Insta Highlights
We all want to forget that chunky blonde highlights ever existed…
So let's replace that slightly scary memory with a much better one…
Instagram highlights!
I gotta say that highlights are one of those things that people make way more complicated than they need to be.
But I promise they can be straightforward and serve as a simple way to optimize your profile.
Why do I care so much about highlights you ask? Because they're so important for your customer journey! They're like a Coles Notes version of your business that lives right on your profile.
No endless scrolling and no need to click on a link and leave the platform.
When a potential buyer lands on your profile, they can use your highlights to quickly and easily learn who you are, who you help, and how you help them. By optimizing your highlights, you're making it easier for that potential buyer to convert.
So, let's break it down:
First things first, what highlights should you have?
This will depend mostly on your industry. Here's a list of where to start with links to an example in each industry so that you can see these babies in action.
Service-Based Creatives
Start Here: How can they work with you and what the benefits of working with you are. Speak directly to your ideal clients so that they can see themselves in your content.
Services: A breakdown of your services or a Pricing Guide.
Reviews: Testimonials, case studies, or success stories.
Portfolio: Visual representations of your work.
Personal: Less businessy, but still on brand.
Product-Based Businesses
Start Here: How to buy your stuff and the benefits of your products.
Products: Your star products and their uses.
Reviews: Positive customer experiences.
FAQs: Fun facts, frequently asked questions, and how-to-use demos.
Personal: Less businessy, but still on brand.
Interior Designers
Start Here: How to work with you, who you serve, and how your services will benefit them. Focus on your differentiator!
About Me: Your love for design, your experience, what it's like to work with you.
Portfolio: Visual representations of your work including before and afters.
Specific Projects: Use different highlights to show the process of individual projects.
Reviews: Positive client experiences.
Personal: Less businessy, but still on brand.
Medical Aesthetics
Start Here: How to work with you, how you support, who you serve. Focus on your differentiator!
Meet the Team: Why you do what you do, how it started, what it's like to work with you.
Portfolio: Before and after photos.
Treatments: Typically, you want to show a wide range of treatment highlights.
Reviews: Postive client experiences.
Personal: Less businessy, but still on brand.
Once you've got an idea of what you need, start creating stories for your highlights! In order to create highlights, you have to post the content as a story first!
And don't forget to:
Use covers: You can upload a cover directly from your phone - no need to post it to your stories first! Search Canva for templates and them customize them with your brand colours. A cover can be added at any time!
Search your archives: You can add older stories to your highlights directly from your archives. From your profile, click on the three lines in the top right-hand corner. Select archive and click on the story you want to use. At the bottom, click on “highlight” and it to the relevant highlight.
Keep it relevant: The goal here is for your audience to find the information they need as easily as possible. I recommend sticking to 5 highlights where possible (as there are industry and individual exceptions to this), and only add content that supports the goal of each highlight.
These highlights definitely aren't going out of style. In fact, they'll help create a solid foundation for your Instagram strategy.
Let me know if you have any questions - I'd love to chat with you!
Sarah
For more info on highlights, follow me on Instagram.