When growing your professional (or personal) brand on social media platforms, a strong Instagram presence is essential for success. One way of achieving this is by sharing posts from yourself or others that resonate with your target audience. In this article, we will help you answer the question, ‘How do you share a post on Instagram?’

There are several routes you can take, each with its own factors and considerations you should be mindful of. By following the steps outlined below, you can build connections and relationships that easily stand the test of time.

How to Repost Something on Instagram

According to Statista, Instagram has two billion monthly users, making it a vital resource. Reposting Instagram content, your own or someone else’s, allows it to reach a much wider audience. Knowing how to share someone’s post on Instagram has benefits for both parties. In either case, sharing a post typically takes the form of adding it to your story. This is a photo or video that you broadcast to followers for 24 hours before it automatically expires.

Here are the main steps to follow when sharing posts on Instagram:

1. Find the Post You Want To Share

Choosing the right post to share is naturally going to be a big decision. Overloading your story with anything related to your brand could easily turn followers away from viewing every single one. This means you must think carefully about what to repost. In terms of formatting, images are more accessible than videos for users browsing in public—this helps maximize impact.

2. Click the Paper Airplane Icon

When viewing a post, there should be a paper airplane symbol near the bottom left. For reels (bite-sized video content), this is located on the right. Clicking this icon gives you the option to add the post to your story, with or without the caption. You can personalize the story further by adding your own caption or using Instagram’s wealth of built-in graphical elements.

3. Add the Story to Your Highlights

Highlights allow users to save their stories in easily accessible categories displayed on their profile. In doing so, you can make sure people see your reposts for more than 24 hours. This means customers and followers can enjoy the content no matter when they connect with your account. There is no built-in way to permanently ‘share post’ on Instagram, making highlights especially useful.

The Benefits of Sharing an Instagram Post to Story

Here are some of the advantages that come with sharing an Instagram post to your story:

• Better engagement: Many people click through stories instead of scrolling through posts; sharing your own content helps it get more engagement.
• Creating a network: The posts you share will offer value to your followers and customers, letting them find more accounts that they might enjoy.
• Stronger brand authority: Sharing content from your industry’s experts also helps showcase your relevance, improving your account’s reputation.
• Reciprocal link-building: The accounts you promote may share your own posts in return, allowing more possible followers to discover your brand.
• Integrated polls: You can even add a poll to shared posts. This gives you the opportunity to gauge your audience’s opinions on the content you repost.

How Do You Share a Post on Instagram to Your Feed?

Outside of stories, you usually cannot directly add Instagram feed posts to your own profile. However, many companies use other means to share the content their customers create – such as positive product reviews. By doing the same, you can build more value for your followers and easily fill out your posting schedule. As purely user-generated content (UGC), it also might appear more natural to followers compared to direct marketing material.

Here is a guide to sharing another user’s Instagram post to your feed:

1. Get Permission to Repost

Make sure you message the user via their profile for permission to share the original post. They might say no or have certain rules for how you use their content. For example, they may prefer you add the post to your story. Even after successfully getting permission, always credit the user by tagging or mentioning them in your post.

2. Save the Content

Once you have permission to share, you could ask the user to send you the original file. Alternatively, you can take a screenshot using your phone or computer and crop the image. This is not possible for video posts or reels, though an external website can help you download them. Getting the original file from the creator can offer the best quality for your own post, however.

3. Include Your Own Flair

When uploading the post to your own account, it often helps to add a new caption. This gives you an opportunity to relate the user’s content to your own while crediting them. It also shows you are not simply stealing another person’s image or video for your benefit. Add a new filter if you wish to personalize it further, and then click ‘Share’ to add it to your public profile.

The Benefits of Sharing Posts to Your Feed

Here are the usual benefits of reposting to your feed:

• Easier marketing: By sharing user-generated content that relates to your brand, you can populate your Instagram profile for free.
• Building loyalty: Sharing posts from customers can create a rapport and even encourage them to interact with your account more.
• Include more information: Stories have limited caption space, while posts let you give more details on your products if appropriate.
• Permanent placement: Direct shares are always on your profile. Some users may scroll through your posts without checking your highlights.
• Wider audience: Adding hashtags to your repost’s caption can connect you with new followers or even potential future customers.

• Easier marketing: By sharing user-generated content that relates to your brand, you can populate your Instagram profile for free.
  • Building loyalty: Sharing posts from customers can create a rapport and even encourage them to interact with your account more.
  • Include more information: Stories have limited caption space, while posts let you give more details on your products if appropriate.
  • Permanent placement: Direct shares are always on your profile. Some users may scroll through your posts without checking your highlights.
  • Wider audience: Adding hashtags to your repost’s caption can connect you with new followers or even potential future customers.

How Do You Share Videos From Instagram?

There are many websites and apps that let you save videos from Instagram using their URL. These resources can often be invaluable if you plan to share videos from any social network. However, most users are happy to provide the original video file if you ask, which ensures a higher-quality post. If you are uploading the video directly, you may want to trim it using your device’s built-in video editor.

Editing the video before sharing allows you to tailor the post more closely to your business. On top of this, sharing only part of it means you can then direct viewers to the full video. This approach can help you build a stronger relationship by not depriving the other account of engagement. Knowing the answer to the question ‘How do you share videos from Instagram?’ also means following the right repost etiquette.

How to Find Instagram Posts to Share

As mentioned above, figuring out which posts to share can be difficult. You need to be selective with your reposts and cannot simply use them as a substitute for original content. Finding suitable posts to share will likely involve searching for hashtags relevant to your brand or account. For example, a makeup influencer could seek out skincare-related hashtags, such as the names of major brands. They might then find other influencers and share their posts, which helps them build industry connections.

You may even decide to share content from another social network entirely, such as a video from Facebook. So long as you still ask permission and give credit to the post’s original creator, this is still doable. Most social media platforms allow you to search for certain relevant keywords, even without the use of dedicated hashtags. No matter where you find a post worth sharing on Instagram, it can help you develop your online following.

Can Someone See if You Share Their Instagram Post?

When you share a post on Instagram via your story, this normally does not automatically notify the original account. However, if the user has a business or creator account, they will have access to more post analytics. This includes a ‘View Story Reshares’ function, which shows them how many public accounts have reposted their story. If you have a public account, this means someone can see if you share their Instagram post.

If you tag the original user in addition to sharing the post, they immediately get a direct message notification. This is also the case when reposting another user’s content to your feed, assuming you properly credit them. If your account is set to public, the post will be visible on their profile’s ‘tagged photos’ section. Keeping your account public when you share these posts will make it much easier to engage with their creators.

Knowing the answer to the question ‘How do you share a post on Instagram?’ easily helps your brand develop. Learning how to repost something on Instagram catapults your engagement to new heights and lets you build stronger relationships. 

At snsflow.com, our expert team can connect you with organic followers, likes, and views for your Instagram account. Just minutes after your initial payment, you will see a clear difference in your interactions. This helps your overall reach, ensuring you grow as a business or brand in ways that work for you. With snsflow.com, you can boost your network immediately.