Instagram is one of the most visited websites in the world, and Instagram Stories are one of the most powerful aspects of the platform. Many users scroll through Instagram Stories daily to interact with the friends, family members, and businesses they follow. Likewise, many people use Instagram Stories to share photos, videos, and opinions on the businesses they enjoy.
You’ve probably used your own Instagram Stories to share your posts. But what about when a customer shares an Instagram Story worth sharing again, or when you want to share an influential post?
The answer is to repost an Instagram Story.
The perfect Story repost gets attention and gives credit.
So, how do you repost a Story on Instagram? And how do you follow the rules of etiquette when sharing Instagram Stories?
Understand how to repost in Instagram Story and why you should by reading on. We’ll dive into:
- Why you should repost an Instagram Story
- The best practices for reposting an Instagram Story
- How to repost an Instagram Story when you’ve been tagged
- How to repost an Instagram Story when you haven’t been tagged
Why you should repost an Instagram Story
Regardless of whether you’re a small business or a solopreneur, reposting an Instagram Story is a smart move for several reasons.
Social proof builds trust
Social proof is the psychological phenomenon where people are influenced by the behaviors of others. Basically, we look around at what other people are doing and tend to follow what they’re doing.
Social proof includes online reviews, recommendations from current customers, celebrity endorsements, case studies, and media coverage. In fact, the Northwestern Medill Spiegel Research Center found that online reviews have a significant amount of power over sales.
But it also encompasses social media. So all of the social media posts and Instagram Stories that you post on your account have more influence than you may realize. That’s why sharing Instagram Stories from customers, influencers, and brands is an important step toward building trust in your brand.
Solo Stove smartly saved this Story repost to their Instagram Highlights
You get content to Cross-post
Cross-posting content across your social media platforms is a fantastic way to save time and get the resources and marketing materials you’ve created out into the world. However, you don’t want every social media channel to look the exact same. By sharing different Instagram Stories from your users, you’re able to refresh part of your feed and create something that’s specific to Instagram itself.
Reposting saves time
Reposting Instagram Stories also solves another problem: your limited time. According to Tint’s 2022 State of User Generated Content report, 47% of marketers feel that their teams take too long to create content. An additional 60% of marketers feel pressured to create a greater amount of content.
Between limited time and the high demands of social media, you can only create so much content. Reposting Instagram Stories allows you to share brand new content with your audience without having to take the time to make it yourself.
Reposting Instagram Stories gives you more ideas
Seeing what other people post about your brand may give you brand new ideas of content to create in the future.
- See customers raving over an unexpected benefit to your product? Create posts highlighting that benefit.
- See people unboxing their latest shipment? Start creating unboxing videos.
- See customers bragging about results from a service you provide? Create a giveaway to give that service to one lucky winner.
You’ll boost engagement
Social media is a powerful marketing tool—but only if you know how to use it. Reposting Instagram Stories is one method of boosting your engagement. You may not have the time, resources, or desire to post new photos and videos to your feed every day. However, you can share relevant information with your audience just by reposting content. It’s a lot less effort with just as much importance.
A repost like this one is a great way to share the love with your customers and followers.
You’ll build a community
When you post your own content, you are speaking directly to your audience. When you share the content they’ve created, you’re engaging in a conversation with them. Reposting Instagram Stories is a way to spark a conversation, pose questions to your audience, and curate a positive environment. Think about the type of content you want to repost, so you have more control over the community you build.
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Best practices for reposting an Instagram Story
You should always ask permission before reposting content from another account. If you reuse content without consent, you could end up with negative attention from your followers, or worse, in legal trouble.
Ask creators for permission before sharing
Always ask users before sharing their content. It’s easy to do this in one of three ways:
- Send a quick DM: “Hi! I represent [brand name]. I’d love to repost your Instagram Story to our account. Respond with “yes” if you’re okay with that.”
- Comment on a post: “Hi! I’d love to share your Instagram Story. Is that okay?”
- Send them an email: “Hi! I follow you on Instagram. I represent [brand name] and would love to share one of your Stories. Is that okay with you?
Document their approval
Sharing user-generated content is an important part of any social media marketing plan. However, you should also have a way to document the approval you receive from users. A simple spreadsheet or document with screenshots will work.
Tag the creator and give them credit
While tagging the creator of an Instagram Story isn’t required, it is the polite thing to do. Plus, tagging the creator of the content you want to share can help amplify your reach. It’s also a nice way to acknowledge their contribution.
How to repost an Instagram Story when you’ve been tagged
When you’re tagged in a story, it’s easy to repost it! Just follow these steps:
- Go to your messages.
- Tap the button that says “Add to your story.”
- Then edit the story however you want!
- Use the “mention” button to tag the creator by their Instagram username.
- Hit “your story” to add it to your Instagram Stories.
How to repost an Instagram Story when you haven’t been tagged
There is no way to automatically repost stories when you’re not tagged. However, many users will post Instagram Stories without tagging brands, and you may want to use this social media content anyway.
Here’s how to repost an Instagram Story without being tagged:
- Screenshot. Simply take a screenshot on your phone and crop as needed.
- Screen record. Use your phone’s screen recording to record a video before reposting.
- Ask for permission. If neither of those options work for you, you can always direct message the user to see if they will send you the photo or video.
You should always get permission from the original poster before sharing their content, no matter how you share it.
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Use a third-party app to repost to Instagram
If you want to make your life a little easier, using an app can help make the reposting process smoother.
Repost: for Posts, Stories
Available on iOS and Android, this repost app allows you to repost Instagram Stories and posts. With more than 100 Instagram Story templates, you’ll be able to repost Instagram Stories creatively and easily.
Repost+ for Instagram
Repost+ allows you to repost photos and videos to Instagram Stories and to your posts. You can also schedule content with this free app. Repost+ is available on iOS.
Repost for Instagram—JaredCo
Available on Android, JaredCo’s repost app allows you to repost Instagram photos and save Instagram photos directly to your phone.
Repost Instagram Stories today
Reposting Instagram Stories is an easy way to engage your audience, share social proof, and build your community, all while saving time. Look for related content to share with your audience and ask permission before reposting.
Now you know how to repost a story to Instagram and why it matters. Start sharing Instagram Stories as a way to be a part of a larger conversation, one repost at a time.
