Instagram Text Post Tutorial: Engage Others With Your Words

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Karen Lin

Instagram 101 | May 29, 2024

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Instagram may be a primarily visual social media platform, but words matter on posts, too. That’s why many content creators take the time to write thought-provoking captions and add text overlays to video content. But there’s another way to use words to express yourself on the platform—through an Instagram text post.

Text posts are perfect if you want to speak your mind online but don’t feel like publishing photos or videos. This is possible with the “Text” option on Instagram Stories. All you have to do is write your thoughts, customize your Story post, and share it with your followers.

But how exactly do you make a text post, and in what ways can you use this feature creatively? Keep reading to see how much fun you can have with this cool feature.

A black and white letterboard with the quote, “Self-care isn’t selfish” against a pink background

How To Post Text on Instagram Stories

Text posts are awesome because they allow you to share your thoughts online without requiring visual media. There’s no pressure to look for polished, overly curated photos and videos. Just type how you feel and post it at the touch of a button. That makes it an incredibly low-maintenance, low-effort creative format that can still make for engaging content.

Do you want to make your first simple text post to share with your followers? Here’s how to post text on Instagram Stories, step by step:

1. Open the Instagram app on your device.

2. Click the plus sign at the bottom of the home page. This allows you to create a new post.

3. Choose Story at the bottom of the page.

4. Click the text button on the panel on the left side of the Story screen. Its icon should look like “Aa.” This brings you to the text post maker.

Path Social’s screenshot of the Instagram Story maker with a pink box and arrow highlighting the “Text” option.

5. Tap the colored space at the center of the screen.

6. Start typing what you want your text post to say. Feel free to add cute emojis to liven up your post.

Path Social’s screenshot of a question typed into the text post editor screen.

7. Customize your text by experimenting with different fonts, colors, and animations. When you’re happy with how your text looks, click Next on the upper-right corner of the screen.

8. Add stickers, music, and other cool elements to your Story post. Drag and drop your stickers however you want.

Path Social’s screenshot of stickers being added and repositioned to a text post on the Story editor screen.

9. Tap the color button at the top of the screen to change the background color. Choices include color schemes of orange, pink, purple, green, and even a quirky rainbow effect.

Path Social’s screenshot of the pink, purple, and green gradient background colors available for Instagram text posts.

10. Click the arrow on the lower-right part of the screen.

11. Choose which audience you want to share your post with (public or Close Friends only).

Path Social’s screenshot of the sharing options when posting a text post via Instagram Stories.

12. Finally, hit Share to publish your text post.

Content Ideas for Text Posts To Publish on Stories

Do you want to play around with text posts but are not sure what to say in them? Here are some fun Instagram Story ideas for text posts to draw inspiration from:

  • Motivational quotes: Sharing inspiring quotes on Instagram is a terrific way to uplift and encourage your followers. Post a sweet, thoughtful quote that will motivate others in your Story. You never know—this could make someone’s day if they come across it.
  • Tips and advice for your followers: Share small life hacks and tips with your followers that can help improve their lives. It can be a simple cleaning hack you recently discovered or career advice you want to impart to younger professionals. If you can, make sure the advice you share falls within your niche. This helps strengthen your authority and expertise in your key themes and topics.
  • Life updates: Share with friends an update about where you are, projects you’re working on, and what you’ve been up to. You don’t always need to back up these quick updates with photo or video content. Sometimes, a text post will do.
  • Asking questions: Are you trying to crowdsource information or gather insights about your target audience? Ask them a question with a simple text post. Granted, doing this with a Q&A or poll sticker might be much better. But a text post can suffice if you don’t have time to pick a photo or design a poll Story. Just post it and wait for the answers to roll into your Story replies.
  • A movie, book, or song recommendation: Rave about your current favorites in concise text posts. Tell people what you love about these media, or share a scene or passage that struck you. Then, encourage your followers to check out your recs with a glittering one-liner review!

A man holding his phone with Instagram Stories’ “Tap to type” screen on display.

Instagram Story Text Disappearing After Posting: Solving a Common Tech Issue

Some people will run into the issue of Instagram Story text disappearing after posting content. If this happens to you, don’t panic. There are many reasons why this could have happened. But there’s always something you can do to remedy the situation.

One reason why this might happen is because your WiFi connection isn’t that strong when you upload the text post. Slow internet may mess with the editing and uploading process on Instagram. Sometimes, the aesthetics of your text post will suffer.

If this happens to you, double-check your internet speed. When you have a stronger internet connection, think about deleting your text post and reposting it. Hopefully, better connectivity will allow you to successfully upload your Story post without text disappearing.

Minor glitches like that can also happen if you’re using an outdated version of the Instagram app. Download the latest version of the app to avoid mishaps with your text posts.

How To Edit Text on Instagram Story After Posting: Is It Possible?

Are you wondering how to edit text on Instagram Story after posting it successfully? Unfortunately, there’s currently no way to edit Story content after it’s already posted.

So, if you publish a text post, you cannot change its content. The only way to “change” your post is to delete the original text post and reupload the Story post with the correct text. It’s a hassle to go through this entire process, sure, but it’s way better than leaving a Story post up when it has plenty of errors in the text.

Can You Also Create Text Posts on Instagram Feed?

Yes, it’s definitely possible to post text-only images on the Instagram feed. However, there is currently no built-in feature on the app that allows you to do that, like on Stories automatically. So, to post a text-only image on your profile, you must create the picture manually.

It might sound intimidating to do that, but it’s fairly easy. Just choose a few design tools you’re comfortable working with, like Photoshop or Snapseed. Then, create an image with text on it. Save the photo to your phone and upload it to your feed. Et voila! You now have an engaging text-only image on your Instagram feed.

But a quick word of warning—posts with text aren’t as engaging as photos without them. According to a study by Agorapulse, images without text are more engaging and get higher reach on Instagram. So, always manage your expectations when uploading photos with text to the feed. If your main goal is to drive engagement, it might not be the best content type for you.

Pro Tip: Use an Instagram Text Post Template for the Feed

If you really want to publish a text post on your feed, we recommend using an Instagram text post template. Templates like these are available all over the internet. Specifically, the design company Canva has plenty of dynamic and exciting templates for text posts.

Canva allows you to choose from hundreds of templates and customize the text, colors, graphic elements, and more. They have templates that fit every occasion, season, and aesthetic style. Just choose your template from their huge library. Then, style your post however you want using the template. Finally, save your work and upload it onto the Instagram feed.

How To Copy Text From Instagram Post

Sometimes, you’ll see text on Instagram that you want to copy and save to your phone. It might be an inspirational message in a post caption or a recipe you want to try for dinner.

Are you wondering how to copy text from Instagram post captions? Sadly, the platform doesn’t allow users to copy and paste text from the app. However, we do have a quick hack to get around this limitation.

First, take a screenshot of the text you want to copy and paste elsewhere. Then, close the Instagram app and head to your camera roll. Open the screenshot with the text and highlight it from there. Click “Copy” and then paste the text wherever you need it to go. It’s easy, right?

You may also be able to copy and paste text from an Instagram post using third-party tools on the internet. But don’t try these out unless it’s the last resort. Linking your login credentials to sketchy third-party apps can flag your account as engaging in inauthentic activity. This can lead to really bad consequences on Instagram, like the dreaded shadowban. So, stick with the screenshot and copy method as much as possible.

Drive More Traction for Your Text Posts by Growing Your Fanbase

Remember—Instagram is a highly visual platform. So, there’s a chance your text-only posts might not be as engaging as photo or video content. To ensure that your text posts get the traction they deserve, expose them to a larger audience. That way, you can give your text-based content a better chance of driving lots of meaningful engagement.

One way to widen your reach for your Instagram text post (and any other content) is by gaining more followers. Path Social can lend a hand with that task.

We use AI to find your target audience on Instagram and promote your page to them. This ensures that your content reaches the people it can speak to most effectively. When these users discover your page, they’ll be more inclined to follow it, thereby increasing your follower count. Sooner rather than later, you’ll see a significant boost in your following and engagement scores. Get more followers today with the help of Path Social!