Master Your Instagram Highlights
Simplify your customer’s journey by mastering your IG highlights!
Your Instagram Highlights are far more important than you think. They are the first thing your new profile visitors scroll through, to get to know your brand and to decide whether they want to follow you and see your content, or not. They are a tool for conversion, so whether you’re a product or service-based business, keep reading to learn how to use them!
WHAT ARE THEY?
Instagram Stories expire in 24 hours, and your Instagram Highlights are a way to keep them up on your profile permanently. To do this, click “add highlight” and choose which of your Instagram Stories you want to add to your Highlight. P.S. Keep reading to learn more about how to categorize them!
They’re are those mini circles that pop up below your bio (see image). This is why they are such a great tool to direct your audience and new visitors to the most valuable content.
what’s their purpose?
Instagram Highlights are a deciding factor to new profile visitors on whether they want to follow you and keep seeing your content. Here are some things Instagram Highlights do successfully…
They’re a sneak peak into what they will be seeing on their feeds if they follow you!
They are the perfect tool to express what your brand is, your story, who you serve, what you offer and the impact you create.
They serve as a place where you save specific information, for instance, if you’re running a launch or a sale on a specific product/ service, you can make a separate Instagram Highlight directed to that specific offer, that your audience can go back to & find information about!
They can also be used to give your audience value, where they can binge free tips, tutorials and more from you.
IDEAS FOR BOTH PRODUCT & SERVICE BASED BUSINESSES
Whether you’re a product or service-based business, here are some highlights that are a must!
“Start Here”: Give new visitors a brief overview of who you are and what they can expect from your page, and tell them to follow you for more on (insert what your page is all about), or direct them to a free resource (i.e. an e-book, quiz etc).
“About”: Have a highlight that gives new visitors a picture of who you are and what your brand is all about. Let it encompass your story, team (if you have one), your brand values & your vibe.
“FAQ’s”: Answer any frequently asked questions in this highlight, to not only provide full transparency, but to also minimize the amount of questions that come your way!
“Reviews” or “Testimonials”: Include your favourite reviews & testimonials in this highlight! If your product or service includes before & afters (e.g. skin, confidence, monetary results), include them as often as possible, and add images as a bonus.
“Tips & Tricks” or “Education”: Add all your favourite and most valuable tips and tricks in this highlight, so your audience can binge all your best kept tips!
“Behind the Scenes”: Create a highlight for all ‘behind the scenes’ shenanigans, featuring your team, your WFH setup, packing orders etc… Whatever type of business you are, and however big or small you are, there’s always some behind the scenes stuff you can share to keep your audience in the loop (and to connect to them!)
IDEAS FOR ONLY PRODUCT BASED BUSINESSES
Here are specific ideas
Collections: Create highlights featuring your products and/or collections from specific categories to drive sales. For example, for a skincare brand, you could include “Serums”, “Moisturizers” etc… as different highlights to showcase different categories. Don’t forget to include links in your stories, to direct your audience to buy!
“How To’s”: Have a highlight on how to use your product, with a step-by-step tutorial, either in video format with a voice-over, OR in pictures with written detail.
UGC: Create a highlight featuring your customers for whenever they tag you! Do this to show potential customers user-generated content (which increases trust BTW) as well as to make your customers feel seen, appreciated and valued!
“As Seen On”: If you have any celebrities/ influencers using your products, create a highlight to add all your features relating them. People are influenced by “big” people online - let your highlights do the talking!
IDEAS FOR ONLY SERVICE BASED BUSINESSES
“Services” or “Work With Me”: Create a highlight outlining what services you offer, or what signature offers you have. Make sure you outline who this offer is for and what the transformation entails. Don’t forget to include links to drive sales!
“Process”: Have a highlight outlining exactly what your potential customers need to do to work with you! Starting from getting in contact with you and how, and outlining the onboarding process. This creates full transparency and less anticipation, which makes it more likely for potential customers to take that first step!
Feature your Freebie: Create a highlight for your freebie! Outline what it is (an e-book, a quiz, a workshop etc), who it’s for and exactly how to download it.
RULES TO KEEP IN MIND
Don’t over-do the slides. Having 100’s of slides in 1 highlight can de-motivate people to scroll through the whole thing. Keep it at 10-15 slides max!
Don’t over-do the highlights either. Having hundreds of highlights make it hard for people to dig out the important stuff! Keeping it short & sweet, with all your valuable information in max 7 highlights is what we recommend.
Keep it on brand. The colours, fonts, copy & overall vibe of the highlights should all be brand to strengthen your brand image online!
If your brand relates to seasonal-type content, plan your content around seasonal highlights to add to throughout the year (e.g. International Women’s Day, World Earth Day etc…)
Happy highlight creating! We’re working on revamping ours too…
