Instagram Encourages Users to Share Their Posts via Direct Messages

Lindsey Gamble / Instagram Send Notifications

Instagram has begun encouraging users to share their posts with friends. After publishing a post, some users have received a notification saying, "Want to send it directly to friends?" along with a Send button.

Why It Matters: In various forums, including his Ask Me Anything and a recent sit-down interview, Instagram head Adam Mosseri has explained that "sends per reach"—how often a post is shared compared to how many people see it—is a key metric for creators to pay attention to when it comes to reach, as this supports Instagram's mission to help people connect over content.

Encouraging users to share their own posts aligns with this mission but represents a different approach by shifting the responsibility of sharing from others to the original creators. This approach could be perceived as spammy and isn't scalable for most creators. However, it indicates how Instagram continues to view direct messages, along with Feed, Stories, and its Recommendation surfaces, as channels for distribution.