Why cross-post from Instagram to Facebook?
Instagram and Facebook are both owned by Meta, making cross-posting between them the easiest platform pair. Meta even offers built-in cross-posting. However, the audiences are different—Instagram skews younger and visual; Facebook skews older and community-driven. Understanding these differences is key to making cross-posts perform well on both.
Instagram Specs
- Caption limit
- 2,200 chars
- Max hashtags
- 8
- Aspect ratios
- 1:1, 4:5, 9:16
- Media formats
- JPG, PNG, MP4, MOV
- Max video length
- 3 min
- Max file size
- 100 MB
- Best times
- 11 AM - 1 PM, 5-7 PM
- Links in posts
- Yes
Instagram Specs
- Caption limit
- 2,200 chars
- Max hashtags
- 8
- Aspect ratios
- 1:1, 4:5, 9:16
- Media formats
- JPG, PNG, MP4, MOV
- Max video length
- 3 min
- Max file size
- 100 MB
- Best times
- 11 AM - 1 PM, 5-7 PM
- Links in posts
- Yes
Facebook Specs
- Caption limit
- 8,000 chars
- Max hashtags
- 3
- Aspect ratios
- 16:9, 1:1, 4:5
- Media formats
- JPG, PNG, MP4, MOV
- Max video length
- 4 min
- Max file size
- 1000 MB
- Best times
- 9 AM - 10 AM, 3-4 PM
- Links in posts
- Yes
How to cross-post from Instagram to Facebook
- 1
Use Meta's built-in cross-posting (or do it manually)
Instagram offers automatic sharing to Facebook. However, manual posting gives you more control over caption, hashtags, and formatting per platform.
- 2
Adjust your caption for Facebook's audience
Instagram captions are concise and emoji-heavy. Facebook audiences prefer longer, conversational content. Expand your caption.
- 3
Reduce hashtags for Facebook
Instagram uses 5-8 hashtags. Facebook works best with only 1-3. Remove Instagram-specific hashtags and keep only broad, relevant ones.
- 4
Post to your Page, not just your profile
Facebook Pages get access to Reels distribution, analytics, and monetization. Always post to your Page for maximum reach.
- 5
Add a conversation starter
Facebook rewards comments. Add an open-ended question at the end of your caption that would not be necessary on Instagram.
Formatting tips for Instagram to Facebook
Meta makes this cross-post easy
Instagram has a built-in "Share to Facebook" toggle. But manual posting lets you customize for each audience.
Facebook supports more caption text
Facebook allows 8,000 characters vs Instagram's 2,200. Use this space for context and engagement.
Drastically reduce hashtags
From Instagram's 5-8 hashtags to Facebook's recommended 1-3. Facebook hashtags are less important for discovery.
Common mistakes to avoid
Auto-cross-posting without customization
Meta's auto-share sends the exact same caption. Take 30 seconds to customize for Facebook's audience and algorithm.
Too many hashtags on Facebook
Instagram hashtags look spammy on Facebook. Remove most and keep only 1-3 highly relevant ones.
Ignoring Facebook engagement patterns
Facebook rewards comments over likes. Add conversation starters and questions to your Facebook version.
Pro Tip
If you have a Facebook Group, share your cross-posted content there too. Group content gets 5-10x more reach than Page posts on Facebook.
Frequently asked questions
Can I automatically share Instagram posts to Facebook?
Yes. Meta offers built-in cross-posting from Instagram to Facebook through your account settings. However, manually posting with customized captions for each platform yields better results.
Should I use the same caption on Instagram and Facebook?
Ideally not. Instagram captions are shorter and emoji-driven. Facebook captions should be longer, conversational, and include questions to drive comments.
Do Instagram hashtags work on Facebook?
Hashtags on Facebook are far less important for discovery. Reduce from 5-8 hashtags on Instagram to just 1-3 on Facebook for a cleaner look.