Genius Instagram Highlight & Story Hacks from Top Social Media Marketers

Instagram Highlights are essentially the Instagram stories you choose to feature on your profile permanently. If you add a story to a Highlight, it will be visible even after 24 hours, so it’s a great way to keep your most successful stories running.

Because of their prime location directly under your bio and above your Instagram feed, it’s the perfect place to direct followers to your most valuable and interesting content.So they’re perfect for helping new visitors discover what your company is all about.

Sometimes your viewers might be looking for something specific from your stories post, like more information about a new launch or a sale you’re running. For this type of content, Instagram Highlights are the perfect way to reach out, without putting a time limit on when viewers can watch!

In this article, we’ll cover . . .

• Tips for Instagram Highlights
• Instagram Highlight Strategies
• Sample Highlight Campaigns
• Instagram Story Hacks
• Instagram Story Formats

Plus, we’ll talk about how you can Work With Top Social Media Marketers to Gain Real Instagram Followers

Tips for Instagram Highlights

• Create a highlight cover that aligns with all highlight campaigns. As much as possible, it should be the same color with the branding of the page or at least with the rest of the highlights. 
• Follow a strategy for your highlights and don’t just add any story to it. It should be straightforward and give your target audience the information they need from your brand. 
• When creating your Highlight name, follow the K.I.S.S. formula:  Keep It Sweet and Simple 

Instagram Highlight Strategies

Highlight Products or Collections

Top social media marketers use Instagram Stories Highlights to create separate channels for seasonal collections, new arrivals, or to share sales and other promotions.

Highlight Trends and  Topics

Brands who regularly publish content, like magazines or blogs, could create Instagram Stories Highlights based on the categories or topics they write about.

Highlight Based on Audience or Interest

You could also organize your Instagram Stories Highlights based on your follower demographics. For example, a department store could have various Highlights for its target customers: children, women, men, home goods, electronics, etc. A television network might choose to organize content based on the genre like sci-fi, drama, comedy, or action. 

Highlight Tutorials or How-To’s

Organize your most helpful tutorials, tips, and tricks into your Instagram Stories Highlights.

Highlight Seasonal Events and Holidays

Share stories around specific holidays and global events to keep your account relevant and current

Highlight Your Customers

You can repurpose UGC and post to your own Instagram Stories Highlights. This is not only a great way to give your customers a virtual shout-out, but it also showcases your business in an authentic way through UGC (user-generated content).

Highlight your influencer marketing campaigns

If you work with endorsers for an influencer marketing campaign, you can organize all of your endorser content into an Instagram Stories Highlight.

Highlight your campaigns

If you have a promotion or campaign that you’ve put a lot of work into you can ensure it can be viewed by as many people as possible by pinning it on your profile for as long as that specific campaign is active.

Highlight your Affiliates or Ad partners

Influencers and businesses who employ affiliate marketing strategies on social will be able to give their affiliate and #ad posts a much longer shelf life than they could via Instagram Stories alone.

Highlight Your Events or Classes

Create Behind-the-scenes posts about your class or events and post it also on your page.

Highlight Your Reviews and Testimonials

Compile all of your reviews on your account through this highlight

Sample Highlight Campaigns

Product Stores	Real Estate	Coaching/Classes/Skills based shop	Restaurants
-Orders -Feedback -FAQ -Proof of Payment -New samples	-About us -Highlights for each locations -Actual Units -FAQs -Real Estate Facts -Testimonials -Behind-the-scenes	-Classes -Courses -About -Reviews -Retail -Feedback -Promos	-Menu -Holidays -FAQs -Feedback -Locations

 

 

Instagram Story Hacks

How to add Link on stories: (For users with 10k + followers only)

1. Take a photo or upload one to your Instagram Story, and then click the icon at the top right that looks like a chain.
2. Here, click “+ URL” to add a link to a web page. If you are interested in linking your Story to your IGTV video, you could choose that option, instead.
3. Type the URL into the text box. When you’re finished, click “Done” in the top right.
4. When you’re ready to publish, click the “+ Story” button at the bottom right of your Story. Now, your published Story has a “See More” swipe up link.

Instagram Story Formats

Short Narrative Stories

Short narratives are basically articles translated for a more visual audience. They rely on brief paragraphs and bullet points of text, accompanied by related visuals, to tell a story in a few cohesive short slides.

Quiz or Poll-Centered Stories

These Stories are intriguing and entertaining to viewers because it allows them to test themselves and learn about a new topic interactively, or vote in a poll and see what other audiences think about a certain topic or theme.

Demos & Tutorials

Brands can also leverage tutorials and demos, which was the fifth most popular Story style. This tactic might be especially helpful if you’re interested in ecommerce or purchase-related conversions as a growing number of people prefer to learn more about products via video.

Customer Testimonials

Behind-the-Scenes 

Behind-the-scenes videos allow you to show off how hardworking or relatable your business might be, which might make viewers feel more comfortable working with you.

Mini Documentaries

Like narrative styled Instagram content, mini-documentaries tell a journalistic story that are slightly more complex and primarily centered around video — like a documentary that you tap through. These are often higher-quality and incredibly informative, so they are more prominently used by publishers such as National Geographic.

Mix of Content

Because many people don’t have a preference or prefer a mix of multiple elements in Instagram Stories, be sure to add a bit of variation to your content strategy. For example, brainstorm ways to add interactive features, such as Quiz or Poll stickers to narratives, tutorials, or other types of Story content. This will add an extra layer of engaging content to a Story that might already be interesting to viewers.

Work With Top Social Media Marketers to Gain Real Instagram Followers

At Social Sensei, we team up with big names in different industries to help businesses gain Instagram followers organically. We’ve worked with hundreds of happy clients and have generated thousands of new followers for those who have signed up with us for our influencer marketing services.  

Worried that our influencer marketing campaign can put your Instagram account at risk? There’s no need for you to! We guarantee account safety, so you never have to worry about your Instagram account being banned or action blocked.  The best part?  Your success is our success, so if you don’t see the numbers you expect for your followers list, we will continue working for you until you do.

Ready to take your Instagram account to the next level?  Work with the experts at Social Sensei to help pair your business with the right growth plan to help you gain real Instagram followers, increase brand exposure, and boost your credibility.  Dial 888-444-9144 to talk to one of our experts today or click here to schedule a FREE 15-minute consultation with us.