What Are Instagram Highlights, How To Create It & Tips
Instagram Highlights are a powerful tool to showcase your best Instagram Stories content and engage your followers beyond the 24-hour limit.
By strategically using Instagram Highlights, you can boost your brand’s presence, share valuable information, and even drive more traffic and sales.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll dive into everything you need to know about Instagram Highlights and how to leverage them effectively for your business.
What Are Instagram Highlights?
Instagram Highlights are curated collections of your favorite Instagram Stories that live permanently on your Instagram profile.
Unlike regular Instagram Stories which disappear after 24 hours, Highlights remain on your profile until you choose to remove them. They appear as clickable circles below your Instagram bio and above your Instagram feed posts.
Instagram Highlights allow you to group related Instagram Stories and give them descriptive names. This makes it easy for your followers to find and watch the content they’re most interested in, even if they missed it when originally posted to your Story.
Highlights are an excellent way to extend the life and visibility of your best Instagram Stories content on both Instagram and Facebook.
Why Are Instagram Highlights So Important?
Instagram Highlights serve several important purposes for businesses and brands on Instagram:
- Showcase your best content: Highlights allow you to curate your top Instagram Stories and keep them easily accessible on your profile page. This is a great way to feature your most engaging, informative, or promotional content.
- Introduce your brand: Highlights can act as a “trailer” for your Instagram account, giving new visitors a quick overview of who you are and what you offer. Strategic Highlight covers and descriptions help communicate your brand identity and values.
- Increase discoverability: Highlights make your Instagram profile more engaging and likely to show up in Search & Explore. Using keywords in your Highlight titles can also help your profile appear in relevant searches.
- Drive actions: Including call-to-actions in your Highlights, such as “Swipe Up” for link sharing or product tags, can direct followers to your website, blog, or online store, boosting traffic and conversions.
- Gain valuable insights: Highlights are included in your Instagram Insights, so you can track views and interactions to see what content resonates best with your audience. Use these learnings to optimize your Instagram Stories strategy.
How to Create Instagram Highlight?
There are a few ways to create a new Instagram Highlight depending on whether you want to use an active Story or one from your Stories Archive. Here’s how:
Create Highlight From The Active Story
- Open your current Instagram Story
- Tap the “Highlight” icon with a heart at the bottom of the screen
- Choose “+New” to create a new Highlight or select an existing one
- Tap “Add” to confirm
Create Highlight From The Archived Stories
- Go to your Instagram profile
- Tap the “+New” circle under the “Edit Profile” button
- Select the archived Stories you want to add to your new Highlight
- Tap “Next“
- Name your Highlight and choose a cover image
- Tap “Add” to publish to your profile
How to Add More Stories in a Current Highlight?
- Open the Highlight you want to add to
- Tap “More” (…) at the bottom right
- Select “Edit Highlight“
- Tap the Stories you want to add
- Tap “Done” to save
Removing or Deleting a Highlight
- Tap and hold the Highlight you want to delete
- Select “Delete Highlight“
- Tap “Delete” to confirm
How to Create Highlights and Edit Them For More Views?
The key to creating engaging Instagram Highlights is to be strategic and intentional with the content you create.
Here are some tips:
- Choose a clear theme or topic for each Highlight that aligns with your brand and audience interests
- Use descriptive titles that include relevant keywords
- Design branded Highlight covers for a cohesive look
- Include a mix of content types (images, videos, text)
- Place a strong CTA in your opening Story for each Highlight
- Keep individual Stories short and add up to 10 Stories per Highlight
- Use polls, questions, countdowns and other interactive stickers to encourage engagement
- Add hashtags and location tags to increase discoverability
- Promote your Highlights in your Instagram bio, captions, and other channels
- Regularly review and update your Highlights to keep them fresh and relevant
What Are The Best Ways to Use Instagram Highlights For Business?
Some effective ways businesses can use Instagram Highlights include:
- Showcasing products or services
- Sharing customer reviews and testimonials
- Providing tutorials or how-to guides
- Featuring behind-the-scenes content
- Promoting events or launches
- Answering FAQs
- Directing followers to your blog, website, or store
- Highlighting UGC and influencer partnerships
- Sharing company news and milestones
The key is to provide value to your followers while subtly promoting your brand. Think about what content would be most helpful, interesting, or entertaining for your target audience.
How to Add Instagram Highlights Covers or Icons?
Highlight covers are the small circular images that represent each of your Highlights on your profile page.
By default, Instagram will select a cover image from the Stories in that Highlight. But you can easily upload your own custom cover for a branded look.
Here’s how:
- Tap and hold the Highlight you want to edit
- Select “Edit Highlight“
- Tap “Edit Cover“
- Choose a new image from your camera roll or gallery
- Pinch to zoom and adjust the image in the circle
- Tap “Done” to save
For best results, create custom Highlight cover images that include your brand colors, fonts, and style. Use simple icons or illustrations that visually communicate the theme of each Highlight. Canva is a great free tool for easily designing Highlight covers.
How To See Who Viewed Your Instagram Highlights?
Instagram provides Insights on your Highlights, including how many times each Highlight was viewed.
However, it does not show the specific usernames of those who viewed them.
Here’s how to check your Highlight views:
- Go to your Instagram profile
- Tap the Highlight you want to see Insights for
- Swipe up to see the viewers list
- Note: You’ll only see view counts, not usernames
Keep in mind you can only access Insights for Highlights created after you switched to a Business or Creator account. Regular personal accounts do not have access to this data.
How To Display Instagram Highlights On Your Website?
Did you know you can embed your Instagram Highlights on your website or blog? This is a great way to showcase your best Instagram content and drive traffic from your site to your Instagram profile. Here’s how:
- Open the Highlight you want to embed
- Tap the three dots (…) at the bottom right
- Select “Copy Highlight Link“
- Paste the link into the embed code on your website
You can also use a plugin or app like EmbedSocial to easily integrate your Instagram Highlights onto your site with just a few clicks.
Tips And Tricks For Effective Instagram Highlights
Here are some additional tips to keep in mind as you create and optimize your Instagram Highlights:
- Make sure your Highlight titles are clear and descriptive
- Use emojis in your titles for added visual interest
- Choose Highlight covers that are easy to read and recognize
- Keep your Highlights to 15-20 max so they don’t look cluttered
- Reorder your Highlights so the most important ones appear first
- Use a consistent style for your Highlight covers for a matching brand look
- Don’t be afraid to delete old Highlights that are no longer relevant
- Include Highlights in your Instagram bio to draw attention to them
- Cross-promote Highlights in your Stories, feed posts, and other channels
- Monitor your Insights regularly to track performance and adjust your strategy
FAQ’s:
Can You Add Highlights Without A Story?
No, you must first post a Story in order to add it to a Highlight. However, you can always delete the Story from your profile after adding it to a Highlight.
Can You Add Old Photos to Highlights?
Yes, as long as the photo was posted to your Story within the past 24 hours or saved to your Stories Archive. You cannot add photos directly from your camera roll to Highlights.
Can You See Who Views Your Instagram Highlights After 24 Hours?
No, after 24 hours you can only see the total number of views on a Highlight, not the specific usernames of those who viewed it.
Is it Possible to Check Who Viewed My Instagram Highlights After 48 Hours?
No, view counts on Highlights only show the total number of views, not usernames, regardless of how much time has passed.
Can People See If You Screenshot a Highlight?
No, Instagram does not notify users if someone takes a screenshot of their Highlight or sends a notification that a screenshot was taken.
Can You See Who Viewed Your Old Highlights On Instagram?
No, Insights are not available for Highlights created before you switched to a Business or Creator account. You can only see view counts for Highlights made after the switch.
Can Other People Check At Their Instagram Highlights?
Yes, anyone who visits your profile can view your public Highlights. If your account is private, only approved followers can see your Highlights.
How Long Do Instagram Highlights Last?
Highlights remain on your profile indefinitely unless you choose to delete them. They do not expire.
Who Can See Your Highlights On Instagram?
Anyone can see your Highlights if your account is public. If your account is private, only your approved followers can view them.
Can I Hide Highlights On Instagram?
You cannot hide Highlights from your profile. The only way to remove a Highlight is to delete it entirely.
Can You Rearrange Instagram Highlights?
Yes, tap and hold a Highlight, then drag it to the left or right to change the order they appear on your profile.
How Often Should You Update Your Instagram Highlights?
It’s a good idea to review and update your Highlights every few months to keep them current and relevant to your brand and audience.
Do Instagram Highlights Increase Engagement?
Yes, Highlights can increase engagement by making your best content more accessible and encouraging followers to spend more time viewing your profile.
Are Highlights Included in Instagram Insights?
Yes, you can view Insights for your Highlights, including total views, taps forward, taps backward, and exits.
Can I See How Many Times Someone Views My Highlight Or How Many Instagram Highlights Downloads I Have?
You can see the total view count for each Highlight, but not the number of times an individual user viewed it. There are no “downloads” for Highlights.
Conclusion
Instagram Highlights are a valuable tool for businesses looking to showcase their brand and engage their audience on the platform.
By creating your best Instagram Stories into themed Highlights, you can extend the life of your top content while communicating what makes your brand unique.
Use the tips and best practices covered in this guide to create eye-catching, valuable Highlights that will keep your followers coming back for more. Regularly review and update your Highlights, and don’t forget to promote them across your other marketing channels.
With a little creativity and strategic planning, Instagram Highlights can become a key component of your social media marketing strategy, helping you to build a loyal community and drive real results for your business.
