The Instagram story feature has given all of us a live platform to perform since its launch in 2016. Although some enjoy performing more than others, many of us have all performed at some point or another.
Fortunately, we can now save and cherish our most beloved performances by using the Instagram story highlights. Our best moments can now be highlighted directly below our bio.
Since Instagram is now a digital marketing place, the Instagram story highlights are most valuable to brands and businesses approaching their audience on social media.
There are countless ways that you can use the Instagram story highlights. By categorising your content you can ensure that they will stand out. You should begin by creating a category with a purpose in mind. You can name and add an appropriate image for every folder.
This provides easy access for your followers and draws more attention to the areas that you are targeting. Here are our top 8 recommended categories you could use with their own specific purposes.
- Use Instagram story highlights to introduce yourself
- Bring attention to new products
- Dedicate a folder to your discount and promotional codes
- Highlight your FAQ’s with Instagram highlights
- Share your customer reviews via Instagram story highlights
- Create interactive polls for your highlights
- Use Instagram story highlights to share user-generated-contentÂ
- Inform your audience about updates and changes
1. Use Instagram Story Highlights to Introduce Yourself
Instagram story highlights give businesses the ability to save a collection of their most important relevant information. This visual collection is a great introduction asset that can be added to your home page, directly below your bio.
To begin with, whether you already have a well-established business or you are just starting off, you can use the story highlight feature to introduce yourself and establish your brand. This is an incredible way to leave a first and lasting impression on your viewers.
This will gain you a better personal connection with your customers. You can add as many as 100 videos and 100 pictures per story highlights.
You are also able to make as many Instagram story covers as you would like. Get creating and be as creative as you can while introducing yourself. Remember – first impressions are everything.
2. Bring Attention to New Products
It is often quite difficult for new businesses to bring awareness to their new product and services. The Instagram story highlights can offer you the exact platform you need to target those new products efficiently.
By creating a new category of Instagram highlight cover for your new products you can make sure they stand out loud and clear. You have the ability to bring attention to your new products for as long as you want.
Even better is the ability to create a huge hype around a product that you are about to launch. This is an effective way to make your audience excited. You can use the Instagram countdown sticker to ensure they are as pumped up as you are about the release of your new products.
By adding a countdown sticker to your story, you can allow those who view your story to sign up by a simple click on the reminder button. They will then be notified as soon as your new product is launched.
Not only this is a great way to get as much attention as possible for your product but its also a great way for you to find out who is interested in your products. It is a useful technique that can give you insight into those who are interested in your business.
3. Dedicate a Folder to Your Discount and Promotional Codes
This one is a no brainer. Everyone loves a discount or two and we all love receiving discount codes. So what better way to reach out to your audience than through promotional codes and offers displayed directly beneath your bio.
Create a cover of Instagram story highlights dedicated to discount offers. This is a quick way to make your discount codes visible to your audience and grab their attention quickly to generate more sales.
4. Highlight Your FAQ’s with Instagram Highlights
People will always have questions. Some questions are more common than others so why not use your platform to quickly answer your customer’s questions. This is more of an intimate way to offer customer service.
If you have been using Instagram as a way to market your brand for a while then you are most likely aware of the questions your customers regularly ask you. You can use the comments people have left on your content as a reference.
Another easy way to find questions is to use the Instagram ‘Questions’ sticker directly on your story. Instagram launched this feature in 2018 and it allows individual accounts to ask questions directly from you. Use this feature to see what your most common questions asked may be.
Your audience will love to find the answers from you instead of searching for hours on Google. This can also be a great way to build trust with your customers.
5. Share Your Customer Reviews via Instagram Highlights
We all know a thing or two about how important reviews are. Every one of us checks product and service reviews before making any decisions. It is perhaps the most trusted method we can use to ensure we make the right purchases.
So, it’s definitely worth your while to make a category of Instagram highlights dedicated to your reviews. Not only it will be an easy way for your customers to access your reviews, but you also save them the time to look elsewhere.
By directly providing your audience with relevant reviews left by your customers, you will make sure to increase your sales very quickly. It is the most efficient way to display the benefits your existing customers have gained from purchasing from your business.
6. Create Interactive Polls For Your Highlights
You can use interactive polls in numerous ways depending on your business goals. Create a whole selection of interactive Instagram story highlights poll where you can engage with your customers directly.
One of the best ways for humans to engage in general is by asking each other questions. This is the main way we get to know one another. Therefore, it can also be a useful way for you to better understand your audience and their desires.
This will help you expand your business further and can potentially bring new ideas for future products. When you have an understanding of what your target audience prefers and is looking for, you can aim to create more favourable products.
Another way you can use interactive polls is to provide links and drive more organic traffic to your web page. This is a fast and free way that will bring your other platform attention too, it’s a win-win.
7. Use Instagram Story Highlights to Share User-generated-content
By introducing an entire Instagram story highlights cover to the content that they generate, you show your appreciation for their loyalty.
It will show that you actually take the time to see the pictures that they take the time to capture and tag. But do not forget to ask for permission before you use their content, as you have no right to do so otherwise.
This is an incredible way to gain more sales for your business. People can relate to people like themselves more than those overly filtered models. It can create an authentic feel to your brand and most importantly it makes your audience feel important.
This is known to be one of the most effective ways to capture and captivate the attention of your audience in the long run.
8. Inform Your Audience About Updates and Changes
Whatever your business may be, Instagram highlights can be a useful way to let your customers, who engage with you on social media, know about any updates and changes.
Many of us also use our social media platforms to find relative news and updates. The heavier users tend to spend most of their time browsing on Instagram and prefer this platform to others. This can be a great way to include things such as opening and closing hour changes.
If you are making bigger changes to your product or perhaps rebranding your business then using highlights could be an easy and light hearted-way to bring the news. You can create ongoing content at every step of the changes that are taking place.
This can be a useful method to give your fans the time they need to adjust and adapt to the changes taking place.