Instagram Stories are used by over 500 million daily active users, making them one of the most impactful ways to grab attention on Instagram. But here’s the challenge—Stories disappear after just 24 hours, which limits their long-term value. That’s where Instagram Stories Highlights come into play.
Highlights convert your ephemeral Stories into evergreen content, giving your brand the opportunity to showcase its personality, products, and values indefinitely. With the right setup, design, and strategy, Highlights can drive traffic, engagement, and even sales.
This guide will show you the importance of Instagram Stories Highlights, how to set them up, and how to use them effectively to elevate your brand.
What Are Instagram Stories Highlights?
Instagram Stories Highlights are curated collections of past Stories that are saved permanently to your profile. They are displayed right below your bio, making them one of the first things visitors see when they land on your page.
Key Benefits for Brands
- First Impressions Matter
Highlights allow you to shape how visitors perceive your brand by displaying polished, purposeful content that informs or excites them.
- Guide Visitors to Key Content
Whether it’s tutorials, customer testimonials, or promotions, Highlights act like a map, guiding users to the most important aspects of your business.
- SEO-Friendly Branding
Including keywords in your Highlight titles and descriptions can enhance discoverability on Instagram and increase your visibility to potential followers.
How to Create Instagram Stories Highlights
Setting up Instagram Stories Highlights is simple and effective. Follow these steps to get started.
Step-by-Step Setup
- Access Stories Archive
Tap the “+ New” button under your profile’s Highlights section. If Stories Archive is enabled in settings, you’ll see all your past Stories here.
- Select Stories for Your Highlight
Choose the Stories you want to include. Focus on content with strong visuals or high engagement.
- Name Your Highlight
Use a clear, keyword-rich name like “Products,” “FAQs,” or “Tutorials.” Keep it short but descriptive.
- Choose a Cover Image
Select a still from your Stories or upload a custom cover (see the design section below for tips). A visually appealing cover will increase clicks and engagement.
Pro Tip
You can add or remove Stories from your Highlights at any time by tapping “Edit Highlight.”
Designing Eye-Catching Highlight Covers
Your Highlight covers are not just decorative—they’re a strategic part of your branding.
Why Covers Matter
- Professional Appeal: Consistent, high-quality covers make your profile look polished and credible.
- Brand Identity: Cohesive designs using your brand colors, fonts, and icons strengthen recognition.
Design Best Practices
- Stick to Your Brand Colors
Use the same palette from your logo or website for cohesive branding.
- Keep Text Minimal
Use single words like “Sale” or “How-To” or simple icons to keep covers clean.
- Design Tools
Use apps like Canva, Adobe Spark, or Highlight Cover Maker to craft professional-looking covers, even if you’re not a designer.
- Free Templates
Download customizable templates online to save time while achieving a pro look.
Strategic Highlight Categories for Brands
Choosing the right Highlight categories is key to driving engagement. Here are some tried-and-true categories alongside some niche ideas for specific industries.
Must-Have Categories
- Products/Services: Showcase demos, pricing, and unique features.
- Testimonials: Feature customer feedback to build trust.
- Behind-the-Scenes: Share your team culture or production process.
- Tutorials/FAQs: Provide how-tos or answers to common questions.
- Promotions: Highlight limited-time offers or contests.
Niche Ideas
- Fitness: Use categories like “Workouts” and “Nutrition Tips.”
- Fashion: Highlight “New Arrivals” or “Style Inspiration (OOTDs).”
Content Ideas to Maximize Highlight Engagement
Engaging content is what makes Highlights truly effective. Here’s how to keep your audience coming back.
- Interactive Content
Save polls, quizzes, and Q&A sessions into Highlights like “Ask Me Anything.”
- User-Generated Content (UGC)
Dedicate a Highlight to showcasing customer photos and videos, e.g., “Fan Love.”
- Seasonal Campaigns
Highlight holiday promotions, event recaps, or year-end reviews.
- Educational Series
Create a Highlight series like “Marketing 101” with chapters or mini-courses broken into short Stories.
Organizing Highlights for Maximum Impact
The way you organize your Highlights can significantly impact engagement and usability.
Order Strategically
- Place high-priority Highlights like “Shop Now” or “Services” at the beginning.
Use Clear Titles
- Choose title names that are short, descriptive, and keyword-rich. Emojis can add visual appeal, like 📦 “Shipping Info” or 🌟 “Success Stories.”
Avoid Clutter
- Stick to fewer than 10 Highlights at a time, and be diligent about removing outdated content.
Leveraging Highlights for Traffic and Sales
Instagram Highlights can be powerful drivers of website traffic and sales conversions.
- Add Links: For accounts with 10k+ followers, use the “Swipe Up” feature. Otherwise, use a link-in-bio tool to drive clicks.
- Shoppable Tags: Tag products in Stories that you save to “Shop” Highlights.
- Strong Call-to-Actions (CTAs): End Stories with actionable phrases like “Tap ‘Our Products’ to learn more!”
Analyzing Highlight Performance
To continuously optimize your Highlights, track their performance using analytics tools.
Metrics to Track
- Views: Monitor how many people view each Highlight.
- Follower Growth: Compare follower increases after adding new Highlights.
- Click-Throughs: Check website clicks driven by Highlight-linked Stories.
Recommended Tools
- Use Instagram Insights for native analytics.
- Try Iconosquare or Sprout Social for additional data insights.
Learn from the Best
Some brands already excel in using Instagram Highlights.
- Glossier: Their “Products” Highlight offers swatches and tutorials for viewers to explore.
- Nike: The “Training” Highlight provides workout tips from sponsored athletes.
- Small Businesses: A local café uses “Menu” and “Events” Highlights to inform customers.
Avoid These Common Mistakes
- Too Many Highlights: Keep it focused—fewer Highlights are easier for new visitors to process.
- Low-Quality Covers: Invest time in creating attractive visuals.
- Outdated Content: Regularly update Highlights to keep them fresh and relevant.
Next Steps
Properly utilized, Instagram Stories Highlights can transform casual visitors into loyal customers. Start by assessing your current Highlights, applying one tip from this guide today, and watch your profile go from basic to brilliant.
Boost your Instagram presence and take the next step toward building a loyal following!
