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How To Use Instagram Story Highlights For Your Brand

How To Use Instagram Story Highlights For Your Brand

Do you ever post an Instagram story that you’re super proud of? Perhaps you designed it yourself, and it took hours to create. Maybe it’s a fantastic offer that you want people to take advantage of. Whatever the case may be it’s very discouraging when the story goes away just after 24 hours of being posted. Luckily, Instagram has recently released a feature that can solve this!

Now your stories are saved on your profile (Don’t worry only you can see them). You can make them public using a tool Instagram calls “Story Highlights.” It is shown to people when they visit your profile. They can quickly tap on the circle and see your story! The best part? Story highlights don’t expire after 24 hours!

First, let’s run through how to add an Instagram story highlight to your profile:

1. On your profile click on the time icon at the top left of your screen. This will redirect you to your current/previous Instagram stories that you have shared. How To Use Instagram Story Highlights For Your Brand archived pictures

 

2. Once you have a layout of your stories, click on the specific one that you wish to “highlight”. Just tap on the heart that says highlight.How To Use Instagram Story Highlights For Your Brand highlight

 

3. It will then show you any existing highlights that you may have on your profile, and give you the option of either adding your story to an existing highlight or adding a brand new story to your profile.

How To Use Instagram Story Highlights For Your Brand add to highlights

Effective Instagram Story Highlights

 

Categories with keywords

A great way to use Instagram stories for your business is by considering the titles as keywords. Let’s say David is looking for his customized packaging. He starts searching packaging businesses on Instagram and lands on one that does ALL kinds of packaging. However, he sees right away that on their highlights they have “Get Your Custom Packaging!” and clicks on it right away instead of having to search their whole Instagram in hopes that they have custom packaging.

Consider them as categories. Think of different services/products that your clients are looking for and reflect these on the titles of your highlights. It will help people save time, and your audience will be much more relevant.

 

Add an eye-catching cover picture for each story highlight

Aside from an attention-grabbing headline, add a nice picture to your highlight! A lot of people don’t know that you can upload another picture as your cover picture for your highlight. You do not need to use the picture from your story as the cover. Cool right? Here’s how you add a completely different one.

Go back to your profile and click on the circle of the highlight you wish to change. Click on the three dots location at the bottom right of the screen and click on “edit highlight.”

 

How To Use Instagram Story Highlights For Your Brand edit highlights

 

It will redirect you to the highlight, and click on “edit cover.” When you click on this, you will be able to add a separate image for your cover.

 

Include a call-to-action

Use this opportunity to use your highlights as a call-to-action! Whether the call-to-action is on the title of the highlight or whether it’s on the image of the highlight, let your user know how to get this amazing product or service. For large business accounts, Instagram allows you to add a link to your highlights. If you are advertising a free consultation, then make sure your title is “Get Your FREE consultation,” or “Register For Your FREE Consultation.” Notice how I’m saying what they need to do next to receive my special offer? It works as an incentive, and it doesn’t leave people confused.

 

Your Next Steps:

I want to hear from you! Have you ever added an Instagram Story HIghlight to your profile? How did it go?

If you haven’t tried it, then what are you waiting for? Just start by adding your most viewed story, with an offer and a call-to-action.

P.S: Don’t forget to let me know the results!

Noah Digital Marketing