How to Repost on Instagram: A Simple Guide for Business Owners

An Instagram repost means sharing someone else’s photo, video, Reel or Story on your own profile. Business owners typically do this to share user-generated content, partner posts or industry news. The safest methods are Instagram’s native Share button, Stories resharing, and third-party apps like Reposta or Repost for Instagram, always with clear credit to the original creator.

Why does an Instagram repost matter for your business content strategy?

Reposting on Instagram lets your business publish high-quality, authentic content without producing everything from scratch. A customer photo of your product or service is often more persuasive than a polished brand shoot, because real people trust other real people. Strategically resharing posts also builds community goodwill, strengthens relationships with customers and local partners, and keeps your feed active on days when original content is not ready.

According to Meta’s own research, user-generated content (UGC) consistently drives higher engagement rates than branded content across Facebook and Instagram. That makes reposting one of the most cost-effective moves in a small business content toolkit. You are essentially borrowing social proof that already exists and bringing it directly to your audience.

For Australian small businesses especially, where tight teams often juggle content creation alongside every other part of running the operation, a smart reposting habit can fill content gaps without blowing the budget or burning out the person running the account.

What are the best methods to do an Instagram repost in 2024?

There are three reliable ways to repost on Instagram, each suited to a slightly different situation. The right method depends on what you want to repost, where it should appear on your profile, and how much effort you want to invest.

Method 1: The native Share to Story button. This is the easiest option Instagram offers directly inside the app. Open the post you want to share, tap the paper-plane icon below it, then tap “Add post to your story.” Instagram places the original post as a sticker inside your Story editor. You can resize it, add text or stickers around it, and publish. The original creator receives a notification, which is a nice relationship-building touch. The limitation is that this method only posts to your Stories, not your permanent feed or Reels tab.

Method 2: Third-party repost apps. Apps like Reposta (iOS) and Repost for Instagram (Android and iOS) let you copy a post’s link, open the app, and reshare it to your main feed with the original caption and a credit tag automatically overlaid. This is the most common approach for feed reposts of customer photos or partner content. Always double-check that the watermark and credit are clearly visible before you hit publish.

Method 3: Screenshot and manual credit. For Reels or content where apps struggle, some business owners screenshot or screen-record the content, then upload it manually with a caption that tags the original creator and explicitly states “Reposted from @username.” This method requires the most care around permissions, which leads directly to the next question.

Do you need permission before you repost on Instagram?

Yes, asking permission before reposting on Instagram is both legally sensible and good practice for your brand reputation. Instagram’s own Terms of Use state that users own the intellectual property in their content. Reposting without permission, even with a credit tag, can constitute copyright infringement. For businesses, the reputational risk of being called out for unauthorised reposting far outweighs the tiny effort of sending a quick DM to ask.

A simple message like “Hey, we loved this photo of your experience with us. Would you mind if we shared it on our page? We’ll tag you, of course.” works well and usually gets a yes. It also opens a conversation with a real customer or fan, which is valuable in itself.

The one exception is Instagram’s native Share to Story feature. Because Meta built that button directly into the platform, using it is considered an implicit consent mechanism under the platform’s terms. Still, if someone has disabled the “Allow resharing to Stories” option in their privacy settings, the button simply won’t appear, so respect that.

For businesses running any kind of UGC campaign or hashtag promotion, it pays to include language in the campaign mechanics (in the caption or a linked page) that explains participants are granting permission for you to repost their content. This is how larger Australian brands handle it cleanly and transparently.

How should you credit the original creator when you repost on Instagram?

Crediting the original creator clearly and prominently protects your business and shows respect for the person who made the content. Tag the original creator’s handle directly in the caption at the start of the post, not buried at the end after several lines of your own copy. Use phrasing like “Reposted from @username” or “Thanks to @username for this brilliant shot.” If the repost app adds a watermark, keep it visible rather than cropping it out.

In the image itself (where apps allow), keep any credit overlay in a corner that does not obscure the main subject. For Stories, you can use the mention sticker to tag the creator. This also means they can reshare your Story to their own audience, effectively extending the reach of the original post further for both accounts.

One detail many business owners overlook: credit in the comments alone is not enough. Comments can be deleted, hidden or simply missed. Credit in the caption is the standard that audiences and creators expect.

How does reposting fit into a broader Instagram content strategy for small businesses?

Reposting works best as one part of a balanced content mix, not as a substitute for original content. A practical rhythm many small businesses use is roughly the 80/20 principle in reverse for social: around 70 to 80 percent original content (your own offers, behind-the-scenes, expertise) and 20 to 30 percent curated or reposted content (customer photos, partner highlights, industry news). This keeps your feed feeling alive and community-oriented without diluting your own brand voice.

Reposting also feeds into Instagram’s algorithm in a useful way. The more your account tags other users and generates notification activity, the more relationship signals Instagram registers between accounts. This can contribute to broader organic reach over time, though it is never a silver bullet on its own.

The businesses that get the most from reposting are the ones who have a clear strategy behind it: they know which types of UGC to seek out, they have a process for asking permission, and they connect reposted content back to a broader narrative about who they are and what they stand for. That kind of intentionality is what separates a feed that builds trust from one that just fills a grid.

Building that intentional strategy is exactly where having a plan pays off. Book a consult to build a social media content strategy.