Show
Creating high-quality Instagram content can be time-consuming and resource-intensive. But there’s a way to engage your audience without having to pump out a never-ending schedule of original posts. Reposting stories, photos, and videos from your customers and other accounts is a great way to boost engagement and grow your following without creating fresh content every single time. Instagram is fully aware of this - its new cross-posting functionality has brought reposting to the forefront of users’ minds, leading to more interaction and a wider variety of content. In fact, engagement increases by 28% when users can interact with a mixture of user-generated content (UGC) and brand messages. However, there are some limitations and rules about reposting on Instagram. It’s important to get it right so you don’t burn any bridges or violate any legalities.
How to legally repost user-generated content on InstagramThe biggest worry when reposting third-party content is knowing how to correctly get permission and credit the author. Instagram’s Community Guidelines say you should only share content that you have taken or have the right to share, which is why it’s crucial to ask for permission if the content doesn’t fall into those two brackets. To avoid falling foul of these rules, give proper credit with your caption and tag the original creator in the post. If you’re encouraging your audience to share their content under a branded hashtag, as Sta Travel does, it’s still good practice to ask permission before you go ahead and repost the content to your own Instagram Story. The best way to reach out to a creator is to direct message them (avoid leaving a generic comment on their post). Here’s a template you can use:
When sharing stories from influencers and its customers, Sephora makes sure to clearly tag creators. When to repost a story and share a feed post to Instagram StoriesTiming is everything, and choosing the right posts to share is key in building a reposting strategy that gets results. Here are some occasions where you might consider sharing a feed post to your Instagram Story or reposting a story from another account:
Instagram makes it really easy to share stories you’ve been tagged in. You automatically get a direct message including the story you’ve been mentioned in, and then it’s simply a case of:
But what if you haven’t been tagged in a post that you’d like to share? How to repost a story on Instagram when you haven’t been taggedUnder Instagram’s rules, it’s important to get written or verbal permission to share the post first. Use the sample message above to make sure you’re getting all the right information from users. Once you’ve got permission, there are two ways you can repost a story:
How to repost an Instagram photo or video post as a storyIt’s not as important to get permission when sharing a feed photo or video to your Instagram Story because the platform automatically tags the original creator. When you’ve found a photo or Instagram video you think your audience would enjoy, take the following steps:
How to repost Reels on Instagram StoriesInstagram Reels are a hit with users, allowing them to discover new brands and accounts directly from the Explore page. If you’ve seen a Reel you love and want to share it with your audience, simply follow the steps above for sharing a feed post or video to your story.
Bonus tips: how to generate engagement with Instagram Story repostsReady to include Instagram Story reposts in your social media strategy? Here are some top tips to bear in mind to make sure you’re getting the most out of resharing content.
Get the best image qualityReposting content can often result in less-than-stellar image quality-especially if you’re screenshotting or screen recording the posts you want to reshare. If you find that the quality is suffering, try requesting the original files from the creator. This works particularly well if it’s someone you’ve worked with or collaborated with in the past. Curate user-generated contentThere are so many masterful content creators out there that are probably posting about your brand. Most of the time their photos look professional, as they take them from incredible angles and retouch them with filters like Instagram Photoshop actions. This is why having a wealth of user-generated content to tap can help plug the gaps when your own production levels are low. Curate customer-created posts by:
Acknowledge accounts that have mentioned you“You rub my back and I’ll rub yours” has never been a truer statement when it comes to reposting on Instagram Story. Ensure your followers and customers feel valued by acknowledging profiles that have mentioned you in their stories and sending a quick thank you - every little helps! Add your stamp to reshared storiesInstagram Stories has a bottomless library of fun GIFs, emojis, music, and additional features like polls, check-ins, and tags that can level up your reshares. Try adding your own stamp to posts, videos, and stories you repost with text and visuals in your brand colours and voice. Here’s a tutorial for inspo: Create Highlights of your repostsInstagram Highlights feature is there to group together your stories and keep them on your profile longer than the standard 24 hours. If the stories, photos, and videos you’re reposting to your Instagram Story are particularly useful or follow a similar theme, why not group them into topics under their own Highlight? This makes it easy for your followers to find relevant content and browse through curated content for a more engaging experience. Make Instagram Story reposts a part of your social media strategyReposting to Instagram Story is a great way to increase your following, share customer-created content, and boost your Instagram engagement. But it’s important to get it right. Give credit where it’s due and make sure you ask for permission if you need it before you share to your Instagram Story. Otherwise, get creative! Curate user-generated content, add your own stamp to your reposts with a sticker, text, and GIF, and create Story Highlights to immortalise shared content on your profile. Use our Instagram Audit Checklist to uncover optimisation opportunities on your profile and find the best ways to incorporate reposts in your social media strategy.
Can you repost someone's Instagram story?The short answer is yes, it's perfectly fine to repost someone else's Instagram Story.
How do you repost someone else's story on your story?Simply click 'Add post to my story' and it will take you to stories editing mode where you can reshare it. It's as easy as that! One quick caveat, though — you can only repost the story while their story is still visible (within a 24-hour time frame). So, you'll need to make it snappy!
Why can't I repost someone's story on Instagram?The main reason why you can't share someone else's Instagram Story is that you're not tagged in it. Namely, Instagram allows you to reshare a Story only if you were tagged in it by the person who posted it. When you're tagged, you receive a notification that someone mentioned you in their Story.
|