How to Copy a Post from Facebook to Instagram

Sharing a great post from your Facebook Page to your Instagram account is a smart way to save time and keep your brand message consistent. This guide breaks down exactly how to do it, covering both the automated way to cross-post new content and the best practices for manually re-posting existing content so it performs perfectly on Instagram.

Why Re-Post from Facebook to Instagram? (And When You Shouldn't)

Repurposing content across platforms is efficient, but it’s not always a simple copy-and-paste job. Understanding the pros and cons will help you decide when it’s the right move for your brand.

The Benefits of Cross-Posting

• It Saves a Ton of Time: Curation, creation, caption writing - it all adds up. Reusing a successful post from Facebook instantly reduces your content creation workload, freeing you up to focus on community management and strategy.
• Maintains Brand Consistency: Using the same core message, visuals, and tone across your profiles reinforces your brand identity. It helps followers who see you on both platforms recognize you instantly.
• Extends Your Reach: Not everyone who follows you on Facebook also follows you on Instagram and vice-versa. Cross-posting allows you to share your best content with different segments of your audience, maximizing the value of each piece.

The Pitfalls to Avoid

While an efficient strategy, simply copying without adapting your content can backfire. Each platform has its own unwritten rules and audience expectations. Keep these key differences in mind:

• Different Platform Cultures: Instagram is a highly visual platform centered around aesthetics, high-quality images, and short-form video (Reels). Facebook is more community and conversation-driven, where longer text posts, links, and discussions thrive. A post that performs well on Facebook might feel out of place on Instagram if it's too text-heavy or the visual isn't compelling enough.
• Functionality Gaps: The biggest technical difference is that links are not clickable in Instagram captions. A Facebook post encouraging users to "Click the link below!" will just lead to confused users on Instagram. Similarly, tagging a Facebook Page in a caption won't translate to tagging the correct Instagram account.
• Hashtag Strategy Varies: Hashtags on Instagram are a primary discovery tool. Using 10-20 relevant tags is standard practice. On Facebook, using more than a few hashtags can look spammy and even hurt your reach.

The goal isn't just to copy a post - it's to adapt it intelligently so it resonates with your Instagram audience just as well as it did on Facebook.

Method 1: The Automated Way (For New Posts) via Meta Business Suite

The easiest way to post to Facebook and Instagram simultaneously is by using Meta's own native tool, Meta Business Suite. This is ideal when you're creating new content and want it to go live on both platforms at the same time. The best part? It lets you customize the content for each platform within the same composer window.

Step 1: Make Sure Your Accounts Are Linked

First, you need to confirm that your Instagram business account and Facebook Business Page are properly connected. If you haven't done this already, it only takes a minute.

1. Navigate to Meta Business Suite.
2. Click on the Settings gear icon in the bottom-left sidebar.
3. Go to Business Assets.
4. Here, you'll see a list of your connected assets. Click on "Instagram accounts." If yours is already listed, you're good to go!
5. If not, click the blue "Add Assets" button, choose "Instagram account," accept the terms, and follow the pop-ups to log in and authorize the connection.

Step 2: Create Your Cross-Post

Now that your accounts are connected, you can schedule posts to appear on both feeds at once.

1. From the Business Suite home page, click the "Create post" button.
2. In the post composer, under "Post to," you will see your Facebook Page and Instagram account. Make sure the boxes for both are checked.
3. Upload your image or video. As you add content, the preview pane on the right will show how it looks on each platform.
4. Write your caption. By default, the text you enter will be used for both platforms, but this is where you should customize it. Click "Customize post for Facebook and Instagram" to create separate captions. This is your chance to remove links from the Instagram version and direct users to your "link in bio" instead.
5. Add your platform-specific hashtags and tags.
6. When you are happy with the previews, you can click "Publish" to post immediately or "Schedule" to post it later.

Method 2: Manually Re-Posting an Existing Post

If you have an older post on Facebook that performed well and you want to share it on Instagram, you will have to re-post it manually. This method ensures you properly adapt it for the best performance.

Step 1: Download the Media from Facebook

Find the post on your Facebook Page. Click on the photo or video, then download the media file to your computer or phone.

Step 2: Transfer the Media to Your Phone

If you downloaded the media to your computer, make sure to get it onto your phone so you can upload it to Instagram.

Step 3: Create a New Post on Instagram

Open the Instagram app and start creating a new post. Upload the media you just saved.

Step 4: Adapt the Caption for the Instagram Audience

Copy the original text from your Facebook post, and then paste it into the Instagram caption field. Now, it's time to edit it to fit the platform.

• Reformat links and CTAs: Clickable links don't work in Instagram captions. If your original post had a link, rewrite your call-to-action to something like "Check out the link in our bio!"
• Update Your Tags: If you tagged a Facebook Page, make sure you replace it with the correct Instagram handle so the mention works properly.
• Optimize Your Hashtags: A few hashtags might work on Facebook, but Instagram rewards a more robust strategy. Add 10-20 relevant hashtags to help your post get discovered.

Optimizing Your Content for Cross-Posting

Whether you're automating or manually posting, a little extra optimization will make your content feel native to each platform.

Mind Your Visual Formats

Instagram highly favors vertical content. While a square (1:1 aspect ratio) photo works, a vertical portrait post (4:5) takes up more screen space. Facebook is more flexible. If you want maximum visual impact on both, consider creating slightly different crops for each platform.

Customize Your Call-to-Action

Your CTA needs to match the platform's functionality. For Facebook, "Click the link in our post" works perfectly. For Instagram, you need to funnel your audience elsewhere, such as "Visit the link in our bio" or "Tap the project tag." This simple shift prevents user friction.

Tagging and Collaborations

On Facebook, you can tag other Pages in a collaboration. On Instagram, you can mention other accounts or use the official Collabs feature to have the post appear on a partner’s profile. Make sure you use the appropriate feature for each platform for maximum visibility.

Final Thoughts

Sharing content between your Facebook and Instagram is an excellent strategy to boost efficiency and maintain a consistent brand message. Whether you're automating a future post or manually re-posting a classic, the key is to adapt the content so it feels native to each platform. Without this step, you risk confusing your audience.

As you get deeper into a cross-platform content strategy, keeping a clear posting schedule is crucial. At Postbase, we offer a clean visual calendar that brings all your channels together in one place. You can schedule content, customize captions for each network, and see your entire strategy at a glance, allowing you to focus on creating great content that resonates everywhere.