How to Create Instagram Highlights That Tell Your Brand Story

So, you're a business owner or on the marketing team, and you just heard a podcast about why "you must be creating Instagram highlights from your stories!"

You roll your eyes – another social media method to figure out? You've already curated your brand's Instagram feed and made sure to post regularly, now you have to add something else to the mix?

Well, before you dismiss this idea completely, hear us out. Instagram highlights might just be the missing puzzle piece in your brand’s social media strategy.

While there are plenty of ways to share content on your social channels, one of the fastest growing methods to reach your audience is through Instagram Highlights. These collections of curated stories – often saved on your profile page for followers to see at any time.

Not only do they serve as an additional way to showcase your brand's personality and story, but they also make it easier for users to navigate through your content and find what they're interested in.

So how can you create Instagram Highlights that effectively tell your brand story? And how can you make sure that they stand out when everyone else is vying for attention?

Why Create Instagram Highlights?

Before we get to the how, let’s look at the why behind Instagram highlights. Stats show that the days of the Instagram primary feed being the only place for content are long gone.

In fact, many users only watch Instagram stories – those short-lived pieces of content that expire after 24 hours – and never scroll through the feed at all. This makes it crucial for brands to make the most out of this feature, as it is often the first thing users see when they visit your profile.

Your highlights become a go-to resource for anyone looking to learn more about what you do, where you are, and how to get in touch with you. You can use your highlights to showcase your brand's personality, values, and mission statement. This is a great way to make a strong first impression on potential customers or clients.

How To Create Engaging Instagram Highlights

1. Plan your categories of highlights

Before you jump into creating your Instagram Highlights, you’ll want to come with a strategy.

To build it requires reflecting on what you actually want to be highlighted about the brand. Some categories that are often listed include products, behind-the-scenes material, customer testimonials, and firm culture.

Naturally, you don’t have to stick with the “usual” categories, and you can get creative with your own. But make sure you have a clear idea of what you want to showcase before moving on to the next step.

2. Create Custom Cover Images

First impressions count – way more than you might imagine. Design engaging Highlight cover images that evoke your brand's style.

Remember, these are the first "preview" people will see when they visit your profile, and you want them to be appealing, showing the real essence of your brand.

You can create professional artwork for cover images, using the color scheme of your brand, with the help of Canva or Adobe Spark. Make sure these are consistent for all of your Highlights.

Remember that while the full image will be the typical Instagram Story size (1080 x 1920 pixels), only a small portion of it will be displayed as the cover image. So make sure to choose an eye-catching element or phrase to feature prominently in that space.

3. Give Your Highlights Compelling Titles

The image isn’t the only first impression. You’ll want to make sure that the title of your Highlight is engaging and accurately describes the content within. This will encourage users to tap on the Highlight and watch or read more.

Keep these short-even down to one word, if you can-use keywords relevant to the content. That way, it's going to be easier for users to find your Highlight searching or browsing through Instagram.

4. Organize Your Highlights

Just as with any other aspect of branding, it's all about the organization. Keep your Highlights in order and properly categorized.

If your brand has several categories or topics, create different cover images for them so that each differs from the other. This gives a perception to your customers or followers about what the topic of each Highlight will be.

5. Curate Your Best Content

Now the fun part – what you put into the highlights themselves!

Since these are a representation of your brand, you want to make sure you're showing off your best content. This is actually a chance to really highlight the main and most relevant parts of your brand.

Here are a few of the content types that go well in the Highlights section:

• Product or service features: Use this space to highlight your offerings and their key features. Place the most popular services, pricing, and contact information in the Highlights so that they are easily accessible for customers.
• Behind-the-scenes: People love to see the human side of a brand. Share behind-the-scenes videos or photos of your team, office, or production process. This builds an affinity with your audience and can make them more vested in your brand.
• UGC: It is always a good time to give your followers some spotlight because it is a way of showing appreciation, and again, this can form some sort of social proof to potential customers. So, repost customer reviews, testimonials, or even just tagged photos from happy customers.
• FAQs: If you have used the Instagram Story "ask me anything" feature, be sure to save and highlight any repeated questions. This will save time in terms of answering the same questions time after time and also prove to be very informative for your potential customers.

Get Creative With Your Highlights – But Have A Strategy

Instagram Highlights are an easy way to put th best snapshots of your brand before your current and future followers – and Instagram makes it easy to get creative with these short bursts of content. But, as with any marketing strategy, it's important to have a clear plan in place before jumping in.

Before you start uploading your strories to a highlight, make sure you have a plan in place for what you are putting there, and how it will play a role in your broader brand strategy. With luck, you’ll soon start to see that your highlights become a driving force behind your brand’s following and funnel interested prospects right to your website or online store.