How to schedule a Reel to your Instagram Story
The times when you have the idea to share a Story and when you should share it don’t always align. Scheduling your Stories is a time-efficient way to plan your content for when your followers are most active to maximize the reach and engagement of your posts.
Here’s how to schedule a Reel to your Instagram Story using Hootsuite:
- Open Hootsuite (or another scheduling app of your choosing) and log in.
- Save a copy of your finished Reel to your phone.
- Tap “Create post” in the left-hand menu on the Hootsuite dashboard.
- Choose the account you want to post the Story to.
- Select “Story” under the “Content” section.
- Tap the “Upload” icon to upload your Reel to the platform.
- Preview the Story and select “Schedule for later.”
- Choose a time for your Story to go live.
- Press “Schedule.”
You can also use Canva to add enticing text and images to spice up your Story before uploading it and scheduling it in the dashboard.
How to share a Reel to your Facebook Story
While using Instagram Stories is second nature to some people, taking advantage of the same feature on Facebook is something many overlook.
Having your Instagram Stories post automatically to your Facebook Stories is a great way to share your top-quality content with both audiences efficiently. And because Instagram and Facebook both fall under the Meta umbrella, enabling automatic Facebook posting through the Instagram app is straightforward.
Here’s a step-by-step process on how to connect your Facebook Stories to your Instagram so your published Stories simultaneously go live on both platforms:
- Open the Instagram app and log in.
- Visit your profile by tapping your icon at the bottom right of the screen.
- Tap the hamburger icon (three horizontal lines) in the top right corner.
- Click on “Settings and privacy.”
- Under “Your account,” select “Accounts Center.”
- Tap “Sharing across profiles.”
- Click on your Instagram username under “Share from.”
- Toggle the “Your Instagram Story” switch under “Automatically share.”
Your Instagram Stories will now effortlessly cross-post to your Facebook. Within the “Sharing across profiles” settings, you can also enable automatic postings of your Instagram posts and Reels to bolster your social media presence further.
Frequently asked questions about Reels
Fine-tuning your social media settings is key to unlocking your account’s potential. However, mastering in-app preferences can feel as intricate and complex as completing a puzzle without a reference.
Here are the answers to a few common frequently asked questions to help you become a Reel expert:
Why can’t I share a Reel on Instagram?
Here are a few reasons why you may not be able to share your Instagram Reel to your Story:
- Your Instagram app needs an update
- Instagram is experiencing a technical issue
- You need to update your device software
Why can’t I share another creator’s Reel to my Story?
If you cannot share another creator’s Instagram Reel to your Story, it could be because the user has turned off their sharing options, or a technical issue or poor internet connection may be getting in your way.
How do I post an Instagram Reel without posting to my feed?
Before pressing “Share” on your newly created Reel, you’ll land on a page prompting you to create a caption and adjust your settings. Under the “Share to Reels” tab, you’ll see a toggle option to also “Share to feed.” Swipe the toggle to the left to disable automatically sharing Reels to your feed.
Give your Reels the attention they deserve
Creating high-quality Reels takes dedication, patience and a creative flair. So once you’ve crafted a masterpiece, it’s natural to want to get as many eyes on it as possible.
But even after pressing the “Share” button, your Reel may not immediately appear in your followers’ feeds. Learning how to share Reels on your Instagram Story is an excellent way to ensure your latest content lands in front of your audience and garners the engagement it deserves. And if your audience loves it, there’s a chance they’ll share it on their own Stories, amplifying your content’s visibility.
Don’t forget to leverage the rest of your profile for more engagement. Adding a Linktree to your Instagram bio allows you to direct your followers to other platforms like Twitter, TikTok and a personal website in just a few characters.
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