How to @ Someone on an Instagram Story

Tagging someone in an Instagram Story is one of the most effective ways to boost your content’s reach and build a stronger community. It’s a simple feature with a powerful impact, whether you’re shouting out a friend, collaborating with a brand, or sharing a customer’s post. This guide will walk you through exactly how to @ someone on an Instagram Story using both available methods, explain the strategic benefits, and offer best practices to make your tags more effective.

Why Mentioning Someone in Your Instagram Story Is a Smart Move

Before we get into the step-by-step instructions, it’s helpful to understand why this feature is so important for creators and brands. Mentioning accounts isn't just a casual tag, it's a strategic tool for organic growth and marketing.

• Increased Visibility and Reach: When you mention someone, they get a notification and the option to re-share your Story to their own audience. If they do, your content is instantly broadcast to a new set of followers who might not have seen it otherwise. Tagging a brand whose product you're featuring, for instance, might get your Story reshared to their thousands (or millions) of followers.
• Drives Engagement and Interaction: A mention is a direct invitation to engage. It encourages the tagged user to respond, comment, or share, which signals to the Instagram algorithm that your content is valuable. For viewers, it creates a seamless connection, they can tap the mention to check out the tagged profile, encouraging discovery and interaction between accounts.
• Builds Community and Relationships: Consistently tagging other accounts - like customers sharing your products (UGC), partners you’re working with, or local businesses you support - is an excellent way to network and build goodwill. It shows appreciation, fosters connection, and makes others feel seen. Over time, these small actions solidify a loyal and supportive community around your brand or profile.
• Authenticates Social Proof: Tagging customers who post about your product or service is powerful social proof. It shows potential buyers that real people are using and enjoying what you offer. When a user sees their favorite influencer tag your brand, it builds trust and credibility that no ad ever could.

The Two Ways to Mention Someone in an Instagram Story

Instagram gives you two simple ways to tag an account in your Story: the Mention Sticker and the Text Tool. Both accomplish the same goal, but they offer different aesthetic looks for your content. Let's break them down.

Method 1: Using the @Mention Sticker

The Mention Sticker is bright, bold, and designed to stand out. It’s the most common method and is incredibly straightforward to use. The visual cue of the sticker makes it obvious to your viewers that another account is being featured.

Here’s how to do it step-by-step:

1. Open the Story Creator: Open the Instagram app and swipe right from your feed, or tap the plus icon (+) at the top of your screen and select "Story" from the bottom menu.
2. Create Your Content: Take a photo, record a video, or upload a piece of content from your camera roll that you want to share.
3. Open the Sticker Tray: Once your content is on the screen, tap the Sticker icon (it looks like a square smiley face) at the top. This will open your sticker library.
4. Select the "@MENTION" Sticker: Find and tap the sticker that says "@MENTION." It’s usually one of the first options available.
5. Start Typing the Username: A search bar will appear on your screen. Start typing the Instagram handle of the person or brand you want to tag. As you type, Instagram will auto-suggest a list of matching accounts.
6. Select the Correct Account: This is an important step! Make sure you select the exact account you want to feature. Look for the correct username and profile picture to avoid tagging the wrong person. Tap their name when you see it.
7. Customize and Place the Sticker: The @Mention sticker will appear on your Story. You can now customize it:
   • Resize it: Use two fingers to pinch and zoom a sticker, making it larger or smaller.
   • Move it: Drag the sticker to position it anywhere on your screen.
   • Change the style: Tap on the sticker to cycle through different color and transparency styles.
8. Share Your Story: Once you’re happy with the placement and look, tap "Your Story" in the bottom left corner to post it.

Method 2: Using the Text Tool

Using the regular Text Tool is a more subtle way to mention an account. The tag seamlessly integrates with any other text you add to your Story, giving you more creative control over font, color, and size. This approach is great for when you want the mention to be part of a sentence or a cleaner design.

Here’s the step-by-step process:

1. Open the Story Creator and Add Content: Just like before, swipe right to open the Story editor and take a photo, record a video, or pick content from your gallery.
2. Select the Text Tool: Tap the "Aa" icon at the top of the screen to open the text editor.
3. Type the "@" Symbol: Start typing with the "@" symbol. You must type the "@" first, followed immediately by the username without a space.
4. Type the Username and Select: As you begin typing the username, a list of suggested accounts will appear above your keyboard. Tap the correct profile from the list to officially tag them. You'll know it worked when the text of the username becomes underlined.
5. Customize Your Text: Now you have all the regular text editing options at your disposal:
   • Change the font: Use the font options at the bottom of the screen.
   • Pick a color: Tap the color wheel at the top to select a new hue.
   • Adjust the size: Use the slider on the left side of the screen or pinch-to-zoom.
   • Add a background or animation: Use the text style icons at the top to make your text pop.
6. Place Your Text: Drag the text box to the desired location on your Story.
7. Share Your Story: When you're ready, post it by tapping "Your Story."

What Happens After You Mention Someone?

Knowing what happens on the other end helps you understand why tagging is so valuable for engagement and collaboration.

• They Get a Direct Message: The account you tagged instantly receives a notification in their DMs. The message will say "[Your Username] mentioned you in their story" and will include a preview of your content.
• A Reshare Opportunity is Created: Most importantly, that DM includes a prominent "Add to Your Story" button. This makes it incredibly easy for them to re-post your story to their own followers with just a couple of taps. Their reshared Story will feature your original content with a tappable link back to your profile.
• Viewers Can Visit Their Profile: Anyone who views your Story can tap on the mention (whether it's a sticker or text) to get a small pop-up preview of that profile. They can then tap again to navigate directly to that person’s page, making discovery incredibly easy.

Pro Tips and Best Practices for Tagging on Stories

Just because you can mention up to 10 accounts in a single story doesn't mean you always should. A strategic approach to tagging will yield much better results. Here are some best practices to follow.

Tag with Purpose - Don't Spam

The golden rule of mentioning is relevance. Only tag accounts that are genuinely part of your Story. Tagging a celebrity or a huge brand in an unrelated post in hopes of a reshare often comes across as spammy and can annoy both the tagged account and your followers.

• Good Example: You visit a local coffee shop, take a picture of your latte, and tag the shop's Instagram account.
• Bad Example: You post a selfie from your living room and tag five of your favorite clothing brands that you aren't wearing.

Make Your Mentions Obvious and Clickable

Some users try to "hide" mentions by shrinking them to invisibility or dragging them off-screen. This defeats the purpose. If you want the person to see and reshare your content, make the tag a clear part of your design. A visible tag also adds context for your viewers, letting them know who or what is featured in your Story.

Always Double-Check the Username

This seems simple, but it’s a common mistake. Many users and brands have similar handles. Typos are also frequent. Before posting, take a second to make sure you've selected the correct account. Tagging `@shopify` is very different from tagging `@shopifly`. An incorrect tag means the right person won't get notified, and you’ll miss out on a potential reshare.

Use Mentions to Build Real Relationships

Think beyond just tagging big brands. Use mentions to actively engage with your community and network within your niche.

• Share User-Generated Content (UGC): If a customer posts a great photo with your product, reshare it to your Story. Thank them for their post and be sure to @mention their account.
• Thank Your Partners: Tag anyone you're collaborating with or who helped you create something. It's a simple way to give them credit and recognition.
• Engage with Local Businesses: Show support for local events, restaurants, or other businesses in your area. This helps build local business relationships.

What if Tagging Doesn't Work? Troubleshooting Common Scenarios

It can be frustrating when the mention function doesn't work as expected. Here are a few possible reasons why your tag might have failed.

• The User Has Blocked You: If a user has blocked your account, you will not be able to mention them. Their username won't appear when you search for it.
• Their Privacy Settings: The user can adjust their privacy settings to limit who can mention them. They have the option to allow mentions from "Everyone," "People You Follow," or "No One." If their settings restrict your account, the mention will not be successful.
• Account Typo or Deactivation: Always double-check that the username is spelled correctly. It's also possible the user has slightly changed their handle or deactivated their account, either of which would prevent the tag from working.
• An Instagram Glitch: Occasionally, the application itself can have temporary bugs. Try closing and reopening the app. If the problem persists, check for any available updates, or try logging out and back in.

Final Thoughts

Mastering the art of the Instagram Story mention is a small skill that delivers significant results. Whether you use the Mention Sticker or the Text Tool, tagging relevant accounts amplifies your content's reach, strengthens community bonds, and encourages meaningful engagement that helps your profile grow.

As you begin to feature more user-generated content and collaborative Stories in your content strategy, planning ahead becomes crucial to staying organized. We built Postbase to streamline this entire process for creators and marketers. With our visual calendar, you can plan and schedule all your content, including video-first formats like Reels and Stories, for all of your platforms from a single spot. This transforms community management from a chaotic daily scramble to an organized, seamless part of your social media workflow.