
- Share your Story. Once you’re happy with how it looks, tap “Send To” and choose whether to share it to your main Story, Close Friends, or send it directly to specific people.
That’s it! When someone views your Story, they’ll see the original post with the creator’s username and a “See Post” link that will take them directly to the original content.
Best Practices for Sharing Posts
While the process is straightforward, there are a few important things to keep in mind when sharing others’ content:
Get Permission
It’s considered good etiquette (and in some cases a legal requirement) to get permission from the original creator before reposting their content, even if you’re giving them credit. A simple DM asking if it’s okay to share their post on your Story is usually sufficient.
Provide Context
Don’t just share the post without any explanation. Use the caption space or add stickers to provide context on why you’re sharing this particular piece of content. This adds value for your followers and shows that you’re not just mindlessly reposting.
Highlight Accounts You Admire
Sharing posts is a great way to highlight accounts you admire or want to support. Whether it’s an inspiring quote, beautiful photography, or informative content, use your Story as a platform to promote others’ work.
Build Relationships
Sharing someone’s content and tagging them is an excellent way to start building a relationship with that account. They’ll likely appreciate the exposure, and it opens the door for future collaboration or cross-promotion.
Add Your Own Perspective
While you’re giving the original creator credit, you can also add your own spin or perspective on the content you’re sharing. This makes it more engaging for your followers and shows your unique voice.
Use It Sparingly
As with anything on social media, moderation is key. Don’t fill your entire Story with reposted content from others. Sprinkle it in occasionally, but make sure you’re still creating and sharing your own original content as well.
There are numerous situations where sharing someone else’s Instagram post on your Story can be valuable:
- Promote a collaboration or partnership: If you’ve worked with another brand or creator, share their content to cross-promote the project.
- Support a cause or movement: Share posts related to social or environmental causes you care about to raise awareness.
- Curate inspiring or educational content: Find posts that align with your niche or message and share them as a way to curate valuable content for your followers.
- Engage your community: Repost user-generated content from your followers to showcase their work and build a stronger community.
- Give a shoutout: Share a post from someone you admire or want to support, whether it’s a small business, artist, or influencer in your niche.
FAQs
No, you can only share posts from public accounts on Instagram. If the account is private, you won’t have the option to share their posts to your Story.
Do I need to ask for permission every time?
It’s a good practice to ask for permission the first time you want to share someone’s content. After that, if they’re okay with you reposting their stuff, you don’t necessarily need to ask every single time.
What if I can’t find the “Add post to your story” option?
This option may be disabled if the original poster has turned off the ability for others to share their posts. In this case, you’ll have to take a screenshot and share it manually, making sure to credit the creator.
No, if an account has blocked you, you won’t be able to share their posts to your Story or access their content at all.
There’s no specific limit, but it’s best to share a balanced mix of your own original content and curated posts from others. Overloading your Story with too many reposted posts can make it look spammy or low-effort.
Sharing others’ Instagram posts on your Story is a simple yet powerful way to add value for your followers, build relationships with other creators, and showcase content that aligns with your brand or message. Just remember to always get permission, provide context, and use this feature strategically as part of your overall Instagram marketing strategy.
