How to Create Instagram Story Highlight Covers That Make Your Profile Stand Out

Instagram Stories Highlights are a great way to keep some relevant stories visible on your Instagram profile forever, as well as store them by domains or categories.

Whether you are a blogger, influencer, or the voice behind a brand, you can benefit from this great Instagram feature that can help you boost your engagement in no-time! Since the highlights are located just below your bio, you have to make sure they get people’s attention and stand out… However, Instagram story highlight icons come to further enhance your customer-centric marketing strategy.

See an example of how Katie did here:

Read on for a full tutorial on how to create and update these covers in minutes! And, as a bonus, we prepared some free Instagram Icons you can grab right now from Bannersnack and use them on your Insta Profile.

Instagram Story Highlights Covers Examples

But, before we get started, let me share some more great examples that can inspire you and make you want to start designing your Insta Icons!

There are more ways to use Stories Highlights to promote your brand so you can get creative when you decide what stories are relevant for you and your brand, how to organize them and what cover suits them best.

Take a look at these cool examples from marketers, bloggers, and designers to inspire your covers. Get the ideas you need to get started from the top Instagram influencers on your niche, but remember to be authentic and use this Instagram feature your way!

As a blogger, you can use Instagram to promote your latest content, like Robert did with his highlights.

You can also use your highlights to promote your community and make it about them, as Amy did here.

Promote your services, kits, products or courses in an ingenious way, to make them get noticed at a first glance.

What are Instagram Highlights Covers?

Instagram Stories are the 24-hour images and videos you can share with your followers. With highlights, you can keep some of them just below your profile pic, so that people can get a glimpse of your stories are about when they visit your profile.

Unlike regular Instagram Stories, these Instagram Highlights don’t self-destruct within 24 hours so you can share them with your audience as long as you consider them relevant.

How to make Instagram Highlight Icons

Here is a step by step guide with print screens on how to create your story covers with Bannersnack’s Instagram Story maker. It’s easy to use and you have unlimited customization options to get the perfect cover, without getting help from a specialized designer.

1. Create a free accountYes, it’s free! You can create an account anytime to try our features for free and see if Bannersnack suits you.
2. Choose the Instagram Story sizeWith the Instagram Story size, you’ll be sure to have the perfect cover size every time; no need to worry about how to make your icons fit, you can zoom in or out after you upload them!
   
3. Chose a background
   

   

   You can choose a texture, a solid color or even an image as a background to make your covers come to life!

    

    

4. Add an icon or imageYou can use our icon pack or upload your own graphics to personalize your cover. If you enjoy searching for the perfect images, you can find hundreds of free icon packs here; or if you want something special, you can have a designer help you with some cool personalized illustrations.In Bannersnack, you can save your brands colors and upload your own logos or icons as SVG files, using the Workspaces. Here’s how you can do that.
   

   

    

    

    

5. Save & Download
   

   

   Save your image and download it from your Bannersnack account.

    

    

6. Upload your covers on Instagram

You can find below a detailed step by step guide on how to do that; don’t worry, we’ll make it easy for you even if you never used Instagram Stories before.

Free Instagram Highlight Templates

Check this out! We’re offering a set of free Instagram highlights cover templates you can edit and download from your Bannersnack account with only a few clicks. You don’t have to master Photoshop or Illustrator to have some cool Instagram Icons, just like the instagramers you follow.

Just click on each picture to edit the template & save + download to get them for free. Note that if you don’t have a Bannersnack account, you’ll have to create one to be able to download the templates.

Instagram story highlight icons – fitness

Get the free fitness icons package to make your workouts memorable! Here’s a preview of how your Instagram profile could look like if you use the fitness pack. Go ahead and choose your favorite icons from the list below and start telling a story about passion for sports. Your followers will love how you motivate them to have an active lifestyle!

Instagram story highlight icons – music

If you love music, make use of these cool music highlight icons to show your story. You can create stories about your favorite songs, concerts or albums and share them with the world. And, if you’re in the music business, you’ll be sure to amaze your audience with your band’s story.

Instagram story highlight icons – travel

Love to travel? Keep your dream destinations handy with these clean and creative travel icons. Inspire your audience and share your best travel stories with these cool, graphic icons.

Instagram story highlight icons – social media

If social media is your passion, check out this highlight icons pack: it features all the major social media platforms so you can keep your social stories featured.

How to Upload Your Stories Highlights Covers On Instagram

To create your own Instagram Highlight, all you have to do is choose the content you want to share. Then, you’ll be able to edit the cover as you wish.

If you already have your Highlights in place, and you just want to add the new covers you made using Bannersnack, you can just skip to the last step on our list.

1. Go to your profileTap your profile pic on the bottom-right & go to your profile.
2. Create a new Story Highlight
   

   

   To create a new Instagram Story Highlight, simply tap the “+” button below your bio and browse your Instagram Archive, to choose the stories you want to highlight.

    

    

3. Select the desired stories and then name your Highlight.If you already have Instagram Highlights, skip this step and just tap on your story, then select more and edit your Highlight. You can add up to 15 characters, but we recommend keeping your titles under 10 characters to make sure they look right every time.
4. Edit the cover to add the images made with Bannersnack
   Choose your icon using the slider on the bottom (if you already uploaded your covers as stories before) or click on the image icon beside the slider to upload an image from your device’s gallery. Pinch & drag to zoom and position your story.Alternatively, you can upload your covers as stories and choose them.

How can Instagram stories be used as a marketing tool?

Here are some ideas on how to use the highlights to promote your profile, business or brand:

• If you are a blogger or vlogger, you can create a highlight for each of the domains you cover to promote your articles or videos. You can even consider the highlight an advertising space, set a price for it and promote the brands you work with.
• If you are an agency, you can share the services you cover within these stories
• If you are a local business, such a restaurant, you can share the menu categories and the specials.
• If you’re in e-commerce, you can add your product categories. As a bonus, you might want to add one for discounts, to make it easier for people to find your offers.
• Feel free to highlight branded hashtags if you use them and find them suitable

As you can see, when it comes to Highlights, the sky’s the limit! You can use them any way you find suitable; just don’t forget to align them with your business goals and plan accordingly. Feel free to experiment and let us know what worked best for you!

The most popular icons used by Instagrammers for highlight covers are all about travel, writing, food, photography, events, pets, graphics, beauty or fashion, but don’t be afraid to try out new things if they suit your brand or personality. You also have to keep in mind that a good Instagram profile is much more than just simple posts and stories. All of your Instagram and social media activity should be based on research and clear buyer persona profiles, in order to get the best out of your engagement and sales on social media.

Go ahead and create your best Insta Cover Highlight with Bannersnack and make your profile shine!