How to Turn an Instagram Post into a Story

Sharing an Instagram feed post to your Story gives your content a second life and a whole new way to connect with your audience. It's more than just a repost, it's a chance to add context, spark conversation, and get more eyes on the content you've worked hard to create. This guide breaks down exactly how to share a post to your Story step-by-step, along with creative strategies that drive real engagement.

Why Bother Sharing a Post to Your Story?

You might be wondering if sharing a post you just published is redundant. It's not. In fact, it's a smart strategy that leverages the unique strengths of both the Instagram feed and Stories. Your feed is your curated gallery, while your Stories are your dynamic, in-the-moment dialogue channel. Marrying the two can supercharge your content's performance.

Boost Visibility and Overcome the Algorithm

The Instagram feed is a crowded place. Not everyone who follows you will see your post when it first goes live. Sharing that post to your Story gives it a second chance to be discovered by your audience - especially by those who primarily tap through Stories instead of scrolling the feed. It's an effective way to outsmart the algorithm and put your content in front of more people without creating something entirely new.

Add Context, Personality, and Behind-the-Scenes Info

A static feed post is just one piece of the puzzle. A Story lets you tell the rest of the story. When you share a post, you're not just re-sharing an image, you're using it as a backdrop for commentary. You can add text overlays with insider tips, a short video detailing behind-the-scenes moments, or reactions that add a layer of personality and depth your original caption might be missing. This turns a simple image into a richer, more engaging piece of content.

Drive Engagement with Interactive Features

Stories come equipped with a powerful suite of interactive stickers that your feed simply doesn't have. Want to know what your audience thinks of your latest project? Share the post to your Story and add a Poll or a Slider sticker. Have a question for your followers related to your post? Use the Question box to invite replies. These interactive elements turn passive viewing into active participation, encouraging direct engagement that resonates with your community.

Highlight Time-Sensitive Information

The ephemeral 24-hour nature of Stories makes them perfect for creating a sense of urgency. Did your feed post announce a flash sale, a limited-time offer, a new product drop, or an upcoming event? Sharing that post to your Story serves as a powerful, timely reminder. You can even add a countdown sticker to heighten anticipation and drive immediate action before the Story disappears.

How to Share an Instagram Post to Your Story: The Basics

Sharing a post is straightforward once you know where to look. Here's a quick breakdown of the process for sharing either your own post or a post from another public account.

One important note: You can only share posts from public accounts. If an account is set to private, the option to share their post to your Story won't be available. If your account is private, you can share your own posts to your Story, but other people won't be able to share them.

1. Find the post you want to share. This can be one of your own posts or one from another public profile.
2. Tap the paper airplane icon. You'll find it below the post's image or video, next to the comment bubble.
3. Select "Add post to your story." This will be the first option in the menu that pops up. Tapping it will open the Instagram Story editor with the post embedded.
4. Customize your Story. Once in the editor, the post will appear as a sticker. By default, it shows a clean design where your username and the first line of the caption are visible. If you tap on the post sticker, it will switch to a more classic view with a white border and the full beginning of the caption. Pick the style you like and get ready to add your creative touches!

From here, you can resize, rotate, and move the post sticker anywhere on the screen. Now for the fun part: making it stand out.

Beyond the Basics: Creative Ways to Design Your Shared Post Story

Simply sharing the post with the default gradient background is fine, but it won't stop the scroll. To really grab your audience's attention, you need to add a creative layer. Here are some of the most effective techniques used by top creators and brands.

1. The "New Post" Peekaboo Reveal

This classic tactic builds curiosity and encourages people to tap through to your feed. The idea is to cover most of the shared post with something else, giving just a sneak peek.

• How to do it: After adding the post to your Story, search for a "new post," "tap here," or "link in bio" sticker or GIF and place it over the image. You can also use a large emoji to cover it. Add some text like "Check out our latest update! Tap for more." This prompts an action from the viewer and makes the experience more interactive.

2. The Color Block Eraser Effect

This design trick creates a sleek, customized look that's dead simple to pull off. It uses the drawing tools to reveal the post underneath a solid color overlay.

How to do it:

1. Tap the "draw" tool (the wavy line) at the top of the editor.
2. Select a color from the bottom - you can even use the color dropper tool to select a brand color from the post itself.
3. Press and hold your finger on the screen for a few seconds. The screen will fill with the solid color, covering your post.
4. Now, select the "eraser" tool on the far left of the drawing menu.
5. "Erase" over the area where your post is hidden to creatively reveal it. You can create swooshes, patterns, or just a simple window for a cool effect.

3. Create a Custom Branded Background

Ditch the boring default gradient background and use one of your own branded images. This makes your shared posts look instantly more professional and cohesive with your brand identity.

How to do it:

1. After you've added the post to your Story, leave the Instagram app and go to your phone's camera roll.
2. Find the background image you want to use, tap the share icon, and select "Copy Photo."
3. Go back to the Instagram Story editor. A little pop-up should appear in the bottom-left corner that says "Add sticker" with your copied image. Tap it.
4. The copied image will now be a sticker. Enlarge it with two fingers to fill the entire screen, then tap and hold it and drag it slightly down until your shared post sticker appears on top. Now you have a perfectly branded background.

4. Share More by Adding Direct Commentary

Use the shared post as a visual starting point for a deeper conversation. Instead of just saying "new post," add meaningful value that draws people in.

• Give the backstory: Use text to explain what was happening when the photo was taken or share an interesting fact that didn't fit in the caption.
• Summarize the key points: If your post was a long-form caption with valuable tips (e.g., "5 Ways to Improve Your Sleep"), use bullet points in your Story to summarize the main takeaways.
• Ask a direct question: Share a post about a new destination you visited and use the text tool to ask, "Has anyone else been here? I'd love to hear your recommendations!"

5. Turn Passive Viewers into Active Participants

The easiest way to boost engagement on a shared post is to slap an interactive sticker on it. These stickers give your audience a low-effort way to respond and show them that their opinion matters.

• Use a Poll: Share a photo of two products. Add a poll asking, "Which new design is your favorite?"
• Use a Quiz: Share a post with an interesting fact. Turn it into a Quiz sticker to see who was paying attention.
• Use the Question Box: Share a post about a challenge you're facing. Add a question box that says, "What's your best advice for dealing with this?" This turns your content into a valuable resource filled with community-driven advice.

Tips for Success: Best Practices for Sharing to Stories

Turning posts into Stories is both an art and a science. Keep these best practices in mind to get the most out of your efforts.

• Don't Be Spammy: Resharing every single post to your Story can feel repetitive. Be selective and choose the posts that have the most potential for added commentary or engagement.
• Always Tag the Creator: When sharing content from another account, be sure to tag them. Instagram usually adds a small tag automatically, but it's good practice to also use the @mention sticker to give them a bigger, more visible shout-out.
• Time It Smartly: Don't share the post to your Story at the exact moment you publish it. Wait a few hours to catch a different segment of your audience who may have missed the initial post. You can also re-share older, high-performing posts days or weeks later to revive your best content.
• Include a Clear Call to Action (CTA): Don't assume people know what to do. Tell them! Use clear text like, "Tap to read the full story," "Comment your thoughts on the original post," or "Shop this look via the post."
• Make It Fit: A shared post shouldn't feel jarring or out of place. Ensure it fits naturally in the sequence of your other Stories for the day to create a cohesive viewing experience.

Final Thoughts

Turning a feed post into a Story is a powerful strategy to maximize your content's lifespan and reach. It transforms a static piece of content into an opportunity for creativity, interactivity, and genuine connection with your audience by leveraging the unique, dynamic features of Stories.

With all these different content formats to manage - from feed posts and Stories to Reels and short-form video - keeping everything organized can be tricky. Our goal with Postbase was to simplify this entire process. We built a visual content calendar so you can see exactly when your primary feed posts are scheduled alongside your Stories, helping you plan out these re-shares in advance to keep your strategy consistent and effective, without the stress of trying to remember everything yourself.