Adding an Instagram post to your story is a quick way to share content, highlight your own posts, or repost something interesting from another public account.
Step-by-Step Guide to Sharing a Post to Your Story
Sharing any Instagram post to your story is a straightforward process. Follow these simple steps:
- Open the Instagram App: Launch the Instagram application on your mobile phone.
- Find the Post: Navigate to the specific post you wish to share. This can be one of your own posts or a public post from another user.
- Tap the Share Icon: Below the post, locate and tap the paper airplane icon (often referred to as the "share" or "send" icon).
- Select "Add to your story": From the options that appear, choose "Add post to your story" or "Add to your story."
Once you tap "Add to your story," the post will automatically appear in your story editor, ready for further customization.
Customizing Your Shared Story
After adding a post to your story, Instagram provides a variety of tools to make it more engaging before you share it with your followers.
- Resize and Reposition: Pinch to zoom in or out, and drag to move the post anywhere on your story screen.
- Add Text: Tap the "Aa" icon to add captions, hashtags, or mention other accounts. You can change fonts, colors, and sizes.
- Stickers and GIFs: Use the sticker icon (a square smiley face) to add interactive elements like polls, quizzes, question stickers, location tags, time, or trending GIFs.
- Music: Tap the music sticker to add a soundtrack from Instagram's library.
- Draw: Use the pen icon to draw directly on your story with various brushes and colors.
- Filters: Swipe left or right to apply different visual filters to your story.
Example Customization:
Imagine you're sharing a friend's travel photo. You could:
- Add the location sticker for where the photo was taken.
- Type "So jealous! Wish I was here 🌴" in a fun font.
- Include a poll sticker asking, "Beach or Mountains?"
Sharing Your Own Posts Versus Others' Posts
The process is generally the same whether you're sharing your own content or someone else's.
- Sharing Your Own Posts: This is an excellent way to re-promote content, especially older posts that new followers might not have seen. It keeps your feed fresh without posting new permanent content.
- Sharing Other People's Posts: You can only share posts from public accounts. If an account is private, the share icon to add to a story will not be available. When you share someone else's post, their username will automatically appear, linking back to their profile. This gives them credit and allows your followers to discover new accounts.
For more information on Instagram's features and how to manage your stories, you can visit the official Instagram Help Center.
Why Share Posts to Your Story?
- Increased Visibility: Stories are often viewed more frequently than feed posts, providing more exposure to your content.
- Engagement: Interactive story stickers can boost engagement with your audience.
- Context and Commentary: Stories allow you to add personal thoughts or context to a post without editing the original.
- Discoverability: Sharing relevant posts from other users can help your followers discover new content and community members.
Table: Quick Sharing Steps
| Step | Action | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Open Instagram | Launch the Instagram application on your device. |
| 2 | Locate Post | Find the specific photo or video post you wish to share. |
| 3 | Tap Share Icon | Press the paper airplane icon below the post. |
| 4 | Add to Story | Select "Add post to your story" from the menu. |
| 5 | Customize & Share | Edit with text, stickers, music, then tap "Your story" to post. |
By utilizing this feature, you can effectively leverage Instagram Stories to amplify your content and engage more deeply with your audience.
