What is a quote post?

The name differs by app, but the idea is the same: your comment on top, the original below.

• X: select the Repost icon under a post and choose the quote option. Write your comment, add up to four photos, a GIF or a video if you like, and post. The quoted post doesn't count towards your character limit. Posts from protected accounts can't be reposted or quoted.
• Threads: you can quote a post, and you can choose who is allowed to reply to and quote your own posts.
• LinkedIn: select Repost under the post, then Repost with your thoughts. Add your comment and post it. Your words show on top, with the original underneath.
• Instagram: there's no quote post as such, but when you repost a public reel or feed post you can add a short note.
• Facebook: sharing a post to your Page with your own text added does a similar job.

The best quote posts add something your followers wouldn't get from the original alone.

• Thank a customer, supplier or local paper that posted about you.
• Add local context to news: what a road closure, a holiday or a new rule means for your opening hours.
• Share an industry update with your plain-English take on it.
• Back a neighbouring business's event or launch, and say why you're going.
• Answer a common question that someone else's post raises.

A quote post puts your brand next to someone else's words, so think about how it reads to both audiences.

• Quoting someone to criticise or mock them. Even when you're right, it rarely looks good on a business account.
• Quoting a customer's complaint publicly when a direct reply or message would solve it.
• Adding nothing. If you only want to pass it on, use a plain repost.
• Changing the meaning of the original by quoting it out of context.

Your comment is the part your followers read first, so give it a job. Say why the original matters to them, add a detail it's missing, or thank the person clearly. Keep it short: a line or two is plenty, and it should still make sense to someone who doesn't open the original. Mention the original account if you want them to see it, and check you've understood their post before adding your view. If the original is a complaint, a question or anything sensitive, reply to it or send a direct message instead of quoting it to all your followers.