How to Add an Instagram Post to Your Story

Sharing an Instagram feed post directly to your Story is one of the most effective ways to ensure your audience actually sees your content. This simple move can boost views on a new Reel, drive traffic to an important announcement, or just give a great post a second life. This guide breaks down exactly how to do it, from the basic steps to creative strategies that will get you more engagement.

Why Sharing Feed Posts to Your Story is a Smart Move

Before getting into the "how," it's helpful to understand the "why." While it might seem redundant, sharing your posts to your Story is a powerful feature that serves a few strategic purposes for brands, creators, and anyone looking to grow on Instagram.

1. Beat the Algorithm and Increase Reach

The Instagram algorithm is a constant puzzle. Even if you post at the perfect time with the perfect hashtags, a significant portion of your followers will never see your content in their feed. Stories, however, have prime real estate at the top of the app. By sharing your new post to your Story, you create a direct, attention-grabbing link that gives your content a second chance to be seen by people who missed it the first time around. To learn more about maximizing your visibility, check out our guide on how to increase Instagram reach.

2. Cross-Promote and Drive Engagement

Think of your Story as a trailer for your main content. A new Reel might be the star of the show, but the Story is the commercial that gets people to watch it. You can use Story stickers like polls or quizzes to build anticipation before sharing the post, and then drive your audience to the feed post to "read the full caption," "comment below," or "watch the full video." It turns a passive audience into active participants.

3. Spotlight User-Generated Content (UGC) and Testimonials

When a happy customer or fan tags your brand in a post, sharing User-Generated Content (UGC) to your Story is one of the best ways to show appreciation and build social proof. It acts as an instant testimonial, showing your audience that real people love what you do. It also encourages more people to create content featuring your brand in the hopes of getting a shout-out, creating a virtuous cycle of community engagement.

4. Extend the Lifespan of Your Content

A feed post's engagement typically peaks within the first 24-48 hours. Stories, on the other hand, offer a chance to resurrect older, high-performing "evergreen" content. Have a post from a month ago that got a ton of saves? Share it to your Story with a new call-to-action or a "From the Archives" sticker to introduce it to your new followers and remind your existing audience of its value.

How to Add Your Own Post to Your Instagram Story: The Step-by-Step Guide

Sharing your own content is straightforward. Instagram has made this process incredibly simple. Here’s exactly how to do it.

1. Navigate to the Post: Go to your Instagram profile and find the feed post (photo, carousel, or Reel) that you want to share.
2. Tap the Share Icon: Below your post on the left, next to the comment bubble, you'll see a paper airplane icon. Tap on it. This is your share button.
3. Select "Add Post to Your Story": A menu will pop up from the bottom. The first option will be "Add post to your story," accompanied by your profile picture inside a Story ring. Tap this option.
4. Customize Your Story: You'll now be in the Story creation interface. Your feed post will appear as a movable, resizable sticker on a default gradient background. Here’s where you can get creative:
   • Resize and Reposition: Use two fingers to pinch and zoom the post sticker, making it larger or smaller. You can also drag it anywhere on the screen.
   • Add Text: Tap the "Aa" icon at the top to add text overlay. You can write a call-to-action like, "New Post Is Live!" or ask a question to drive engagement in the comments.
   • Use Stickers: Tap the sticker icon (the smiley face in a square) to add GIFs, polls, quizzes, question boxes, or music. This is key for making your share interactive.
   • Change Background: We’ll cover this in more detail in the creative tips section below!
5. Share to Your Story: Once you're happy with your creation, tap the "Your Story" button in the bottom left corner to post it immediately. You can also tap "Close Friends" if you only want to share it with a specific list.

That's it! When viewers see your Story, they can simply tap on the post sticker to be taken directly to the original feed post.

How to Share Someone Else's Post to Your Story

Sharing content from other accounts is a great way to curate information, collaborate with other creators, or shout out brands you love. The process is nearly identical to sharing your own post, but with one critical requirement.

The Golden Rule for Sharing

You can only share a post from another account if:

• Their account is set to Public.
• They have enabled story sharing in their privacy settings (under Settings and privacy → Sharing and remixes).

If an account is private or has disabled sharing, the "Add post to your story" option simply won't appear. Here’s how to do it when the settings align:

1. Find the Public Post: Navigate to the feed post from the public account you wish to share.
2. Tap the Paper Airplane Icon: Just like with your own post, tap the share icon.
3. Select "Add Post to Your Story": If the user allows sharing, you'll see the option to add it to your story. Tap it.

When you share someone else's post, Instagram automatically includes a tap-through link back to the original and clearly shows who the original creator is. However, it's always good etiquette to manually add a text mention (@username) to give them clear and visible credit. It shows respect for their work and makes it easy for your followers to check out their profile.

Creative Tips to Make Your Shared Posts More Engaging

Simply re-sharing a post on the default gradient background is fine, but it doesn't inspire much action. A few extra seconds of customization can make a huge difference in how many people tap through to see your post. Here are some simple but powerful creative strategies.

1. The Solid Color Background Hack

The default purple-and-orange gradient background can feel a bit generic. You can instantly make your Story look more on-brand by creating a solid background using a color from the post itself.

• Find the 'Draw' tool (the squiggly line icon) at the top of the editing screen.
• Use the color dropper tool at the bottom left to pick a color directly from your photo.
• Now, tap and hold your finger anywhere on the screen for about 1-2 seconds. The entire background will fill with that solid color, pushing your shared post to the front.
• For a cool semi-transparent effect, select the highlighter pen tool before you tap and hold. This creates a neat colored filter over the default gradient.

2. The "Peek-a-Boo" Technique

Curiosity is a powerful motivator. Instead of showing the full post upfront, partially cover it to make people want to see what's underneath.

• Share the post to your Story as usual.
• Open the sticker tray and find a compelling GIF, like an arrow pointing to the post or a sticker that says "Tap Here."
• Resize the sticker and place it over the main visual element of your post.
• Add text that says something like, "Tap to see the final result" or "You have to see this!"

This simple trick encourages a tap far more effectively than a plain share because it feels like there's something to uncover.

3. Add Context with Text and Interactive Stickers

Your feed post already has a caption, but your Story share needs its own context. Don't assume people will understand why you're sharing it. Frame it for them:

• Drive Action: Add a bold text overlay with a clear call-to-action. Examples include: “Go leave a comment!”, “Click to read my 5 tips”, or “Shop this look →”.
• Spark Conversation: Use interactive stickers. Share a Reel of a new recipe you tried and add a poll sticker that says "Would you try this?" with the options "Heck yes!" or "Not for me." The engagement you get on the Story itself signals to the algorithm that your content is interesting.
• Use the Countdown Sticker: If you're teasing an upcoming launch or event, share a related post and add a countdown sticker. Your audience can subscribe to the countdown for a reminder.

4. Choose the Post's Appearance

Instagram gives you two styles for a shared post. The default style shows a neat preview of your media. But, if you simply tap once on the post sticker itself, it will change to a simpler "box" that includes part of your original caption and username. Tapping it again will switch it back. This is a subtle decision, but it can affect how you design your Story. The default style is more visual, while the second style can add helpful text context if your caption is what's most important.

Troubleshooting: Why Can't I Share a Post to My Story?

Sometimes you’ll hit the share icon and find the option is missing. Don't worry, your app isn't broken. This nearly always comes down to one of three reasons:

• The Account is Private: You cannot share feed posts from a private account to your Story, even if you follow them. This is a hard rule to respect user privacy.
• The User Has Disabled Sharing: Public accounts can disable Story sharing. If a user has turned this feature off in their privacy settings (under Settings and privacy → Sharing and remixes), the option to add their post to a story will not be available.
• Outdated App: In rare cases, if you’re using a very old version of the Instagram app, some features might not work correctly. Head to your app store and make sure your app is updated to the latest version.

If you're unable to share your own feed post, your account may currently be set to private. Go to Settings and privacy → Account privacy and make sure the "Private account" toggle is switched off.

Final Thoughts

Sharing your Instagram posts to your Story is an essential part of a modern content strategy. It's a quick, simple, and highly effective way to increase your content's visibility, boost engagement, and give your best posts the extra attention they deserve.

Mastering this small feature is an easy win, but keeping it all consistent is the real challenge. When we built Postbase, we focused on creating a visual content calendar that helps you see your entire strategy - from posts to Reels to Stories - all in one place. Planning visually allows you to strategically place these Story re-shares in your schedule ahead of time, ensuring you never miss a chance to amplify what’s working.