How To Add A Highlight On Instagram Without Posting A Story?

Ever find yourself wanting to add highlights to your Instagram to showcase your best moments, but don’t want to flood your followers’ feeds with new stories? It’s a common dilemma for many Instagram users who prefer a clean and organized profile.

There’s a neat trick that allows you to add highlights without ever posting them as live stories. In this blog, we’ll walk you through the steps to do this seamlessly, helping you maintain an engaging and clutter-free profile. Stay tuned to learn how to enhance your Instagram without the extra fuss!

What Are Instagram Story Highlights?

Instagram Story Highlights is a powerful feature that allows users to curate and showcase selected stories in a prominent section directly below their bio on their profile. Unlike regular stories that disappear after 24 hours, highlights can be kept indefinitely, serving as a permanent visual archive of content that you deem most representative or important.

• Functionality: Highlights are grouped by theme or event, and each can be customized with a unique cover to catch the eye of visitors to your profile. This organizational method makes it easy for followers to navigate through what might interest them the most, whether it’s behind-the-scenes content, daily activities, special occasions, or business-specific promotions.
• Accessibility: Once added, these highlights are accessible to anyone who visits your profile, making them an excellent tool for enhancing engagement and extending the lifespan of your stories. They are especially useful for businesses, influencers, and individuals looking to build a cohesive brand image on Instagram.
• Customization: Users can add as many highlights as they want and can edit them anytime to add or remove stories. This flexibility allows for continuous profile optimization without losing the spontaneity and authenticity that stories provide.
• Archiving: Not only do highlights keep important stories accessible, but they also serve as a method for users to archive their content in a more organized and visually appealing way than the standard Instagram feed.

Highlights bridge the gap between the ephemeral nature of stories and the permanence of the Instagram feed, allowing users to strategically manage how they present themselves online.

Why Are Instagram Highlights So Important?

Instagram Highlights are not just a feature for organizing content; they serve a strategic purpose in building and maintaining an online presence. Whether you are an individual looking to preserve memories or a business aiming to enhance brand visibility, highlights offer significant advantages:

• Enhanced Engagement: Highlights keep important and engaging content accessible to visitors long after the original stories have vanished. This continued exposure increases the likelihood of engagement from both new and returning profile visitors, keeping your audience connected with your ongoing narrative or brand message.
• Branding Opportunities: For businesses, highlights are an essential tool for branding. They allow companies to showcase their products, share testimonials, and promote upcoming events consistently. Each highlight can function as an evergreen campaign that reinforces the brand’s identity and values.
• Audience Education: Highlights can be educational, providing tutorials, how-to guides, and product usage tips that are always available at a viewer’s fingertips. This makes your Instagram profile not just a place of promotion but a valuable resource for your audience.
• Showcasing Portfolio: Creatives such as photographers, designers, and artists use highlights to create a portfolio of their best work. This can attract potential clients who can easily see their skills and project range at a glance.
• Event Recaps: For events like conferences, workshops, and webinars, highlights can serve as a dynamic recap, allowing those who missed the live events to catch up and get a sense of the experience.
• Curation of Personal Milestones: On a more personal level, users can curate highlights of significant life events, travels, and achievements, keeping a digital scrapbook that shares their journey with friends and followers.

By strategically utilizing Instagram Highlights, users can achieve a variety of goals, from growing a following to curating a personal story, all while enhancing their overall profile’s appeal and functionality.

How To Add Highlights Without Posting A Story?

1. Adding in Highlights From Profile

If you prefer not to post directly to your story but still want to create highlights, you can add content directly from your profile. 

Here’s how:

• Open the Instagram app and tap your Profile Picture in the bottom right corner.

• Tap the “+” icon below your Bio Section to bring up a menu.
• Select “Story Highlights” from the menu options.

• Choose the stories you want to include from your archived stories or older content in the “Archive” tab.
• Customize the cover image and title for your highlight by tapping “Edit Cover” and by selecting an image or uploading one from your camera roll.

• Tap “Add” or “Done” to save your new highlight to your profile. Your followers can now view the curated content anytime.

2. New Story (Highlighting From Story)

Highlighting from a new story is a method to add content directly to your highlights without it being visible in your story feed. 

Here’s how to do it:

• Hide Users: Open the Instagram app, navigate to “settings” from the profile picture, select the usernames you prefer not to view your story, opt for “Hide story and live”, and finally, hit “Done”.

• Create a New Story: Swipe right to access the camera. Capture the content you want with a photo or video.

• Edit Your Story: After capturing, customize it using Instagram’s tools. You can add text, stickers, drawings, music, or filters to enhance it.

• Add to Story: When you’re done editing, add the image to your story.
• Tap the Highlight Icon: Once satisfied, tap the heart-shaped “Highlight” icon at the bottom.

• Choose or Create a Highlight: A menu will show your existing highlights or let you create a new one. Pick the highlight or tap “New” to make one.
• Customize Cover and Title: After selection, customize the cover image and title. Tap “Edit Cover” to choose from your story or upload from your camera roll.

• Save to Highlight: Now, tap “Done” or “Save” to add your story. Your content will now be visible in your profile’s highlights for followers to explore.

How To Delete Instagram Highlights?

If you need to remove a Story from a highlight or feel that a highlight no longer aligns with your brand, you can delete it.

Here’s how to remove a highlight from your Instagram profile:

• Go to your Instagram profile.

• Press and hold the highlight you want to delete.

• Select ‘Delete Highlight.’

Tips And Tricks For Effective Instagram Highlights

Instagram Highlights are a great way to make your profile more appealing and engage your audience. Here are some simple tips to help you create effective highlights:

• Keep A Consistent Theme: Make sure your highlights match your overall brand or personal style. Use similar colors and styles for a cohesive look. This strengthens your brand identity and makes your profile look better.
• Use Clear Titles: Choose short, descriptive titles like “DIY Projects,” “Travel,” or “Reviews.” This helps followers quickly understand what each highlight is about.
• Focus On Quality: Only add high-quality stories to your highlights. Since they stay on your profile, make sure they show your best work or moments.
• Update Often: Refresh your highlights with new content. This keeps your profile exciting and gives followers a reason to come back.
• Organize Stories: Arrange stories in a logical order. For example, in a recipe highlight, start with ingredients, then show the steps, and finish with the final dish.
• Highlight Promotions: Use highlights to share promotions or important announcements. These will stay on your profile, making it easy for visitors to find key information.
• Share Tutorials: Highlights are perfect for storing how-to guides or tutorials. This content can offer long-term value to your audience.
• Add Interactive Features: Use polls or questions in your highlighted stories to engage viewers. This increases interaction and keeps people involved.
• Check Insights: If you have a business account, monitor Insights to see how your highlights perform. This helps you understand what content works best with your audience.

FAQs:

Conclusion

Instagram Highlights lets you showcase your best content permanently on your profile, even without posting a new story. They help you express yourself creatively and can boost engagement by keeping key information visible. By curating highlights that reflect your brand or personal journey, and updating them often, your profile stays fresh and appealing to new visitors and followers. Use these tips to enhance your Instagram experience and keep your audience interested in your story.