Instagram’s easy-to-use, visually-oriented platform has made it the perfect place for brands to interact with their social media followers, beating out Facebook and Twitter in terms of engagement rates. However, if you truly want to captivate your audience and mingle with influencers, you should know how to repost on Instagram.
Why Repost on Instagram?
Before we explain exactly how to repost on Instagram, we’ll outline the benefits of doing so. The value of reposting isn’t obvious: why would you repost someone else’s content on your profile? Isn’t that just giving them free publicity?
Technically, yes, it is. But that’s what social media is all about: being social in order to build relationships. On Instagram, there are two groups of people to foster relationships with:
- Your target audience. Obviously, the core tenet of social media marketing is interaction with your target audience. By reposting their Instagram photos, you make them feel valued. When they feel valued, they’ll speak highly of you on social media—which their followers will see. It’s a free, easy way to build brand awareness.
- Regardless of whether you feel influencer marketing is right for your business, it doesn’t hurt to have solid rapport with top influencers in your industry. You may want to hire them in the future. And since influencers know the ins and outs of Instagram marketing, they’ll feel honored when you repost their content, scoring you some brownie points.
In addition to relationship building, reposting gives you the opportunity to fill your profile with aesthetically-pleasing content. There are some outrageously talented photographers and videographers on Instagram. Their content can make your profile look more visually appealing, which is the point of Instagram, after all.
How to Repost on Instagram
Ask Permission First, and Give Credit to the Source
Marketers who are unfamiliar with intellectual property law often find themselves in deep trouble. Plagiarism is plagiarism, no matter if your intentions are golden.
Fortunately, it’s not illegal to repost Instagram content without permission from the author. However, it is downright rude, and doing so can harm your reputation.
All you have to do is ask, whether through a direct message or a public comment, if you can repost someone else’s content on your page. They’ll almost definitely allow it. Let them know you’ll also credit them as the source and tag their profile.
If, for some reason, they say no, don’t repost it. Respecting their ownership over their content can save you from some bad publicity.
Use an App
There are tons of free apps that allow you to repost Instagram photos and videos in just a few steps. Here are some Fat Guy Approved reposting apps:
- Repost for Instagram (our top choice)
- EasyRepost
- InstaRepost
All three have easy, step-by-step instructions and give you an option to credit the author automatically.
Take a Screenshot
Alternatively, you can take a screenshot of the photo you’d like to repost, crop and edit it to your liking and then post it. Note that this will only work with photos, not videos. It’s also extra-important to tag your source, since it doesn’t happen automatically like it does when you use an app.
So in reality, there’s only two days to do it: using an app or taking a screenshot. And although it’s not as simple as pressing the retweet button, you now know how to repost on Instagram.
