How to Regram On Instagram

Many people overlook one of the best tools to have in your social media tool kit. Regramming or sharing another user’s post has been shown to increase follower engagement while simultaneously diversifying your content. 

There are a few tried and true methods to regramming on Instagram. Keep reading to learn exactly what a regram is, how to regram, and tactics to use regramming to elevate your brand’s marketing strategy.

What does it mean to regram on Instagram?

The word “Regram” means to take an Instagram post from another user’s account and then post it to your grid or story. It’s similar to a retweet on Twitter or a reshare on Facebook, except it’s not a feature that is built into the Instagram platform.  

Regramming is a great way to find inspiration and keep fresh content flowing to your followers. Don’t think of it as “stealing an idea" but rather amplifying a message that may resonate with your followers or customer base. 

When you regram a post you can share content from a peer in your field, a similar brand, an influencer, or content creator with a large following in your industry. However, there is an unspoken code of conduct to the regram technique which includes obtaining permission and crediting the creator. 

We’ll discuss these best practices plus tips and tricks. But first, let’s talk about strategy. What are the benefits of regramming?

Why you should regram 

There are a few reasons to consider regramming as a part of your social media content strategy—an abundance of posts, community-building, collaborating, and more.

Keep the content flowing

Consistently generating original posts can get tiring after a while. Regramming existing content breathes fresh life into your page’s account by allowing you to share new, exciting content that already exists online. Plus, a regram enables you to leverage similar online content in line with your brand or business that you might not consider creating on your own.

Create community

Share content from your followers or community activists or influencers with a different voice and message from you. A voice you want to support and stand behind. You will help them get their message out and you will demonstrate your values and beliefs to your followers without creating new posts.

Create brand partnerships 

Choose a post or story from a popular influencer or a similar brand in your niche to show comradery in the online space. The Instagram platform is an ongoing modern-day networking event. Give a shout-out to an account you admire, and you may even form a collaboration. 

Three ways to regram

There’s no shiny, obvious regram button on Instagram posts. The social media platform intentionally left out this feature, hoping to trick users into consistently creating new content. 

However, it hasn’t stopped Instagram users from devising their own techniques. Regramming is accessible to everyone and isn’t difficult to figure out. Here are three distinct methods to regram. Try them all and see which one works best for you

Take a screenshot 

This may seem like the most natural way to regram content–and for good reason! If you don't mind a bit of effort, this method is one of the most effective ways to regram to your own grid.

• Find the post that you want to regram. 
• Seek permission to regram by DMing the original creator. 
• Take a screenshot and crop the image if needed 
• Create a new Instagram post and add any new captions or photo edits
• Credit the original creator and be sure to tag them
• Hit post on your regram! 
  

Note: If it’s not obvious with this screenshot method, this technique will only work for photos and not videos. One thing to keep in mind is that if you have an older phone model, your regram might show up a bit blurrier than you’d like. 

Share a post as an Instagram story 

Regramming to your Instagram story is another common regram strategy. This method is a more casual way to regram but is still an effective way to engage your followers.

• Find the post that you want to regram and tap the paper plane icon below the user’s post or video
• Click on the first menu item Add Video to Your Story
• You will be brought to the Story Editor where you can edit the background, add gifs, text, or any other elements that you’d like.
• Tap Your Story in the bottom left-hand corner to regram! 

This method makes crediting simple and easy. Followers can tap the post on your story to see the original owner. However, one thing to keep in mind is that you cannot share a post from a private account as a story—It only works with public accounts.

Using third-party apps 

This is a quick and easy way to regram a post to your feed. Many creators prefer Repost+ for Instagram, which is free to download for iOS in the App store. The app automatically adds a watermark to the original photo, ensuring credit goes to whom credit is due. 

For Android users, you’ll find a plethora of similar apps in the Googe Play Store if you search “repost” or “regram,” 

Here’s how To Use Repost+ for Instagram: 

• Find the post that you want to regram on IG
• Tap the three dots in the upper right corner to copy the post’s URL
• Open the Repost for Instagram app 
• The copied post will automatically show in the app
• Simply tap Repost 
• Next tap Copy to Instagram, which will then reopen Instagram
• The app will add a creator’s watermark and automatically preload the original caption
• Now add your caption, credit the content owner, and post! 
  
  

Note: Other apps for regramming content are Hootsuite, Sprout, DownloadGram, InstaReport, and Sked. 

Tips and reminders for regramming on Instagram

Let’s go over best practices to follow when regramming, plus a few tips to incorporate regramming into your social media marketing strategy.

Ask for permission 

Just because you found it on the world wide web doesn’t mean it’s free for the taking. Content creation has become an art form and is a crucial part of any marketing strategy. So, it’s important to ask for consent before you regram another creator’s content, Shoot them a DM or comment within their post. Most people will take it as a compliment and will be happy to share their content with you as long as they're properly credited.

Crediting 

Do not forget that crediting the creator is the unofficial rule of regramming. If you fail to do it correctly, you could be infringing on someone else’s copyright. When you go to credit a user, include their username, and try to keep the original editing of the photo along with the original caption. Some light editing is okay, but you should not significantly alter the image. You can add your own caption too.

Invite followers to create content 

This is a great way to engage your follower base and get them excited about your brand/business. Encourage your followers to create content to share with you for the chance to be featured (regrammed) on your grid. This method engages with your followers while simultaneously generating new content for your gram. Decide on branded hashtags to make your content easily searchable and ask your followers to use that hashtag. 

Don’t just regram

Now don’t go overboard with regrams! A good social media strategy involves having a variety of content. Continues to mix original content with regramming to ensure the content stays fresh and interesting enough to boost your engagement. A tool like UNUM is a great place to store your collection of screenshots for inspiration and planning. Or download post ideas and templates from the UNUM Marketplace. UNUM integrates with Pexels and Unsplash so you can pull from millions of free stock images, too. Good luck! 

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UNUM is your best tool for planning, creating, and executing beautiful social media feeds and stories. Signup today for a free account.

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Header image by Ketut Subiyanto from Pexels