“`html
How to Create Brand Highlights on Instagram
Instagram Stories are a powerful tool for engaging your audience, showcasing your brand personality, and driving traffic. But what happens after those stories disappear after 24 hours? That’s where Instagram highlights come in. Think of them as curated collections of your best stories, permanently displayed on your profile, ready to welcome new visitors and re-engage existing followers.
This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know about creating effective Instagram highlights that boost your brand presence, attract new customers, and ultimately, help you achieve your business goals. We’ll cover planning, creating, designing compelling covers, and optimizing for maximum impact.
Why Are Instagram Highlights Important for Your Brand?
Before diving into the “how-to,” let’s understand why Instagram highlights are a crucial component of your brand’s Instagram strategy. They offer several key benefits:
- Extended Lifespan for Story Content: Stories disappear after 24 hours, but highlights give your valuable content a permanent home on your profile, allowing new and existing followers to discover it at any time.
- Showcasing Your Brand Identity: Highlights are a fantastic way to curate content that reflects your brand’s values, personality, and aesthetic. Use them to tell your brand story visually and engagingly.
- Organized Information Hub: Think of your highlights as a mini-website on your Instagram profile. You can categorize information about your products, services, FAQs, behind-the-scenes content, and more, making it easy for visitors to find what they need.
- Driving Traffic and Conversions: Use highlights to promote specific products, services, or offers. Add links (for eligible accounts) directly within your stories to drive traffic to your website or landing pages.
- Building Trust and Credibility: Highlights allow you to showcase testimonials, customer reviews, and user-generated content, building trust and demonstrating social proof.
- Improving Brand Discoverability: Well-organized highlights make it easier for new visitors to understand what your brand is all about, increasing the likelihood of them following you.
Planning Your Instagram Highlights Strategy
Creating effective Instagram highlights requires careful planning. Don’t just throw random stories together. Think about your target audience, your brand goals, and the information you want to convey.
1. Define Your Target Audience
Who are you trying to reach with your Instagram highlights? Consider their interests, needs, and pain points. Understanding your audience will help you create content that resonates with them and encourages them to engage with your brand.
2. Set Clear Goals
What do you want to achieve with your Instagram highlights? Are you looking to increase brand awareness, drive sales, generate leads, or provide customer support? Defining your goals will guide your content creation and help you measure your success.
3. Brainstorm Highlight Categories
Think about the different categories of information that would be valuable to your audience. Here are some popular ideas for brand Instagram highlights:
- About Us: Tell your brand story, share your mission, and introduce your team.
- Products/Services: Showcase your offerings, highlight key features, and provide pricing information.
- FAQs: Answer frequently asked questions to address common concerns and provide quick solutions.
- Customer Testimonials: Share positive feedback from satisfied customers to build trust.
- How-To Guides: Provide helpful tutorials and tips related to your products or industry.
- Behind-the-Scenes: Give your audience a glimpse into your company culture and day-to-day operations.
- Promotions/Sales: Announce special offers, discounts, and upcoming events.
- Shipping & Returns: Provide clear information about your shipping policies and return procedures.
- Events: Promote upcoming events or share highlights from past events.
- Blog Posts: Share snippets of your latest blog posts and drive traffic to your website.
4. Content Audit and Repurposing
Before creating new content, take a look at your existing stories. Do you have any stories that could be repurposed for your highlights? You can also adapt content from other platforms, such as blog posts, videos, or social media updates, to create engaging story content.
Creating Your Instagram Highlights: A Step-by-Step Guide
Now that you have a plan in place, let’s walk through the process of creating your Instagram highlights.
1. Creating Stories: The Foundation of Highlights
Your Instagram highlights are built from your Instagram Stories, so make sure to create engaging and visually appealing stories that align with your chosen categories. Consider using a mix of:
- Photos: High-quality images showcasing your products, services, or behind-the-scenes moments.
- Videos: Short, engaging videos that capture attention and convey information effectively.
- Text: Clear and concise text overlays to provide context and highlight key information.
- Polls and Quizzes: Interactive elements to engage your audience and gather feedback.
- Question Stickers: Encourage your audience to ask questions and provide personalized answers.
- Countdown Stickers: Create anticipation for upcoming events or product launches.
- Music: Add background music to enhance the mood and create a more immersive experience.
Remember to use your brand colors, fonts, and visual style to maintain consistency across your stories and highlights. For example, if your brand uses a specific shade of blue and a particular font, incorporate them into your story design.
2. Adding Stories to Highlights
There are two main ways to add stories to your Instagram highlights:
- From Your Active Story: While viewing your own story, tap the “Highlight” button at the bottom of the screen. You can then add the story to an existing highlight or create a new one.
- From Your Archive: Go to your profile, tap the three lines in the top right corner, and select “Archive.” Choose the “Stories” tab, select the stories you want to add, and tap the “Highlight” button.
3. Naming Your Highlights
Choose clear, concise, and descriptive names for your Instagram highlights. Use keywords that your audience is likely to search for. Keep the names short enough to be easily readable on mobile devices. For example, instead of “Stuff We Do,” use “Our Services” or “Product Demos.”
4. Designing Compelling Highlight Covers
Your Instagram highlight covers are the first thing people see on your profile, so make sure they’re visually appealing and consistent with your brand aesthetic. You can choose an image or icon from your story or upload a custom-designed cover.
Here are some tips for creating effective Instagram highlight covers:
- Use a Consistent Style: Choose a consistent color palette, font, and icon style for all your covers.
- Use Simple Icons: Icons are often more visually appealing and easier to recognize than text, especially on small screens.
- Use High-Quality Images: Ensure that your images are clear, crisp, and well-lit.
- Consider a Branded Template: Create a template with your logo or brand colors to ensure consistency.
- Preview on Mobile: Always preview your covers on a mobile device to make sure they look good.
You can create custom Instagram highlight covers using design tools like Canva, Adobe Spark, or Over. Many free and paid templates are available online to help you get started.
5. Ordering Your Highlights
You can rearrange the order of your Instagram highlights to prioritize the most important information. To reorder your highlights, simply tap and hold the highlight you want to move, then drag it to the desired position.
Optimizing Your Instagram Highlights for Maximum Impact
Creating Instagram highlights is just the first step. To maximize their impact, you need to optimize them for engagement and visibility.
1. Regularly Update Your Highlights
Keep your Instagram highlights fresh and relevant by regularly updating them with new content. Remove outdated stories and add new ones to keep your audience engaged. For example, if you have a “Promotions” highlight, update it with new offers and discounts regularly.
2. Promote Your Highlights
Let your followers know about your Instagram highlights! You can promote them in your Instagram Stories, in your feed posts, and even in your website and email marketing materials.
3. Use Keywords Strategically
Incorporate relevant keywords into your highlight names and story content to improve discoverability. Think about the terms your target audience is likely to search for. For example, if you sell organic skincare products, use keywords like “organic skincare,” “natural beauty,” and “eco-friendly skincare” in your highlights.
4. Analyze Your Performance
Track the performance of your Instagram highlights to see what’s working and what’s not. Instagram provides insights into the number of views and taps your highlights receive. Use this data to optimize your content and strategy.
5. Engage with Your Audience
Respond to comments and messages related to your Instagram highlights. Show your audience that you’re listening and that you value their engagement. This can help build stronger relationships and foster a sense of community.
Examples of Effective Brand Highlights
To give you some inspiration, here are a few examples of brands that are using Instagram highlights effectively:
- Sephora: Uses highlights to showcase different makeup looks, tutorials, and product reviews.
- Airbnb: Uses highlights to feature unique properties, travel tips, and local experiences.
- Nike: Uses highlights to promote new product launches, athlete endorsements, and brand campaigns.
- Buffer: Uses highlights to share social media tips, resources, and customer success stories.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Here are some common mistakes to avoid when creating Instagram highlights:
- Ignoring your target audience: Make sure your content is relevant and appealing to your target audience.
- Using low-quality images: Use high-resolution images that are visually appealing.
- Not updating your highlights: Keep your highlights fresh and relevant by regularly updating them.
- Using confusing or unclear names: Choose clear, concise, and descriptive names for your highlights.
- Ignoring analytics: Track the performance of your highlights to see what’s working and what’s not.
Conclusion
Instagram highlights are a powerful tool for showcasing your brand, engaging your audience, and driving business results. By following the tips and strategies outlined in this guide, you can create effective highlights that elevate your Instagram presence and help you achieve your goals. Remember to plan your content, design compelling covers, optimize for maximum impact, and regularly update your highlights to keep your audience engaged. Start creating your Instagram highlights today and see the difference they can make for your brand!
“`
Was this helpful?
0 / 0