How to Put a Facebook Post on Instagram

Got a fantastic post on Facebook that you know would perform just as well on Instagram? Moving content between the two platforms is a smart way to save time and reach more people, but it’s not always as simple as hitting a “share” button. This guide will walk you through the practical methods for getting your Facebook content onto Instagram, from the basic manual download to scheduling new content on both platforms at once. We'll also cover the key strategic adjustments you need to make so your repurposed post actually resonates with the Instagram audience.

Why You Can't Just 'Share' From Facebook to Instagram

Even though Meta owns both Facebook and Instagram, they operate as distinct platforms with different strengths, user expectations, and technical foundations. Think of them as houses built by the same company but with completely different floor plans. You can’t just walk through a magic door from the Facebook living room straight into the Instagram kitchen. The primary friction point is that Instagram is a visual-first platform. A post fundamentally begins with a photo, a carousel of images, or a video.

Facebook, on the other hand, is much more flexible. A post can be text-only, a link with a preview, an image, a video, or any combination. The "Share to Instagram" option that sometimes appears when you create a new post on a Facebook Business Page is simply a tool for simultaneous publishing, not for sharing an existing post that's already live. If you see a week-old Facebook post and want to get it onto your Instagram profile, you need a different strategy.

The Manual Method: The Go-To Approach for Full Control

The most straightforward and common way to move a post from Facebook to Instagram is the manual save-and-upload process. This gives you complete control over how the final content looks, which is perfect for ensuring high quality and adapting your message for a different audience.

Step 1: Save Your Visuals from Facebook

First, you need the original media file. You can't just screenshot it, as that will drastically reduce the quality and look unprofessional.

• For photos: Open your Facebook post on a desktop computer. Click the photo to open it in the media viewer. Click the three dots in the top right corner and select "Download." This will save the highest-resolution version of the image to your computer.
• For videos: On your original Facebook post, click the three-dot menu on the post itself and find the "Copy link" option. Then, use a third-party Facebook video downloader website (a quick search will bring up several reputable options) to paste the link and download the MP4 file. Always be careful and use well-known sites for this.

If you're the original creator of the content, the easiest path is to simply find the original, high-quality file on your computer or phone that you used to create the Facebook post in the first place. This bypasses any compression Facebook might have applied.

Step 2: Transfer the File to Your Phone (If Necessary)

If you downloaded the file to your computer, you need to get it onto the mobile device you use for Instagram. The best methods for maintaining quality are:

• Cloud Storage: Upload the file to Google Drive, Dropbox, or iCloud Drive, then access and download it from the corresponding app on your phone.
• AirDrop (for Apple users): If you use a Mac and iPhone, AirDrop is a fast, wireless way to send the file directly.
• Email: For smaller files, you can email them to yourself, but be aware that some email services compress larger images and videos.

Step 3: Adapt the Content for the Instagram Experience

This is the most important step. Simply copying and pasting your content will likely result in a post that feels out of place and performs poorly. Here’s how to tailor it properly.

Adapt Your Visuals

Not every image or video from Facebook is perfectly sized for Instagram. Take a moment to optimize it.

• Aspect Ratio: Landscape photos from Facebook look small and awkward in the Instagram feed. Crop them to a 1:1 square or a 4:5 vertical portrait for maximum screen space. For videos you want to post as a Reel, they must be in a 9:16 vertical format. Tools like Canva, CapCut, or your phone’s built-in photo editor can handle this easily.
• Content Type: Could that single Facebook image be more engaging as an Instagram carousel? For example, a post about "5 Tips for..." on Facebook could become a five-slide carousel on Instagram, with one tip per slide. This encourages users to swipe through, boosting engagement.

Rewrite Your Caption

Facebook and Instagram captions serve different purposes.

• Remove Links: Clickable links don't work in Instagram captions. If your Facebook post drove traffic to a blog post, change your Instagram call-to-action to "Link in bio" and make sure the link is actually there.
• Find an Engaging Hook: The first line of your Instagram caption is critical because the rest gets hidden behind a "more" button. Start with a hook - a question, a bold statement, or something intriguing - to encourage people to read the rest.
• Use Formatting: Use line breaks and emojis on Instagram to make your caption scannable and visually appealing. Long, unbroken paragraphs of text are hard to read and often ignored.

Build a Smart Hashtag Strategy

Hashtags are an afterthought on Facebook for many, but they are a primary driver of discovery on Instagram. Don't skip them.

• Be Relevant: Don't just toss in #love or #instagood. Search for hashtags that are specific to your niche, industry, and the content of your post.
• Mix Up the Size: Use a combination of large hashtags (1M+ posts), medium ones (100k–500k), and smaller, niche-specific ones (under 50k). This gives you a chance to be discovered by both broad and highly targeted audiences. Aim for 8–15 well-researched hashtags.

Step 4: Create and Publish Your New Instagram Post

With your adapted visuals and text ready, the final part is simple:

1. Open the Instagram app and tap the "+" icon at the bottom.
2. Select "Post," "Reel," or "Story."
3. Choose your saved visual from your phone's gallery.
4. Write or paste your new, adapted caption into the text field.
5. Add hashtags, tag any relevant accounts, and add a location if it makes sense.
6. Click "Share" to publish it.

Using Meta Business Suite to Post to Both Platforms at Once

If you're creating new content and want it to go live on both Facebook and Instagram simultaneously, Meta Business Suite is the way to go. It's a free, powerful tool designed for this exact purpose. However, remember this is for planning future posts, not for migrating old ones.

This method gives you the efficiency of posting once while still allowing you to customize the content for each platform’s unique audience and format.

How to Schedule a Cross-Platform Post

1. Navigate to Meta Business Suite: Open your web browser and go to business.facebook.com.
2. Create a New Post: Click the blue "Create Post" button.
3. Select Your Accounts: In the "Post to" section, make sure both your Facebook Page and your Instagram account are checked.
4. Upload Your Media: Add the photos or videos for your post.
5. Customize for Each Platform: This is the key feature. You'll see two tabs at the top of the text editor, one for Facebook and one for Instagram. Start by writing your message in the "All" view. Then, click on each platform's specific tab to make your adjustments. You can change hashtags, tweak the caption's tone, and make sure the call-to-action is right for each one. The preview on the right will update in real-time, showing you exactly how it will look on both Feeds.
6. Schedule or Publish: Once you're happy with your customized posts, you can either Publish them immediately or use the "Schedule" option to set a specific time for them to go live. You can even set different times for Facebook and Instagram if your audiences are most active at different hours.

Final Thoughts

While there isn't a simple "share to Instagram" button for your old Facebook posts, repurposing your content is absolutely manageable with the right approach. Whether you're manually adapting a single post for better performance or using Meta Business Suite to plan your content calendar, the essential lesson is to treat each platform as its own unique space with its own set of rules and audience expectations.

We know that managing these customizations for every post across all your social platforms can quickly become overwhelming. We actually built Postbase to solve this very problem. Our platform enables you to upload your content once, then easily customize captions and formats for Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and more, all from a single, clean visual calendar. That way, you're spending less time wrestling with different apps and getting your focus back on creating content your audience loves.

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