Social media is all about sharing content. On Instagram, this means reposting relevant community content in addition to your brand’s original content. Instagram repost allows users to easily share pictures from another user with their own followers. Instagram doesn’t currently have a built-in repost feature, but there are several repost apps that allow users to share others’ content. Not only is sharing other people’s content an excellent way to address your content crunch, but it also allows you to engage with your audience and build a brand community.

Benefits of Reposting on Instagram

It may seem like reposting content isn’t a priority when compared to creating original posts. However, 84% of Millennials are influenced to make purchasing decisions by user-generated content on company websites. Posting your own brand content isn’t enough – today’s consumers are more likely to make decisions based on recommendations from peers. They appreciate authenticity and relatability in brands, which is why reposting user-generated content is an integral part of any brand’s Instagram strategy.

Nearly half of all brands use Instagram and the platform has engagement rates that are 10 times higher than Facebook, 54 times higher than Pinterest, and 84 times higher than Twitter. Leveraging Instagram’s engaged audience should be a priority!

User-generated content is important for two reasons: building an engaged, vibrant community with appealing content and adapting to the digitally native and socially-dependent generations that have huge purchasing power.

Sharing user generated content allows brands to guide their audience through a story using real people and real stories. Reposting user-generated content on your brand account helps drive engagement, build brand loyalty, and grow your audience.

How to Repost on Instagram

Currently, Instagram does not have a built-in feature for users to repost content. There are a variety of third-party apps that allow reposting on Instagram. Many of them are free with the option to pay for more features.

1. Repost by Red Cactus has a simple interface that allows users to easily repost photos and videos. With Repost, you can add your own caption to the photo while still crediting the original poster.

2. InstaRepost allows users to repost photos and videos and is one of the highest rated reposting apps for Android devices. The app also gives you the ability to search for content based on hashtags, which is particularly useful for brands.

Some apps aren’t strictly for reposting but have a variety of features that include scheduling, which helps optimize your content strategy.

3. Pixlee’s Instagram Scheduler is built into the visual marketing platform that also allows brands to make photos “shoppable.” The Pixlee Instagram Scheduler allows marketers to schedule their content calendars and engage with their audience by sharing user content.

4. Buffer is another app that has scheduling and reposting capabilities. With Buffer, it’s easy to find photos that you like on Instagram, copy the URL, and repost the image to your brand’s account.

Best Practices for Reposting on Instagram

Different apps have made reposting easy for Instagram users, but there are a few things to consider before sharing another user’s original content.

Match the Style

When searching for content to repost, look for content that aligns with your brand’s style and composition patterns on Instagram. Even though the content you are reposting is original, user-generated content, you want it to sync with the other images in your feed.

Ask Permission and Credit the Source

While many of the apps automatically include the original poster’s handle, it’s important to credit the person who took the photo. This can mean direct messaging them or commenting to ask them if you can share their photo, although many users are pleased to have brands share their content. This also enables you to engage with Instagram users that are fans of your brand and expand your audience.

Avoid Editing

Adding your own caption and hashtags to a reposted photo is fine, but making major edits to the photo without asking permission from the owner is frowned upon. Looking for photos that align with your brand’s visual style and strategy helps you avoid photos that need a lot of editing. If you do want to make any changes to the photo, ask the original creator for permission.

User-generated content is one of the best ways to reach today’s consumers and should be integrated into your posting strategy on Instagram. Pairing branded content with UGC brings variety and authenticity to your Instagram page. Millennials trust user-generated content 50% more than other types of media. Reposing on Instagram helps brands to engage with their consumers, grow their brand audience, and build a brand community.

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