What is shares?
Also called reposts, post shares.
Shares count how many times people passed your post on, by reposting it to their own feed or sending it to someone else. Platforms report them as shares or reposts.
Why it matters
A share puts your post in front of people who don't follow you yet, with a personal recommendation attached. That makes shares one of the most valuable actions for growth, and TikTok lists content people share among the interactions that shape its For You feed.
Example
A hypothetical pet shop posts 'Foods that are dangerous for dogs'. It reaches 2,500 accounts and is shared 75 times: 75 ÷ 2,500 × 100 = a 3% share rate. Its usual product photos get one or two shares each.
How each platform reports shares
The name and scope change between platforms:
Shares behave differently depending on where they happen. A repost on LinkedIn or X appears in the sharer's feed for their own network to see. A share to a story puts your post in front of the sharer's followers for a short time. A private send in a direct message reaches one person, but often someone who trusts the sender.
When you compare share counts between platforms, remember these are not the same action. Compare share rates within one platform over time instead.
- Instagram: shares are counted within Interactions in a post's insights, alongside likes, comments and saves.
- Facebook: shares are part of Content interactions in Insights in Meta Business Suite.
- LinkedIn: Page analytics reports Reposts, the number of times people shared your post to their feed.
- X: X's business help lists Reposts and also Shared via email, the number of times someone emailed the post.
- TikTok: the posts list in TikTok Studio shows likes, shares and views for each post.
How to calculate share rate
Use a rate so that posts with different reach can be compared.
- Note the post's shares (or reposts) and its reach for the same period.
- Divide shares by reach and multiply by 100.
- Rank your recent posts by share rate and look for patterns in topic and format.
What gets shared
People share posts that say something about them, help a friend or start a conversation. Practical warnings, local news, relatable humour, strong opinions and useful lists tend to travel further than product shots, because sharing them makes the sharer look helpful or in the know.
You can't make a post shareable by asking for shares alone. Start with the reason someone would send it to a friend, such as a useful warning, a funny truth about your industry or a local tip, and build the post around that.
Common mistakes
Some ways shares get misread:
- Assuming a private send and a public repost are the same. A send reaches one person; a repost can reach many.
- Chasing shares with content unrelated to your business. It spreads, but not to people who will buy.
- Forgetting that a share can be critical. Look at what people wrote when they reposted.
Common questions
Can I see who shared my post?
Public reposts can often be found on the platform, but private sends in direct messages are only shown as a count. Treat shares as a number rather than a list.
How do I get more shares?
Make posts worth passing on: a useful tip, a warning, a local story or something people want a friend to see. A short prompt such as 'Send this to someone who needs it' can help when the post genuinely is useful.
Is a share worth more than a like?
For reach, usually yes, because a share shows your post to people outside your followers. A like mainly signals approval to the platform. For your business, the best measure is still what happens next: follows, clicks and enquiries.
Sources: About Instagram insights (Instagram Help Center), checked 14 October 2026; About Insights in Meta Business Suite on desktop (Meta Business Help Center), checked 14 October 2026; Content analytics for your LinkedIn Page (LinkedIn Help), checked 14 October 2026; Post and Video Activity Dashboards (X Business help), checked 14 October 2026; Creator tools and TikTok Studio (TikTok Support), checked 14 October 2026; How TikTok recommends content (TikTok Support), checked 14 October 2026