How to Let Others Share Your Post on Instagram Story

Want more people to see your Instagram feed posts? Turning on the share-to-story feature is one of the quickest ways to boost your reach, and it only takes a few taps to set up. This guide will walk you through exactly how to enable the setting so followers can share your content, troubleshoot common issues if it's not working, and give you practical strategies to create content that people are genuinely excited to share.

Why Sharing to Stories is a Social Media Game-Changer

Before we get into the technical steps, it helps to understand why this feature is so powerful for brands, creators, and marketers. When someone shares your feed post to their Instagram Story, it does much more than just show up in a different part of the app. It's a powerful mechanism for organic growth.

Here’s what really happens:

• Exponential Reach: Your post is no longer limited to your own followers. It’s now exposed to the audience of the person who shared it. One share can put your content in front of hundreds, or even thousands, of new people who might have never discovered your account otherwise.
• Authentic Social Proof: A share is a personal endorsement. When a follower reposts your content, it’s a non-verbal recommendation that says, "Hey, this is cool/funny/helpful, you should check it out." This kind of authentic testimonial is far more powerful than any ad because it comes from a trusted source.
• Increased Engagement: When users see your post in a Story, they can tap on it to be taken directly to the original feed post. This drives traffic back to your post, increasing its views, likes, comments, and saves - all signals that tell the Instagram algorithm that your content is valuable.
• Free User-Generated Content (UGC): Every share acts as a piece of user-generated content promoting your brand or message. It creates a positive feedback loop where visibility leads to more shares, which leads to even more visibility.

In short, enabling story sharing turns your followers into an extension of your marketing team, helping you grow your brand organically with every single tap of the share button.

First Things First: How to Enable Story Sharing on Your Instagram Account

Okay, let's get down to business. Enabling the ability for others to share your feed posts to their Stories is a simple setting that's sometimes turned off by default. If your audience is seeing the paper airplane icon but doesn't have the "Add post to story" option, this setting is likely the culprit.

Follow these steps to make sure it's turned on:

1. Navigate to your Instagram profile by tapping your profile picture in the bottom-right corner.
2. Tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top-right corner to open the main menu.
3. Select Settings and Privacy from the list.
4. Scroll down to the "How others can interact with you" section and tap on Sharing and remixes.
5. Look for the subsection labeled "Allow others to share." Here, you'll see a toggle for Allow post sharing to stories.
6. Make sure this toggle is switched to the on position (it should be blue).

That's it! Once this setting is enabled, anyone will be able to share your feed posts (from photos and carousels to Reels) to their own Instagram Story. When they do, the story will show a tappable preview of your post that links directly back to the original and clearly displays your username.

Troubleshooting: Why Can't People Share Your Post?

Even with the right setting turned on, you might run into situations where sharing isn't working as expected. This can be frustrating, especially if you're running a campaign or have just published a great piece of content. Here are the most common reasons why people might not be able to share your post and what to do about them.

Is Your Account Public?

This is the number one reason people run into issues. Instagram posts from private accounts cannot be shared to Stories. The entire feature is designed for public discovery, so if your account is set to private, the option to "Add post to story" simply won't appear for your followers.

If you're a business, brand, or creator looking to grow, your account should be public anyway. To check this setting:

• Go to Settings and Privacy.
• Scroll down and tap on Account Privacy.
• Make sure the Private account toggle is off.

Are You Using a Business or Creator Account?

While personal accounts can also use the story sharing feature, converting to a Creator or Business account gives you access to vital analytics that can help you understand what's being shared and who's sharing it. With these account types, you can track metrics like reshares, reach from stories, and website clicks, giving you valuable insight into what content resonates most with your audience.

If you're serious about your Instagram presence, making the switch is a must. You can do this under Settings and Privacy > Account type and tools > Switch to professional account.

Is Instagram Experiencing a Bug?

Sometimes, the problem isn't on your end at all. Instagram, like any app, can have temporary bugs or glitches. If you've triple-checked that your account is public and the sharing setting is on, but it's still not working, suggest these steps to the user trying to share your post:

• Update the App: The most common fix for unexplained issues is simply updating the Instagram app to the latest version from the App Store or Google Play Store.
• Restart the App and Phone: Close the app completely and reopen it. If that doesn't work, a full restart of the phone can often clear up minor software glitches.
• Clear the Cache: On Android, you can go into your phone's settings, find the Instagram app, and clear its cache. This doesn't delete your data but can fix performance issues. On iOS, the common way to do this is to offload and then reinstall the app.

It's Enabled... Now How Do You Get People to Actually Share?

Flipping a switch in your settings is only half the battle. Just because people can share your posts doesn't mean they will. The next step is to create content and use strategies that actively encourage your audience to hit that share button. Here’s how to do it.

1. Create Content People Want to Share

The foundation of a great social media strategy is content that provides value. People share things that make them look good, feel smart, or connect with others. Focus on creating posts that fall into these categories:

• Educational & Informative: Infographics, quick tutorials, myth-busting carousels, or industry statistics are highly shareable because they provide saveable, useful information. If your post teaches someone something valuable in a concise way, they'll want to share that knowledge.
• Entertaining & Relatable: Memes, funny Reels, relatable quotes, or inspiring stories that resonate on an emotional level are always winners. People love sharing content that reflects their own personality and sense of humor.
• Aesthetically Pleasing: Beautiful photography, well-designed graphics, or stunning videos can be shared purely for their aesthetic value. If your content is visually striking, people will share it to beautify their own Stories.
• Interactive & Engaging: Create posts designed for interaction, like polls, "this or that" graphics, bingo cards, or quiz-like carousels. These invite your followers to participate by sharing the post to their Story and marking up their own answers.

2. Use a Clear Call-to-Action (CTA)

It's amazing what happens when you simply ask. So many creators just assume their audience will share something they like, but a gentle nudge can make all the difference. Remind your audience that sharing is a great way to support your work or spread a message.

You can add a CTA directly in your caption or even as text overlay on your image or video. Try phrases like:

• "If you found this helpful, share it to your Story to help others!"
• "Agree? Share this to your Story and let me know your thoughts."
• "Help us spread the word about our launch by sharing this on your Story!"
• "Tag a friend in the comments who needs to see this and share to your Story!"

3. Run a Contest or Giveaway

One of the fastest ways to drive a massive number of shares is by running a giveaway where sharing the post is a condition of entry. It's a classic and highly effective viral marketing tactic.

Here’s a simple formula for the rules:

1. Follow Us: Contestants must be following your account.
2. Like this Post: Quick and easy engagement boost.
3. Tag a Friend (or two): This expands your reach even further.
4. Share this Post to Your Story: This is the key to going viral. You can even ask them to tag you in the Story so you can track entries easily (their account must be public for you to see the tag).

This multi-step entry process creates a wave of activity that sends massive positive signals to the Instagram algorithm, boosting your visibility across the board.

4. Feature Your Fans and Their Content

People love to be recognized. Make a habit of featuring user-generated content (UGC) in your feed. When you highlight a customer photo, a testimonial, or a great piece of content created by a fan (with their permission, of course), you should tag them prominently.

What’s the first thing that person is likely to do? Share your post to their Story! It's a proud moment for them, and it acts as incredibly authentic social proof for you. This creates a powerful community cycle where people are motivated to post about you in hopes of getting featured, giving you a steady stream of content while encouraging loyal engagement.

Final Thoughts

Turning on the ability for others to share your Instagram posts is a critical first step for organic growth, but your strategy shouldn't stop there. By combining a correctly configured account with high-value content and clear calls-to-action, you can transform your followers from passive viewers into active brand advocates who help expand your reach with every Story share.

To make planning all this shareable content feel less chaotic, we built Postbase with a simple visual calendar where you can map out your entire content strategy. Dragging and dropping Reels, carousels, and single-image posts into your schedule lets you see exactly what’s going live and when, so you can build out your content pillars - like Meme Monday or UGC Friday - with a clear bird's-eye view, making your workflow smoother and your strategy more consistent.