how to put a reel on your story
Learn how to share Instagram Reels to your Story, customize them for impact, boost engagement, and track insights for consistent audience growth.
How to Put a Reel on Your Story: A Step-by-Step Guide
Instagram is a vibrant platform where short videos can reach massive audiences fast — but pairing Reels with Stories can supercharge engagement. If you’ve been wondering how to put a reel on your story, this guide explains exactly what to do, how to customize it for impact, and how to track performance for consistent growth.
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Understanding the Difference: Reels, Stories, and Feed Posts
Before sharing Reels in Stories, it helps to understand how these Instagram formats work:
- Reels – Short-form vertical videos up to 90 seconds designed to reach new audiences through Instagram’s discovery features.
- Stories – Temporary 24-hour content at the top of the feed, ideal for quick updates, backstage clips, and interactive elements.
- Feed Posts – Permanent content—photos or videos—that lives on your grid.
By adding Reels to Stories, you mix the broad reach of Reels with the immediacy and personal feel of Stories.
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Check Your Account Settings
Ensure Story sharing is enabled before you try to post:
- Open your profile.
- Tap the three-line menu → Settings and Privacy.
- Under Sharing and story settings, toggle on Allow Resharing to Stories.
This allows you to share both your own and others’ public Reels.
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Step-by-Step: How to Put a Reel on Your Story
1. Open the Reel
You can:
- Select your own Reel from your profile.
- Select someone else’s public Reel in the Reels tab or their profile.
2. Tap the Paper Airplane (Share) Icon
Find it under the Reel, next to the comment bubble.
3. Choose “Add Reel to Your Story”
This opens the Story editor with the Reel preview.
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Customize Before Posting
Adding personal flair boosts engagement:
- Stickers – Polls, emoji sliders, or questions for interaction.
- Text Overlays – Capture attention with teasers or punchy headlines.
- GIFs & Doodles – Fun visual elements for branding or humor.
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Boost Engagement With Smart Design
To make viewers tap into the full Reel:
- Use text to hint at “what happens next.”
- Draw arrows toward the “Watch Reel” call-to-action.
- Keep design clean yet eye-catching so focus stays on the content.
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Tag Accounts for More Reach
Mentioning others improves visibility:
- Tag brands you feature.
- Tag collaborators or people in the video.
The tagged account may reshare your Story, giving you added exposure.
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Layer In Hashtags and Location Stickers
Strategic hashtags and geotags help Instagram deliver your Story to more viewers.
Pro tip: 1–3 specific hashtags are often more effective than many broad ones.
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Adjust Privacy per Post
Decide whether to:
- Share to Close Friends for testing.
- Post publicly for maximum reach.
This allows experimentation without impacting your broader audience immediately.
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Monitor Your Story Insights
Tracking analytics guides continuous improvement:
| Metric | What It Indicates |
|---|---|
| Views | Total people who saw your Story |
| Taps Forward | Number skipping to the next Story |
| Taps Back | Level of interest in rewatching |
| Exits | Viewers leaving the Story sequence |
Refine your approach based on what holds audience attention.
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Troubleshooting If Share Option Is Missing
If “Add Reel to Your Story” isn’t visible:
- The Reel may be from a private account.
- Your app may be outdated—update Instagram.
- Re-sharing might be disabled in your settings.
- Try logging out/in or reinstalling the app if necessary.
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Best Practices for Consistent Reel-to-Story Growth
- Post during peak activity hours.
- Maintain consistent brand visuals.
- Use interactive elements to drive responses.
- Review data regularly and scale what works.
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Summary:
Now you know how to put a reel on your story—setup, step-by-step posting, customization, and ways to measure and improve results. With regular, creative Reel-to-Story sharing, you can grow engagement, connect with followers, and keep your brand top-of-mind.
Call to Action:
Start experimenting with your next Reel today—customize it, tag collaborators, and share it to your Story to see how quickly your reach expands.
