Are you tired of your Instagram Stories disappearing after 24 hours? 

Have you ever wished that there was a way to showcase your best content to your followers beyond your feed? 

Look no further than Instagram Stories Highlights! 

In this article, we'll cover everything you need to know about using this feature to impress your audience and keep your brand top of mind.

Understanding Instagram Stories Highlights

What are Instagram Stories Highlights?

Instagram Stories Highlights are a fantastic feature that allows you to showcase your best Instagram Stories on your profile permanently. 

They're a series of curated collections that live at the top of your profile, just below your bio. 

You can organize them into different categories, such as "travel," "food," or "fashion," to give your followers a glimpse into your brand or personality beyond your feed.

But why are Instagram Stories Highlights so important? 

Well, they allow you to keep your best content visible to your followers for longer than 24 hours, making it easier for new followers to catch up on what they may have missed. 

Additionally, Highlights can help you organize your content by theme or topic, which can help your followers navigate your profile more easily.

The benefits of using Instagram Stories Highlights

Using Instagram Stories Highlights can benefit your brand in many ways. 

For one, they allow you to showcase your best content and keep it visible to your followers for as long as you want. 

This can help you build a more engaged following and attract new followers who are interested in your content.

Highlights can also help you organize your content by theme or topic, making it easier for your followers to navigate your profile and find the content they're most interested in. 

For example, if you're a food blogger, you could create Highlights for different types of food, such as "desserts," "vegetarian," or "gluten-free."

Finally, Instagram Stories Highlights can be used to communicate important updates or promotions to your followers. 

For example, you could create a Highlight to showcase a new product launch or a limited-time promotion. 

This can help you drive engagement and conversions, and keep your followers up-to-date with the latest happenings in your brand.

In summary, Instagram Stories Highlights are a powerful tool for building your brand on Instagram. 

They allow you to showcase your best content, organize it by theme or topic, and communicate important updates and promotions to your followers. 

So if you haven't already, start using Instagram Stories Highlights today!

Setting Up Your Instagram Stories Highlights

Instagram Stories Highlights are a great way to showcase your brand's personality and engage with your followers. 

They allow you to curate your best Stories and keep them on your profile for longer than 24 hours. 

In this article, we'll walk you through the process of setting up your Instagram Stories Highlights and share some tips on how to make them visually appealing and engaging.

How to create a new Instagram Stories Highlight

Creating a new Instagram Stories Highlight is easy! To get started, tap the '+' button located in the right-hand corner of your profile's Highlight section. 

This will prompt you to select the Stories that you want to include in your new Highlight. You can choose Stories from your archive or from your current Story. 

Once you've selected your Stories, choose a name for your Highlight and select a cover photo. 

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Voila – your new Highlight is now live on your profile!

But what Stories should you include in your Highlight? 

It's a good idea to choose Stories that are relevant to your brand and that your followers will find interesting. 

For example, if you're a fashion brand, you could create a Highlight called 'Outfit Inspiration' and include Stories of your latest looks. 

If you're a food blogger, you could create a Highlight called 'Recipes' and include Stories of your favorite dishes.

Customizing your Instagram Stories Highlights cover

Your Highlight cover is the first thing that your followers will see, so it's important to choose a visually appealing image that accurately represents the content of the Highlight. 

You can choose to use an existing image from one of the Stories in your Highlight, or you can upload a new image from your camera roll. 

You can also use Instagram's built-in design tools to add text or stickers to your cover, creating a cohesive and eye-catching look for your profile.

Another tip is to use consistent branding across all your Highlight covers. 

This can help to create a cohesive look and make your profile more visually appealing. You could use the same font, color scheme, or design elements across all your covers.

Organizing your Instagram Stories Highlights

When it comes to organizing your Highlights, there are no hard and fast rules. You can choose to group your Highlights by topic, by date, or by any other theme that makes sense for your brand. 

Some popular categories for Highlights include 'Behind the Scenes,' 'Products,' 'Testimonials,' and 'Tutorials.' 

The key is to choose categories that are relevant to your brand and that will be of interest to your followers.

Another tip is to keep your Highlights up to date by regularly adding new Stories and removing old ones. 

This will ensure that your profile stays fresh and engaging for your followers.

Hence, Instagram Stories Highlights are a great way to showcase your brand's personality and engage with your followers. 

By following these tips and best practices, you can create visually appealing and engaging Highlights that will keep your followers coming back for more.

Content Ideas for Your Instagram Stories Highlights

Instagram Stories Highlights are a fantastic way to showcase your brand's personality and values, connect with your audience, and drive sales. 

Here are some additional ideas for how to make the most of this feature:

Showcase your products or services

If you're a business owner, one of the most effective ways to use Instagram Stories Highlights is to showcase your products or services. 

Create a Highlight that features your most popular products, show them in action, and include links to purchase them directly from your website. 

By showcasing your products in this way, you'll give your followers a better sense of what you have to offer and make it easier for them to buy from you.

Don't be afraid to get creative with your product showcases. 

You could create a Highlight that features customer photos of your products in use, or even create a mini-series that tells the story of how your products are made.

Share customer testimonials and reviews

Another great way to use Instagram Stories Highlights is to feature customer testimonials and reviews. 

Create a Highlight that showcases the positive feedback you've received from happy customers, and be sure to tag them in your Stories to show your appreciation. 

By doing so, you'll build social proof for your brand and make it more likely that potential customers will trust and purchase from you.

Consider reaching out to your most loyal customers and asking them to share their experiences with your brand. 

You could even offer them a discount code or other incentive in exchange for their testimonial.

Highlight special offers and promotions

If you're running a special promotion or sale, Instagram Stories Highlights can be a great way to promote it and drive sales. 

Create a Highlight that features your offer, explain the details, and provide a direct link to the offer landing page. 

You can even add an expiration date to create a sense of urgency and encourage your followers to act fast.

Consider creating a series of Highlights that feature different types of promotions or discounts. 

For example, you could have one Highlight that features free shipping offers, and another that features percentage discounts.

Feature behind-the-scenes content

Behind-the-scenes content is always popular on social media, and Instagram Stories Highlights are no exception. 

Create a Highlight that offers a sneak peek into your brand, including photos and videos of your team, your workspace, and your creative process. 

By doing so, you'll give your followers a better sense of who you are and make them feel more connected to your brand.

Consider featuring different aspects of your brand in different Highlights. 

For example, you could have one Highlight that features your team, another that features your workspace, and another that features your creative process.

Display your brand's personality and values

Finally, Instagram Stories Highlights can also be used to showcase your brand's personality and values. 

Create a Highlight that features content related to your brand's mission, values, or culture. 

This can include inspirational quotes, funny memes, or stories that illustrate your brand's unique perspective on the world. 

By doing so, you'll create a more personal connection with your followers and build a stronger brand identity.

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Consider creating a series of Highlights that feature different aspects of your brand's personality and values. 

For example, you could have one Highlight that features inspirational quotes, another that features funny memes, and another that features stories about your brand's charitable initiatives.

Tips for Maximizing Engagement with Your Instagram Stories Highlights

Instagram Stories Highlights are a great way to showcase your brand and engage with your audience. 

By keeping your Highlights updated and relevant, using engaging visuals and captions, collaborating with influencers and partners, and utilizing Instagram's interactive features, you can create a highly engaging and effective Highlights strategy for your brand. 

Let's dive into each of these tips in more detail.

Keep your Highlights updated and relevant

It's important to keep your Highlights up-to-date and relevant to your audience. This means regularly updating your Highlights with fresh content and removing any outdated or irrelevant content. 

By doing this, you'll ensure that your profile stays fresh and engaging for your followers, and they'll be more likely to watch and engage with your Highlights.

Here are some ideas for keeping your Highlights updated:

• Create new Highlights for new product launches or promotions
• Feature behind-the-scenes content from your brand
• Showcase user-generated content from your followers
• Highlight your brand's values and mission

Use engaging visuals and captions

Visuals are key to creating engaging Instagram Stories Highlights. Use high-quality images and videos, and add captions or text overlays that help explain the content. 

This will make your Highlights more engaging and increase the likelihood that your followers will watch and engage with them.

Here are some tips for creating engaging visuals and captions:

• Use bright colors and eye-catching designs
• Add text overlays to explain the content
• Use emojis to add personality to your Highlights
• Create a consistent visual style for your brand

Collaborate with influencers and partners

Collaborating with influencers and partners is a great way to expand your brand's reach and drive engagement with your Highlights. 

Partner with influencers or other brands whose followers are similar to your own, and create content together that is highly engaging and shareable. 

By leveraging their reach and influence, you'll be able to get your Highlights in front of a much larger audience.

Here are some tips for collaborating with influencers and partners:

• Choose partners whose values align with your brand's values
• Create content that is authentic and genuine
• Promote each other's content on your respective channels
• Track and measure the success of your collaborations

Utilize Instagram's interactive features

Instagram's interactive features, like polls, quizzes, and questions, are a great way to increase engagement and make your followers feel more involved with your brand. 

Be sure to respond to their responses and use their feedback to inform your content strategy moving forward.

Here are some ideas for using Instagram's interactive features in your Highlights:

• Create polls to get feedback on new products or services
• Use quizzes to educate your followers about your brand
• Ask questions to get feedback on your content and strategy
• Respond to your followers' responses and engage in conversation

By following these tips, you can create a highly engaging and effective Instagram Stories Highlights strategy for your brand. 

Remember to keep your content fresh and relevant, use engaging visuals and captions, collaborate with influencers and partners, and utilize Instagram's interactive features to drive engagement and build a strong relationship with your followers.

Measuring the Success of Your Instagram Stories Highlights

Instagram Stories Highlights are a great way to showcase your brand and engage with your followers. 

They allow you to curate and organize your best content and make it easily accessible to anyone who visits your profile. 

But how do you know if your Highlights are actually resonating with your audience? 

In this article, we'll explore some strategies for measuring the success of your Instagram Stories Highlights.

Tracking Instagram Stories Highlights analytics

One of the easiest ways to measure the success of your Highlights is by using Instagram's built-in analytics tools. 

These tools allow you to view metrics like views, taps forward, and taps back for each of your Highlights. 

By analyzing these metrics, you'll be able to see which Highlights are performing well and which ones may need some tweaking.

For example, let's say you have a Highlight that showcases your best-selling products. 

By looking at the analytics, you may notice that this Highlight is getting a lot of views but not many taps forward. 

This could indicate that people are interested in your products but aren't sure how to purchase them. 

Armed with this knowledge, you could add a call-to-action to the Highlight that encourages people to visit your website or online store.

Identifying key performance indicators (KPIs)

When it comes to measuring the success of your Highlights, it's important to identify the key performance indicators (KPIs) that matter most to your business. 

This will vary depending on your goals and objectives, but some common KPIs include how to use instagram stories highlights:

• Views
• Taps forward
• Taps back
• Conversions
• Click-through rates
• Engagement

If your goal is to drive sales, you may want to focus on metrics like conversions and click-through rates. 

If you're more focused on brand awareness, you may want to track metrics like views and engagement. 

By identifying your KPIs up front, you'll be able to measure the success of your Highlights more effectively.

Adjusting your strategy based on data and insights

Finally, be sure to adjust your strategy based on the data and insights you gather from your analytics tools. 

If certain Highlights are performing well, create more content that is similar and consider promoting them on other platforms. 

If certain Highlights aren't performing as well, adjust your content strategy or consider retiring them altogether.

For example, let's say you have a Highlight that showcases behind-the-scenes footage of your team. You may notice that this Highlight isn't getting many views or engagement. 

This could indicate that your followers aren't interested in this type of content. 

Armed with this knowledge, you could retire the Highlight and focus on creating content that is more aligned with your audience's interests.

By using data to inform your strategy, you'll be able to create more effective and engaging content for your followers. 

So be sure to track your Highlights analytics, identify your KPIs, and adjust your strategy based on the insights you gather. 

With these strategies in place, you'll be well on your way to measuring the success of your Instagram Stories Highlights.

Instagram Stories Highlights Best Practices

Maintain a consistent brand aesthetic

When it comes to creating Instagram Stories Highlights, consistency is key. 

Be sure to maintain a consistent brand aesthetic across all of your Highlights, including your cover images, colors, and fonts. 

This will help ensure that your profile looks professional and polished, and that your followers can easily recognize your content.

Limit the number of Highlights on your profile

While it can be tempting to create a large number of Highlights, it's important to limit the number of Highlights on your profile. 

Too many Highlights can overwhelm your followers and make it difficult for them to navigate your content. 

Instead, focus on creating a small number of high-quality Highlights that are relevant and engaging to your audience.

Promote your Instagram Stories Highlights on other platforms

Finally, don't forget to promote your Instagram Stories Highlights on other platforms! 

Share links to your Highlights on your website, on your other social media profiles, and in your email newsletter. 

This will help drive traffic to your profile and increase engagement with your content.

FAQs- Get More Ideas Here!

Q: What are Instagram Stories highlights?

Instagram Stories highlights are a collection of previously published Instagram stories that can be featured on your profile even after they have expired.

Q: How to Create an Instagram Stories Highlights?

To create an Instagram Stories highlight, open your Instagram profile and tap the “+” icon on the “Stories Highlights” section, then select the stories you want to feature in the highlight.

Q: Can I organize my Instagram Stories highlights?

Yes, you can organize your Instagram Stories highlights by creating custom highlight covers, categorizing your highlights by theme or topic, and arranging them in a specific order.

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Q: How often should I post Instagram Stories highlights?

There is no set frequency for posting Instagram Stories highlights. However, it’s important to maintain consistency and relevance with your content to keep your followers engaged.

Q: How can I use Instagram Stories highlights for my business?

Instagram Stories highlights can be a great way to showcase your business’s products, services, behind-the-scenes moments, customer testimonials, and more. They can also help to establish your brand’s personality and identity.

Q: Can I add links to my Instagram Stories highlights?

Yes, if you have a verified account or a business account with over 10,000 followers, you can add links to your Instagram Stories highlights.

Q: How can I make my Instagram Stories highlights stand out?

To make your Instagram Stories highlights stand out, use high-quality images and videos, create custom highlight covers that align with your brand identity, and add captions or text overlays to provide context.

Q: Is there a guide to Instagram Stories for businesses?

Yes, there is a guide to Instagram Stories for businesses that provides tips and best practices for creating engaging and effective Instagram Stories, including how to use Instagram Stories highlights to wow your followers.

Conclusion

By following these best practices and using Instagram Stories Highlights strategically, you'll be able to wow your followers and keep them coming back for more. 

Remember to stay creative, stay authentic, and stay engaged with your audience to build a strong and loyal community on Instagram.