How to Share an Instagram Post on LinkedIn

Want to get your great Instagram content in front of your professional network on LinkedIn? It's a smart move to maximize your reach, but it’s not as simple as hitting a share button. This guide will walk you through the best methods for sharing an Instagram post on LinkedIn, so you can repurpose your content effectively and drive engagement on both platforms.

Why Share Your Instagram Content on LinkedIn in the First Place?

Before getting into the how, let’s quickly touch on the why. It might feel like you're mixing and matching two completely different worlds, but cross-posting between Instagram and LinkedIn offers some serious benefits when done right.

• Extend Your Reach: Your audience on Instagram is likely very different from your professional connections on LinkedIn. Sharing content allows you to tap into a new network of potential clients, collaborators, and industry peers without creating a post from scratch.
• Showcase Company Culture: LinkedIn is the perfect place to highlight your company’s personality. A behind-the-scenes team photo, a video of a company event, or posts celebrating employee milestones perform wonderfully. These posts often originate on Instagram and can humanize your brand for your professional audience.
• Reinforce Brand Consistency: Using your Instagram visuals on LinkedIn helps create a consistent brand image across platforms. This helps people recognize your brand instantly, whether they’re scrolling through their feed for personal interests or professional development.
• Save Valuable Time: Let’s be realistic - creating original content for every social media platform is exhausting. Repurposing your top-performing Instagram posts is an efficient way to keep your LinkedIn profile active and engaged without burning yourself out.

The Best Method: Manually Downloading and Reposting

This might not be the answer you want to hear, but the most effective way to share an Instagram post on LinkedIn is to do it manually. This method gives you complete control over how the content appears, which is vital because LinkedIn’s audience has different expectations than Instagram's. A direct, unedited share can feel out of place and get ignored.

Taking a few extra minutes to tailor the post ensures it feels native to the LinkedIn platform, which the algorithm - and your audience - will greatly appreciate.

Step-by-Step Guide to Manual Reposting:

1. Save Your Visuals from Instagram

First, you need the photo or video from your Instagram post. If you still have the original media on your phone or computer, that’s perfect. Use that. If you don't, here’s how to get it:

• For Photos: You can simply take a screenshot of your photo on Instagram and crop it. For higher quality, use your original file.
• For Videos &, Reels: Instagram Reels have a download feature. Open your Reel, tap the three dots (...), and select "Download." This will save the video to your camera roll, though it might have a small Instagram watermark. To avoid the watermark, it’s always best to use the original video file you created before uploading.

2. Craft a LinkedIn-Specific Caption

This is the most important step. Don't just copy and paste your Instagram caption. The tone, style, and goal of a LinkedIn post are fundamentally different.

• Adjust the Tone: LinkedIn’s tone is professional, educational, or inspirational. Your witty, emoji-filled Instagram caption might not land well. Rework it to be more thought-provoking or industry-focused. For example, instead of "Weekend vibes at the team BBQ!☀️🍔", try something like "Company culture is built on moments like these. It was fantastic to get the whole team together this weekend to connect outside of the office. A strong team is the foundation of great work."
• Change Your Call-to-Action (CTA): On Instagram, you might ask for a "like" or to "tap the link in bio." On LinkedIn, encourage professional discussion. Ask a question related to your industry: "How does your team build a strong company culture? Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments."
• Rethink Your Hashtags: Ditch the long list of 30 hashtags. On LinkedIn, 3 to 5 highly relevant, professional hashtags are ideal. Instead of #weekendvibes and #summerfun, use hashtags like #CompanyCulture, #TeamBuilding, #EmployeeEngagement, or #[YourIndustry].
• Tag Connections and Companies: LinkedIn’s tagging feature is powerful. When posting your content, be sure to @mention any colleagues, clients, or companies featured in the post. This notifies them and encourages them to share it with their networks, expanding your reach significantly.

3. Create the Post on LinkedIn

Now, put it all together. Open LinkedIn, start a new post, upload the photo or video you saved, and paste in your newly crafted, professional caption. Hit "Post" and you're good to go.

The Quick Method: Sharing the Post Link (Use with Caution)

If you're in a rush and just want to share a static photo or carousel post, you can use the post link. However, this method has some downsides: the post doesn't look as clean, it forces people to click away from LinkedIn to see your content, and it almost always results in lower engagement.

Important Note: This method does not work well for Reels or videos. LinkedIn will only show a static preview of the link, and the video won't autoplay in the feed. For any motion content, always use the manual method.

How to Share the Link:

1. Navigate to the Instagram post you want to share.
2. Tap the paper airplane (share) icon, then select "Copy Link." Or, tap the three dots (...) in the top-right corner of the post and select "Link."
3. Open LinkedIn and start a new post.
4. Paste the link into the post composer. LinkedIn will automatically generate a preview of your Instagram post.
5. Write an introduction! Do not just paste the raw link. Write a sentence or two above the link preview to provide context and encourage people to click. For example: "We shared a behind-the-scenes look at our latest project over on Instagram. Click below to see how it all came together!"

While this method is fast, remember that algorithms on social platforms prefer native content. An external link acts as a roadblock, whereas content uploaded directly keeps users on the platform - something LinkedIn heavily favors.

Best Practices for Repurposing Instagram Posts on LinkedIn

Whether you're going the manual route or just sharing a link, keeping these best practices in mind will make your cross-platform strategy more successful.

• Always Prioritize Native Video: If you're sharing a video or Reel, always go the extra mile to download it and upload it directly to LinkedIn. Videos that autoplay in the feed get dramatically more views and engagement than link previews. Remember to add captions, as many professionals view content in the office with the sound off.
• Ask "Is This Relevant to a Professional Audience?": Not every Instagram post belongs on LinkedIn. A funny meme might be a huge hit on Instagram Stories but fall flat in a professional feed. Share content that offers value to your LinkedIn network, whether that’s through industry insights, career advice, company news, or glimpses into your corporate culture.
• Engage with the Comments: When people comment on your LinkedIn post, reply! The goal is to start conversations. Treat your LinkedIn post as a new piece of content, not just an echo of your Instagram presence.
• Don't Do It Every Time: While repurposing content is great, your LinkedIn feed shouldn't just be a mirror of your Instagram account. Make sure you're still creating and sharing original content that is designed specifically for the LinkedIn platform and its audience.

Final Thoughts

Sharing your Instagram content on LinkedIn is an excellent strategy for boosting brand visibility and reaching a different, professional audience. The key is to be intentional - resisting the urge to simply copy-paste and instead taking a few moments to tailor your message for the LinkedIn platform will yield far better results.

We know that manually downloading and customizing content for every platform can become tedious, especially when you're juggling Reels, videos, and multiple accounts. That’s exactly why we built Postbase. Our platform allows you to schedule content across all your channels from one place, so you can upload your content once and easily customize the caption for both your Instagram and LinkedIn audiences without all the extra steps. You can plan everything on a visual calendar and trust that your posts go live when they're supposed to, helping you maintain a consistent and high-quality presence everywhere.