In today’s fast-paced digital world, standing out on social media is crucial for any business looking to grow its brand presence. And while regular posts and stories are important, there’s one Instagram feature that often gets overlooked—Instagram Highlights.
Instagram has evolved from a simple photo-sharing app to one of the most powerful marketing tools for businesses worldwide. With over a billion active users, Instagram offers companies a unique opportunity to reach and engage with their target audience in creative and meaningful ways. Among the various features Instagram offers, Highlights stand out as a game-changing tool for enhancing brand awareness. Unlike fleeting Stories, Highlights allow businesses to curate and showcase their best content permanently at the top of their profiles.
For any brand looking to make a lasting impression, utilizing Instagram Highlights is essential for growth. Whether you’re a small startup or an established brand, this feature allows you to emphasize key aspects of your business and engage your audience in a visually appealing way. In this article, we’ll walk you through how to leverage Instagram Highlights effectively to boost your brand visibility, build trust with followers, and increase engagement. Let’s dive into how you can make the most out of this underutilized Instagram tool.
1. What are Instagram Highlights?
Instagram Highlights are a unique feature that allows users to keep their Instagram Stories visible permanently, rather than allowing them to disappear after 24 hours. When you post a Story, you have the option to save it to a Highlight, creating a curated collection of content that stays on your profile indefinitely. These Highlights appear as circular icons at the top of your Instagram profile and are easily accessible for anyone visiting your page. Unlike regular feed posts, Highlights are not subject to an algorithm—they are always visible to your followers.
What sets Highlights apart from Stories is their permanence and organization. While Stories are fleeting and temporary, Highlights serve as a visual portfolio of your best content. They are also distinct from regular feed posts, which remain in your feed but can get lost in the shuffle as new content is uploaded. Highlights are perfect for organizing your content into specific categories or themes, providing followers with a quick overview of your brand, products, or services.
2. Why Instagram Highlights Matter for Brand Awareness
Visibility: Instagram Highlights are a powerful tool for increasing visibility because they keep your best content front and center on your profile. Visitors don’t have to scroll through your feed or hunt for specific posts; they can see exactly what you want them to by simply tapping on your Highlights. This increased exposure is an effective way to showcase key aspects of your brand without worrying about your content disappearing or getting buried over time.
First Impression: When someone lands on your Instagram profile, Highlights offer an immediate snapshot of your brand’s personality and values. Think of them as your brand’s digital “welcome mat.” By curating Highlights that align with your brand’s voice, style, and story, you shape the narrative your followers will engage with. Whether you want to emphasize your products, your story, or customer experiences, Highlights allow you to make a strong first impression.
Engagement: Highlights also offer more opportunities for engagement. Followers can tap through your collection of saved Stories, allowing them to engage with your content at their own pace. Additionally, each Highlight can contain multiple Stories, which creates an interactive experience for your audience, inviting them to explore various facets of your brand. When combined with interactive elements like polls, quizzes, and CTA stickers, Highlights can spark conversations and encourage sharing.
3. How to Create Effective Instagram Highlights
Creating effective Instagram Highlights starts with the content you want to showcase. Here’s a step-by-step guide:
Choosing Content for Highlights: Begin by selecting content that represents your brand’s values, products, or services. You might want to feature your most popular products, behind-the-scenes moments, tutorials, or customer testimonials. The key is to make sure that each Highlight tells a cohesive story that resonates with your target audience.
Designing Visually Appealing Cover Images: Every Highlight can have its own cover image, which should be visually consistent with your overall brand aesthetic. Use high-quality, branded images or icons that represent the content of the Highlight. Tools like Canva allow you to design professional-looking covers that align with your color palette and design style.
Organizing Highlights into Themes or Categories: Organize your Highlights into distinct themes that make it easy for followers to find what they’re interested in. Common categories include “Products,” “Reviews,” “Events,” or “Behind-the-Scenes.” This organization not only makes your content more accessible but also makes it look more polished and professional.
Consistency in Design and Messaging: To maintain a cohesive brand presence, ensure that your Highlight covers, as well as the Stories within each Highlight, follow a consistent visual and messaging style. This can include fonts, color schemes, and tone of voice. Consistency helps build brand recognition and trust with your audience.
4. Strategies for Using Instagram Highlights to Boost Brand Awareness
Highlighting Key Products/Services: One of the most effective ways to leverage Instagram Highlights is by showcasing your top-selling products or new arrivals. Create a Highlight dedicated to your product lineup, ensuring your followers can easily view what you offer. Highlight promotions, new releases, or limited-edition products to maintain customer interest.
Behind-the-Scenes Content: Give followers a behind-the-scenes look at your company’s culture or product creation process. This type of content humanizes your brand and builds a deeper connection with your audience. Whether it’s showing how products are made or offering glimpses into your team’s daily life, behind-the-scenes Stories can make your brand more relatable and authentic.
Customer Testimonials and Reviews: Highlight customer feedback and success stories to build credibility. User-generated content such as reviews, unboxing experiences, or testimonials can make a significant impact on potential buyers. Highlighting satisfied customers not only builds trust but also serves as social proof, showing others that your product or service is reliable.
Promotions and Offers: Instagram Highlights are perfect for keeping your promotions visible. Create Highlights to showcase current discounts, limited-time offers, or seasonal sales. By using this feature, your promotions will be easily accessible to followers and will remain visible long after the original Story expires.
Industry Authority: Position your brand as an expert in your field by sharing educational content, tips, or industry insights. Use Highlights to create a repository of knowledge that your followers can return to whenever they need information. This content can include how-to videos, industry news, or problem-solving tips that align with your business’s expertise.
Events and Milestones: Use Highlights to document and celebrate key events, such as product launches, collaborations, partnerships, or company milestones. Sharing behind-the-scenes footage or highlights from events allows you to keep the excitement alive long after the event has passed. This also helps reinforce your brand’s journey and progress.
5. Best Practices for Maximizing Instagram Highlights Impact
To truly harness the power of Instagram Highlights, you need to maintain consistency and strategy in your approach. Here are a few best practices:
Consistency in Content: Update your Highlights regularly with fresh, relevant content. Keeping them current will make sure that your followers remain engaged and that your Highlights reflect your business’s latest news and offerings.
Captions and Hashtags: Adding captions to your Highlights can help provide context and make them more accessible. Hashtags are also important for discoverability, so make sure to include relevant ones within each Highlight. This can expand the reach of your content beyond your current follower base.
Track Performance: Instagram offers insights that show how your Stories are performing in terms of reach, interactions, and engagement. Use this data to track which Highlights are resonating the most with your audience, and adjust your content strategy accordingly.
Encourage Engagement: Include interactive elements like polls, question boxes, or quizzes in your Stories. These interactive features not only keep your audience engaged but also make your Highlights more fun and dynamic.
6. Examples of Using Instagram Highlights
To truly understand the impact of Instagram Highlights, let’s look at a few examples
Example 1: A Fashion Brand Showcasing New Collections
A fashion brand can use Instagram Highlights to curate collections, showcasing different seasonal lines or limited-edition pieces. For example, a clothing brand might create Highlights like “Spring Collection,” “New Arrivals,” or “Best Sellers.” Each Highlight can feature a combination of photos, videos, and customer reviews. This makes it easier for customers to browse the brand’s offerings without scrolling through the feed. Additionally, these Highlights give potential customers a quick overview of the brand’s style, making them more likely to engage or make a purchase.
Example 2: A Service Business Sharing Client Success Stories
Service-based businesses can use Instagram Highlights to showcase testimonials, case studies, or before-and-after transformations. For instance, a fitness trainer could create Highlights dedicated to client success stories, where followers can see the progress of real clients and learn more about the services provided. This type of content is particularly powerful as it builds trust and credibility, showing that the brand delivers results. By organizing these Highlights into themes like “Client Success” or “Transformation Stories,” potential clients can easily find content that resonates with their own needs.
Example 3: A Travel Company Using Highlights to Share Testimonials and Travel Tips
For travel companies, Instagram Highlights can serve as an engaging way to showcase travel experiences, tips, and customer testimonials. A travel agency might use Highlights to create guides on popular destinations, showcase beautiful landscapes, and share customer reviews or videos of recent trips. This gives followers a window into the company’s offerings and allows potential customers to envision their own experiences. By organizing Highlights into categories such as “Top Destinations,” “Travel Tips,” or “Customer Journeys,” the agency can attract followers who are interested in specific aspects of travel, increasing the likelihood of conversion.
7. Common Mistakes to Avoid with Instagram Highlights
While Instagram Highlights can be a powerful tool, there are a few common mistakes businesses should avoid to ensure they make the most of this feature:
Overcrowding Highlights with Too Many Topics
One of the biggest mistakes is creating Highlights that cover too many unrelated topics. Overcrowding your Highlights with too much information can confuse your audience and make your profile look cluttered. Stick to a few core categories that align with your business’s values and goals, ensuring that each Highlight is easy to navigate.
Inconsistent Design or Low-Quality Images
Consistency is key when it comes to creating Instagram Highlights. Avoid using random cover images or low-resolution visuals, as this can damage your brand’s credibility. Invest time in designing professional-looking, high-quality cover images that match your brand’s aesthetic. Using the same fonts, colors, and design elements throughout your Highlights will create a cohesive and polished look that enhances your brand identity.
Failing to Update Highlights Regularly
Instagram Highlights are not a “set it and forget it” feature. It’s important to update them regularly with fresh content. Outdated Highlights can make your profile look stagnant and discourage engagement. Make it a habit to refresh your Highlights with new product offerings, seasonal updates, or promotions. This keeps your profile dynamic and engaging for your followers.
8. Conclusion
Instagram Highlights are a versatile and underutilized tool that can significantly enhance your brand’s visibility and engagement. By curating high-quality content, organizing your Highlights effectively, and following best practices, you can create a profile that not only captures your audience’s attention but also keeps them coming back for more.
Ultimately, Highlights are a unique way to showcase what your brand is all about—whether that’s your products, services, or company culture. They help shape your brand identity, improve the user experience, and foster greater interaction with your audience. By incorporating Highlights into your larger Instagram strategy, you can build stronger relationships with followers and increase brand awareness in an impactful and engaging way.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. How do Instagram Highlights differ from regular Stories?
Instagram Stories disappear after 24 hours, whereas Highlights allow you to save and feature specific Stories on your profile permanently. Highlights are stored at the top of your profile in a series of circular icons, making them easily accessible to your followers at any time.
2. How many Instagram Highlights should I have?
There’s no set number, but it’s important to strike a balance. Too many Highlights can make your profile look cluttered, while too few might leave visitors wondering what your brand is about. Aim for around 5–10 Highlights that focus on different aspects of your brand—products, services, reviews, promotions, etc. You can always add or remove Highlights as your business evolves.
3. Can I change the cover image of an Instagram Highlight?
Yes, you can! In fact, it’s highly recommended to customize the cover images of your Highlights to align with your brand’s aesthetic. You can select any Story within the Highlight to use as a cover or upload a custom image to create a more polished and cohesive look.
4. How do I track the performance of my Instagram Highlights?
Instagram provides insights for Stories, including the number of views, interactions, and engagement rates. However, for Highlights, these insights aren’t as detailed as for regular Stories. You can still track how many people interact with a Highlight by monitoring general engagement with your profile and seeing if it increases after adding or updating certain Highlights.
5. Can Instagram Highlights help increase sales?
Yes! Highlights are a great way to showcase products, promotions, or special offers that encourage followers to take action. You can feature your best-selling products, limited-time offers, or special discounts in a Highlight to drive interest and potential sales. Adding “Swipe Up” links (if you have 10k+ followers) or CTA stickers can also guide followers directly to your sales pages.
6. Should I update my Instagram Highlights often?
Yes, updating your Highlights regularly is key to keeping your profile fresh and engaging. This ensures that your content is relevant to your current audience and reflects your latest offerings, promotions, or events. For example, add new product releases, seasonal updates, or customer testimonials to keep things dynamic.
7. Can I delete an Instagram Highlight?
Yes, you can delete any Highlight at any time. Simply go to the Highlight, tap “More” (three dots), and choose “Delete Highlight.” However, deleting a Highlight doesn’t remove the Stories within it from your Instagram archive, so you can always re-add them later if needed.
8. Can I feature multiple Stories in one Highlight?
Yes! Highlights allow you to group multiple Stories together. This is a great way to organize content into themes, such as a collection of product demonstrations, customer reviews, or behind-the-scenes footage. Simply add relevant Stories to the same Highlight, and they will play in sequence when viewed.
9. Can non-followers see my Instagram Highlights?
Yes, anyone who visits your Instagram profile can see your Highlights, whether they follow you or not. This makes them an excellent tool for reaching new audiences, as Highlights are always visible and can be shared or discovered by users browsing your profile.
10. Are Instagram Highlights available on the desktop version of Instagram?
No, Instagram Highlights can only be viewed on the mobile app. However, if someone visits your profile from a desktop browser, they can still see the content in your feed, but the Highlights section will not be visible. For full engagement with Highlights, visitors need to use the mobile app.
