Instagram Story Highlights: Using Categories to Organize Your Stories [2023] 💥
Instagram Stories have become an essential tool for businesses to connect with their audience. However, their ephemeral nature — disappearing after 24 hours — can be limiting. Enter Instagram Story Highlights. This feature allows businesses to extend the life of their Stories, showcasing them directly on their profile. But how can you organize these Highlights effectively using categories? Let's delve into it.
Advertisement
Understanding Instagram Story Highlights
Instagram Story Highlights are a collection of Stories that you can showcase on your Instagram profile. They appear below your bio and above your photo grid, offering prime visibility. This is your chance to make a strong impression on potential customers visiting your profile. Unlike regular Stories that vanish after 24 hours, Highlights can be accessed anytime until you remove them.
Highlights can contain as many Stories as you want, and you can add to them anytime. They are an excellent way to package related content together and present it in a way that's easy for your audience to navigate and enjoy.
How to Create Story Highlights
To create a Story Highlight, you first need to have a Story. Once your Story is live, you can add it to a Highlight directly from the active Stories section. Here are the steps:
Step 1: Go to your active Instagram Stories by tapping your profile picture.
Step 2: Tap on the "Highlight" button at the bottom right corner of the screen. This will prompt you to select an existing Highlight or create a new one.
Step 3: To create a new Highlight, tap on "+ New." You can then give your new Highlight a name and tap "Add."
You can also create a new Highlight directly from your profile. Simply tap on the "+" sign in the Highlights section, select the Stories you want to add, and follow the prompts to name and create your new Highlight.
Using Categories to Organize Your Instagram Story Highlights
By categorizing your Instagram Story Highlights, you make it easier for your followers to find the content they're interested in, improving their user experience. Think of each Highlight as a content category. For instance, if you're a fashion brand, your categories could be 'New Arrivals', 'Behind the Scenes', 'Style Tips', etc.
When creating a new Highlight, consider what kind of content will be included and how it fits into your overall content strategy. Is it a part of a campaign? Is it a recurring theme? Does it feature a specific product or service? By answering these questions, you can identify suitable categories for your Highlights.
Customizing Your Instagram Story Highlight Cover
Highlight covers give you an opportunity to showcase your brand aesthetic and draw viewers in. Instagram automatically uses the first Story in the Highlight as the cover image, but you can customize this.
Go to the Highlight and tap on the three dots ("More") at the bottom right. Select "Edit Highlight," then "Edit Cover." Here, you can choose a different Story image from the Highlight, or upload a new image from your gallery. Ideally, your Highlight cover should reflect the content of the Highlight and align with your overall brand aesthetic.
Best Practices for Instagram Story Highlights
Using Instagram Story Highlights effectively involves more than just creating and categorizing them. Here are some best practices to consider:
Keep Your Highlight Titles Short and Descriptive: Instagram cuts off Highlight titles after about 10 characters, so keep your titles short or make sure the key words are within the first few characters. Your titles should be descriptive enough for visitors to know what they'll find in the Highlight.
Regularly Update Your Highlights: Just like your other Instagram content, your Highlights should be regularly updated to keep them fresh and engaging. This could mean adding new Stories to existing Highlights or creating new Highlights altogether.
Use Highlights for Calls to Action: Highlights are a great place to put calls to action (CTAs), like "Shop Now," "Sign Up," or "Learn More." You can create a dedicated Highlight for your CTAs or incorporate them into relevant Highlights.
Instagram Story Highlights offer a valuable opportunity to maximize the longevity and impact of your Instagram Stories. By effectively categorizing and regularly updating your Highlights, you can create a more engaging and navigable profile, showcasing your brand in the best possible light. For tips on Instagram optimization and social media strategies, visit this article.