5 Instagram Highlight Covers to Inspire You

Today, Instagram is one of the go-to social media platforms for everyone.

As per studies, it has been stated that a user, on average, spends up to 28 minutes on Instagram daily. That number, too, gets split down to the user’s age, where users under the age of 25 years spend an average of 32 minutes a day and users above the age of 25 years spend 24 minutes on the app every day.

The average user time that one spends on Instagram is expected to increase even more, given the massive success of the app and the continued growth of its users.

Many businesses, too, have set foot into the world of social media to cater to a larger audience.

And since Instagram is all about visuals – pictures and videos – it is a must for you to have an Instagram handle set up with really creative content, especially for a business.

Explore the various categories of Instagram.

Why Is Having An Instagram Profile Important?

Many social media platforms have become popular, given the rise of digital media and marketing, among which Instagram has become one of the most popular mediums for sharing information with audiences. 

Coupled with the fact that Instagram is a photo-sharing platform, the amount of marketing that one can do for themselves, their business, brand, or product is high and extensive. 

On Instagram, your account is like a mini-website for your business, as this will provide your users with all the highlights they need to know about your business on one screen.

Thus, it should be featured with content about you, your offerings, and the message you want to convey.

Also, for its users’ convenience, Instagram keeps bringing out new features that will help promote you and your business better.

For example, today, on your Instagram account, you can post pictures, share reels (short videos), hold live sessions, share stories, add highlights, collaborate with influencers, etc.

Thus, thanks to all the growing features that will help grow their business, many have slowly shifted their focus toward Instagram.

Some famous business examples that have covered a larger audience with the help of Instagram are Netflix, WeWorks, Shiseido, Flodesk, etc.

How do you use Instagram?

Instagram is pretty easy to use. You need to upload your story and let it work for you. But just uploading is not enough; the uploaded content needs to highlight your work and business to your viewers and make them want to become a part of your brand family.

Some of the ways you can use Instagram to share your information with your audience are, 

Instagram Posts

Firstly, choose the information you want to convey to your viewers. 

Second, design an aesthetic image per your brand guidelines and viewer expectations. 

Third, upload it with a catchy caption and relevant hashtags. 

Your content on Instagram will depend heavily on your business and its practices. And depending on that, you can customize the content on your Instagram feed.

You can also add videos to your feed, and the best form of videos is Instagram reels.

Instagram Reels

Instagram reels are short video formats that convey a message in the shortest span of time.

Today, short videos are the ‘IT’ social posts for the growth and popularity of any business on social media.

Be it using icons to create a story or creating short audio clips of you or your team conveying a message.

Instagram stories 

Unlike an Instagram post, an Instagram story stays visible for only 24 hours. 

And on average, over 500 million people create, upload, and watch Instagram stories every day at any given point in time.

Instagram stories are much more casual and are meant to be an opening for your viewers to get to know you out of your formal environment.

Especially for a business, through Instagram stories, you can give your followers a look into the behind-the-scenes work process, building credibility.

Thus helping you draw attention to the information you want to share and let your audience know about it. Check out the guidelines for how to find contacts on Instagram.

Instagram Highlights

Instagram highlights allow you to save your Instagram stories for as long as possible.

Not just that, using Instagram highlights, you can add information that you cannot clutter your Instagram account with.

Through Instagram story highlights, you can save story posts you don’t want your viewers to miss out on, highlight your brand story, connect to your website, give tips about business, showcase your achievements, etc.

Instagram allows you to split sections for Instagram story highlights and add story posts as per the highlight story.

Using icons, photos, and text, you can customize the information you want to share in each highlight section. You can create custom Instagram story highlights for your products, past stories, interactions, etc. Here, you can learn how to view Instagram without an account.

How to create an Instagram Highlight?

Instagram highlights are located right below the bio section of your Instagram profile.

It is effortless to create a new Instagram highlight.

To let your story stay forever in your feed, once you have posted your Instagram story, you can highlight it by opening your story and selecting the highlight icon from the bottom right corner of your screen.

Once you have chosen the highlight icon, you will get a pop-up asking you to name your highlight.

And once you’ve named it, it will appear on your Instagram feed below your bio.

Another way to create Instagram highlights is to tap the the ‘edit highlight’ button on your Instagram profile page and upload any images you want to share with your viewers.

What is an Instagram Highlight Cover?

The rise of businesses on Instagram has given rise to this new highlight feature, where you can add a cover image template to your Instagram highlights. The highlight cover feature will help you to let your followers know what kind of information you have in which highlight section.

How do you create Instagram Highlight Covers?

If you notice, an Instagram highlight cover is an image or text that conveys the context of the message you want your viewers to access.

For beginners, you can always head to Canva, where many free Instagram highlight covers exist. Check out these simple steps to create impeccable Instagram highlight covers for your feed.

Step 1

Log into your Canva account.

Step 2

Type ‘Instagram story highlight cover’ on the search bar

Step 3

Now choose from the cover templates the highlight option that you feel suits your business best. 

Step 4

Start adding in images, icons, and text to fill in your information for your highlights.

You now have your own set of custom Instagram highlight covers.

Or you can also create a custom Instagram highlights cover by just choosing a blank template. And then, choose and create highlights with your brand colors, own images, and icons in any style you want.

You can also edit your Instagram highlight cover templates, create new covers, delete the covers, and do any customizations at your convenience.

5 Top Instagram Story Highlight Cover Ideas?

There are many types of Instagram story highlight covers that you can put up on your Instagram profile.

Here are our top five free Canva Instagram highlight covers that make your Instagram profile look aesthetic and bring recognition to your Instagram content. These templates are pleasing to the eye and easy to create, customize and edit.

Curved Text Business Instagram highlights covers

A clear and concise Instagram story highlight cover template, this type of highlight cover is best suited for beauty, clothing, footwear, or jewelry brands. This highlight cover template background helps highlight the graphic illustration of the product best.

Ivory Minimalist Instagram highlights covers

Suppose you are someone who doesn’t like too much color on your social media posts. Then, this is the perfect Instagram highlight cover for you.

It is simple, straight to the point, and has an aesthetic effect.

These types of Instagram story highlight covers are best suited for freelancers and influencers who regularly update their followers about their work through their Instagram pages.

Most of these Instagram pages work on sharing tips, how-to videos, and BTS of their work.

Brown Illustrated Instagram highlights covers

Icons have a much larger reach than text, as there are many times when texts are not easily understood. It could be because of the background, the font used, the image, or the cover used.

Thus, using icons on your Instagram story highlight cover works best for businesses, as you can use each icon to represent a subject you want your viewers to access.

There are many free Instagram highlight cover templates that you can choose from Canva.

This brown graphic highlight template has a carefree vibe and is best suited for beauty brands who, just like their products, need beautiful Instagram highlight covers.

Neural Gradient Watercolor Instagram highlights covers

This highlight cover works well if you are running an Instagram page for social media or marketing purposes.

These free custom Instagram highlight covers add an appeal to your content, creating credibility for your brand. Check out the guide for social media image size and get more engagement among your audience with clear-cut designs.

Beige and Grey Simple Minimalist Instagram highlights covers

Another of our favorite free templates is this simple beige and grey minimalist Instagram highlight cover.

These types of cover templates work best for e-commerce pages or small thrift businesses where you would need to highlight your products as per their offerings.

These free templates are just some of our favorites from Canva. But, of course, if you need more variety, you can always search through the internet and find a large collection of custom cover templates for Instagram highlight covers that are free to download.

And if you need more options for your Instagram highlight cover icons and background, you can choose to get the help of professionals and create graphics that best highlight your business.

For one, you can always check All Time Design to design quality Instagram story highlight covers and custom Instagram stories and post designs.