How to Share a Profile on Instagram Story

Sharing another Instagram profile in your Story isn't just a friendly nod - it's a seriously effective tool for building community, networking with other creators, and offering genuine value to your audience. This guide breaks down exactly how to do it with a simple step-by-step tutorial, but more importantly, we’ll cover the strategies to turn a simple share into a meaningful connection that grows your brand.

Why Share a Profile on Your Instagram Story?

Before jumping into the “how,” it’s worth understanding the “why.” When you share someone's profile, you’re doing more than just tagging them. You’re effectively handing your audience a direct, clickable link to another account, which is a powerful move for several reasons:

• Foster Community &, Show Love: Featuring follower content, celebrating another creator's milestone, or just giving a shout-out to an account you genuinely admire is a core 'social' part of social media. It shows you’re paying attention and you’re a real human who values connection over competition.
• Power Up Collaborations: If you're partnering with another brand, running a giveaway, or co-hosting an event, sharing their profile is the clearest call-to-action you can give. It eliminates friction, guiding your followers exactly where they need to go with a single tap. A local coffee shop, for instance, could share the profile of a bakery that supplies their pastries, creating a mutually beneficial cross-promotion.
• Give Clear &, Generous Credit: Did someone inspire your post? Are you reposting user-generated content (UGC)? Sharing their profile directly is the best way to give proper credit. It's more visible and impactful than a small tag in a feed post caption that can be easily missed.
• Become a Go-To Resource: Consistently sharing valuable accounts in your niche positions you as a curator or tastemaker. Your followers learn to trust your recommendations, which strengthens your authority and gives them another reason to keep watching your content.

The Simple Steps: How to Share a Profile in Your Story

Instagram gives you two primary ways to share a profile to your Story. Both are quick and effective, but each has its own unique workflow. Let's walk through them.

Method 1: The @Mention Sticker (The Versatile Classic)

The @Mention sticker is your go-to for adding a profile link into a highly customized Story. Because you start with your own image or video, you have complete creative control.

Here’s the breakdown:

1. Create a New Story: Open Instagram and either tap the "+" icon at the top and select "Story," or simply swipe right from your feed to open the Story camera.
2. Set Your Background: Take a photo, record a video, or upload existing media from your phone’s camera roll. This will be the canvas for your Story.
3. Open the Sticker Tray: Tap the sticker icon (the square smiley face) at the top of your screen.
4. Select the "@MENTION" Sticker: You'll see it near the top of the sticker options.
5. Find the Profile: Start typing the username of the account you want to share. As you type, Instagram will suggest matching profiles. Make sure you select the correct one - typos are common!
6. Customize and Place the Sticker: Once placed on your Story, you can tap the sticker to cycle through a few different design styles (often a subtle rainbow gradient, a more opaque style, and a simple underline). Use two fingers to pinch and zoom to resize it, and drag it anywhere you want on the screen.
7. Add Context: This is a big one. Use the text tool to explain why you’re sharing the profile. What should your followers know about this account?
8. Share It: When you're happy with how it looks, tap "Your Story" in the bottom-left corner to post it. Viewers can now tap that sticker to go directly to the profile you shared.

Method 2: Sharing Directly From a Profile Page (The Fastest Route)

This method is sleeker and faster if your main goal is simply to feature the profile itself without needing a custom photo or video background.

Follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the Profile: Open the Instagram app and go to the profile page of the account you wish to share.
2. Open the Profile Options: Tap the three dots (...) in the top-right corner of the screen.
3. Tap "Share this profile": This will open up your phone’s sharing menu.
4. Select "Add to story": You’ll be taken directly to the Instagram Story editor.
5. A Ready-Made Sticker Appears: Instagram will automatically generate a clean, attractive sticker featuring the account's profile picture, username, and a few of their recent posts. It’s pre-designed and hard to miss.
6. Customize the background and Add Context: You can tap the sticker to change its view from "Recent Posts" to just the "Profile Info" as a cleaner look. You can tap the background to pick a custom colored background for the sticker or add any text you'd like. This sticker behaves just like any other, so you can resize it and move it around. Critically, you should still add text or a GIF to explain why you're making the recommendation.
7. Post Your Story: Hit "Your Story" to share it with your followers. They can tap anywhere on the sticker to visit the profile.

Beyond the Basics: Creative Ways to Share Profiles and Boost Engagement

Knowing the technical steps is only half the battle. To truly leverage this feature, you need to integrate it into your content strategy. Here are some ideas that go beyond a random one-off share.

Tell a Genuine Story

Don't just drop a sticker and expect your audience to care. Use the Story's canvas to build a narrative. Tell your followers why you love the account. Is it the beautiful photos? The helpful advice? A hilarious Reel that made your day?

For example: Share a profile with text that says, “Been stuck in a content rut all week, but @socialstrategypro’s latest post on brainstorming gave me a ton of fresh ideas. If you’re a creator, you NEED to follow them.” That adds personal context and a clear benefit for your audience.

Launch a Creator Spotlight Series

Consistency builds habits. Dedicate one day a week or every other week to spotlighting other accounts in your niche. A "Follow Friday" or "Creator Spotlight" series positions you as a helpful hub of information. The key is to be consistent. Use a recognizable look for these stories - a branded template or the same color background can make your series instantly identifiable as your followers are tapping through their Stories.

Run a Collaborative Campaign or Giveaway

This is where sharing profiles becomes a growth engine. Partner with a complementary brand for a giveaway where entry requires following both accounts. When you announce the giveaway in your Stories, sharing your partner's profile with the @Mention sticker makes entering incredibly easy for your followers. It replaces a vague "link in bio" with a direct, one-tap action, which can significantly boost participation and follow-through.

Promote an Instagram Live

If you're co-hosting an Instagram Live session with another creator, use Stories to build hype. Before the event, share their profile and tell your followers who they are and why they should tune in ("Going LIVE at 2 PM with @startupcoachjen to talk about ditching the 9-to-5! Get to know her amazing work here."). After the Live, post again, thanking them and sharing their profile one more time for anyone who missed the stream to catch the replay or discover their content.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Sharing Profiles

It's easy to make a few common missteps that can make your share less effective. Keep an eye out for these.

Mistake 1: Giving Zero Context

This is the most frequent blunder. A Story with just a background photo and a profile sticker leaves your audience guessing. Why should they click? What's in it for them? Without context, most people will just tap past it. Always add a sentence or two explaining your recommendation.

Mistake 2: Making the Sticker Un-Tappable

Be thoughtful about placement. Don't make the profile sticker ridiculously small or hide it behind a GIF, a poll, or too close to the edge of the screen. Place it in a prominent spot where it’s easy to see and accurately tap.

Mistake 3: Sharing Too Many Accounts at Once

A "Follow Friday" where you list ten usernames in a single Story frame is visually cluttered and mentally overwhelming. It creates decision paralysis, and your audience will likely click on none of them. Focus on one, or at most two, profiles per Story slide to give each share the attention it deserves.

Mistake 4: Not Giving Your Partner a Heads-Up

This isn’t a requirement for a casual shout-out to a huge creator, but if you're featuring a peer, a smaller business, or a collaborator, send them a quick DM first. "Hey, just a heads-up, we're shouting you out in our Stories today!" This simple professional courtesy allows them to be ready to engage with any new followers and, importantly, gives them the chance to reshare your Story to their own audience, amplifying both of you.

Final Thoughts

Sharing a profile on your Instagram Story is so much more than a technical feature, it's a relationship and community-building strategy. By moving beyond just dropping a sticker and instead providing real context and value, you turn a simple tap into a powerful tool for networking, collaboration, and reinforcing your own brand's position as a trusted voice in your space.

Keeping track of your content schedule, partner collaborations, and recurring features like a "Creator Spotlight" can get chaotic fast. This is where a focused system makes all the difference. As a team, we manage all of our brand and client content with Postbase, because we use its visual calendar to plan our campaigns weeks in advance - including every partner shout-out and story feature. It helps us see the full picture and ensures those important community-building moments never get lost in the shuffle of daily posting.