How to Share a Story on Instagram

Posting an Instagram Story seems simple, but getting the most out of this powerful feature goes far beyond tapping a button. This guide will walk you through everything from sharing your first photo to using advanced strategies that build community and drive real engagement. We'll cover how to post, what to share, and the best ways to make your Stories stand out.

The Absolute Basics: How to Post Your First Instagram Story

If you're new to Instagram Stories, this is your starting point. Stories are temporary photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours. They appear at the top of your followers' app feeds, making them a prime spot for grabbing attention. Here’s how to create one.

Step-by-Step: Creating a Story from Scratch

Getting to the Story camera is easy. You have a few options:

• From your Home feed: Tap the plus icon (+) in the top right corner and select "Story" from the bottom menu.
• From anywhere in the app: Simply swipe right from the main feed to open the Story camera directly.
• From your profile: Tap your profile picture where it says "Your Story" with a blue plus icon.

Once you’re in the Story editor, you have two main choices:

1. Capture in the Moment: Tap the big white button at the bottom to take a photo. Press and hold it to record a video. You can also use effects and filters by swiping through the options near the shutter button.
2. Upload from Your Camera Roll: Tap the square thumbnail in the bottom left corner (or swipe up) to open your phone’s photo gallery. Select the photo or video you want to share.

After you’ve selected your media, you’ll be taken to the editing screen where you can add stickers, text, and music before sharing. When you're happy with it, tap "Your Story" in the bottom left to post it for all your followers to see.

What to Share: Mastering Different Types of Story Content

A great Story strategy is about variety. Don’t just post photos of your coffee. Mix it up by sharing feed posts, Reels, music, and content from other creators to keep your audience interested. This is how you turn your Story from a simple update into a dynamic channel.

How to Share an Instagram Feed Post or Reel to Your Story

Have you ever seen someone share a grid post in their Story? It's a fantastic way to get more eyes on your content or spotlight someone else's. This works for both permanent feed posts and Reels.

1. Find the feed post or Reel you want to share.
2. Tap the paper airplane icon below the post (the same icon you use for direct messaging).
3. In the pop-up menu, select "Add to your story."
4. The post will now appear as a sticker in your Story editor. You can pinch to resize it, rotate it, and drag it around.
5. Pro-Tip: Tapping the sticker will toggle between two styles: one with a clean preview of the post, and another that shows the original poster’s username and caption snippet. Add some text or a GIF to encourage people to "tap here" to view the original post.

How to Reshare Another Person’s Story (When You’re Tagged)

If someone tags your account (@yourusername) in their Story, Instagram makes it incredibly easy to reshare that content to your own Story. This is great for sharing user-generated content, testimonials, or shoutouts.

When you're tagged, you'll get a notification in your Direct Messages (DMs). Inside that message, you’ll see a button that says "Add to your story." Tap it, and the other person’s Story will load directly into your Story editor. It will appear as a movable sticker, already crediting the original creator. You can resize it, add your own commentary, and post it just like any other Story.

How to Add Music or a Song to Your Story

Music instantly adds personality and energy to a Story. Instagram has a massive library of licensed songs you can add in just a few taps.

1. After you've taken a photo or video, tap the sticker icon (the square smiley face) at the top of the screen.
2. Select the "Music" sticker.
3. You can now search for a specific song, artist, or browse trending tracks and genres.
4. Once you select a song, you can choose which part of the song to play (the clip defaults to 15 seconds). Use the slider at the bottom to scrub through the track.
5. You can also customize how the music appears, choosing between an animated lyrics display, a small album art sticker, or just a simple text sticker. Tap the icons above the track slider to cycle through the options.

The right song can completely change the vibe of your Story, turning a simple static image into something much more emotional and memorable.

Level Up: Using Interactive Stickers to Boost Engagement

If you want people to do more than just tap through your Stories, you need to invite them to participate. Interactive stickers are the single best way to do this. They stop the passive scroll and encourage your audience to engage directly with your brand.

Polls, Quizzes, and Sliders

These are the easiest ways to get feedback and have fun with your followers. A simple two-option poll can give you valuable insight into what your audience thinks.

• Poll Sticker: Ask a question and provide two answers (e.g., "This or That?"). People love giving their opinion, and it’s a quick, low-effort way for them to interact.
• Quiz Sticker: Great for educational content or testing your audience's knowledge. You can set up a multiple-choice question and designate the correct answer.
• Emoji Slider: This sticker lets people rate something on a scale using an emoji of your choice. It's perfect for a quick gut reaction check: "How much do you love this new product?" or "Rate my new setup."

Question and "Add Yours" Stickers

These stickers are conversation starters that help you collect feedback, answers, and even user-generated content.

• Question Sticker: This allows you to post a prompt like "Ask Me Anything" or "What do you want to see next?" You can then share your favorite responses directly to subsequent Stories, creating a longer, engaging thread. It’s an invaluable tool for direct communication.
• "Add Yours" Sticker: This collaborative feature is one of the best for sparking trends and community participation. You create a prompt (e.g., "Show me your WFH setup" or "Pic of your pet"), and others can add their own photo to the chain. It creates a public thread of Stories that anyone can view and contribute to.

The All-Important Link Sticker

For years, a "swipe up" link was a privilege for accounts with over 10,000 followers. Now, the Link Sticker is available to everyone, making Stories a top traffic driver for businesses and creators. Use it to send followers to your website, a new blog post, a product page, or your latest YouTube video. You can even customize the sticker text to make the call to action clear, like "Read the article" or "Shop Now."

Advanced Strategies: Thinking Like a Pro

Once you’ve mastered the tools, it's time to build a strategy. Posting consistently and thoughtfully is what separates casual users from successful brands and creators on Instagram.

Story Highlights: Your Profile’s Permanent Portfolio

Stories disappear after 24 hours, but what if you have content you want to keep? That's where Highlights come in. These are curated collections of your past Stories that live permanently on your profile, right below your bio.

Organize your Highlights into categories that act like sections of a website: "About Me," "Shop," "Reviews," "FAQ," or "Tutorials." Use branded cover images for your Highlights to create a clean, professional look on your profile. They are one of the first things a new visitor will see, making them essential for telling your brand's story.

Develop a Consistent Visual Style

Just like your feed, your Stories should have a cohesive look and feel. This doesn’t mean every Story has to be identical, but they should feel connected.

• Use branded fonts and colors. When adding text, stick to a handful of fonts and brand colors to keep things consistent.
• Create simple templates. Use an app like Canva or even Instagram's own create mode to build simple backgrounds or layouts for things you post often, like sharing a quote or announcing a new post.
• Establish content pillars. Know the 3-5 key topics you always post about in your Stories. This keeps your content focused and helps your audience know what to expect from you.

Batch and Plan Your Story Content

Coming up with something new to post every few hours can be draining. A pro move is to batch create your Story content. Set aside some time once a week to plan out Story ideas, film short videos, or design simple graphics. Save them to your phone or a cloud drive. This way, you always have high-quality content ready to go, even on busy days, helping you stay consistent without the stress.

Final Thoughts

Mastering Instagram Stories is about combining strategy with creativity. By moving beyond simple posts and embracing interactive features, music, and consistent branding, you can transform your Stories from a fleeting update into one of your most powerful channels for connection and growth. Start with the basics and gradually add these advanced techniques to build an engaging narrative for your audience.

As we create content, we know that managing Stories alongside Reels, feed posts, and other platforms can feel overwhelming. That's why we built Postbase from the ground up to handle today’s social media - with a special focus on video formats like Stories and Reels. You can plan your entire content calendar visually, schedule everything in advance, and see what’s working with clean analytics, all in one calm workspace that was built for the way social media actually works now.