How To Make An Instagram Story Highlight Icon

Dec 19, 2017
Social Media Marketing Agencies

Introduction

Instagram Stories have become an essential tool for businesses and individuals to showcase their brand, products, and services. One impressive feature that can help you enhance your brand's visual identity is the Instagram Story Highlight icons. In this in-depth guide, we will walk you through the step-by-step process of creating eye-catching icons to make your Instagram profile stand out from the crowd.

Why Instagram Story Highlight Icons Matter

Instagram Story Highlight icons are customizable, visually appealing covers for your Instagram Stories. They are located right below your bio and above your posts, making them a prominent feature for visitors to your profile. Utilizing unique and professionally designed highlight icons can help you:

  • Enhance Branding: Instagram Story Highlight icons allow you to represent your brand's identity visually. You can create icons that align with your brand's colors, logos, and overall aesthetic, giving your profile a cohesive and polished look.
  • Create Categories: By organizing your Stories into different categories using customized highlight icons, you make it easier for users to navigate your content. This enhances user experience and makes your profile more engaging and user-friendly.
  • Highlight Important Information: You can utilize highlight icons to feature key information about your products, upcoming events, recent updates, or any other content you want to showcase to your audience.
  • Increase Visibility: Having visually appealing Story Highlight icons can attract more attention to your profile, leading to increased engagement and potentially gaining more followers or customers.

Step-by-Step Guide: Creating Instagram Story Highlight Icons

Step 1: Define Your Brand's Style

Before you start creating your Instagram Story Highlight icons, it's important to establish the visual style that aligns with your brand. Consider your brand's color palette, fonts, and overall aesthetic to maintain consistency throughout your profile. This will help reinforce your brand image and make your profile easily recognizable.

Step 2: Choose the Right Tools

Several design tools can assist you in creating visually stunning Instagram Story Highlight icons. Some popular options include:

  • Adobe Photoshop: A powerful tool with advanced editing features.
  • Canva: A user-friendly online design platform with various templates and customization options.
  • Over: An app that provides thousands of ready-made templates and stylish overlays to create impressive designs.

Step 3: Size and Format

Ensure your Instagram Story Highlight icons are perfectly sized and formatted to maintain their visual appeal. The recommended size for highlight icons is 1080 pixels by 1920 pixels (9:16 aspect ratio), which ensures they fit perfectly within the Instagram Story circle.

Step 4: Design Your Icons

Now it's time to unleash your creativity and design your Instagram Story Highlight icons. Here are some tips to create eye-catching icons:

  • Keep It Simple: Opt for clean and minimalistic designs that convey your brand's message effectively.
  • Use Brand Elements: Incorporate your brand's logo, colors, and fonts to maintain consistency across your profile.
  • Be Relevant: Design icons that accurately represent the content they highlight. Use clear and recognizable symbols or images.
  • Experiment with Typography: Incorporate text creatively to add additional context or label your highlight categories.
  • Use High-Quality Images: Ensure your icons are visually sharp, using high-resolution images.

Step 5: Save and Upload

Once you are satisfied with your Instagram Story Highlight icons, save them in a format suitable for web use, such as PNG or JPG. You can now upload these icons to your Instagram profile by following these steps:

  1. Open Instagram and go to your profile page.
  2. Tap on the "New" button located below your bio and above your posts.
  3. Select the Stories you want to add to the highlight by tapping on them.
  4. Tap "Next" and then choose "Edit Cover."
  5. Select the corresponding highlight icon you created earlier.
  6. Tap "Done" to save and publish your highlight.

Conclusion

Creating Instagram Story Highlight icons is a fantastic way to enhance your brand's visual identity, create engaging content categories, and make your profile stand out from the competition. By following the step-by-step guide we've provided, you'll be able to design and implement captivating highlight icons to elevate your Instagram presence. Start experimenting, unleashing your creativity, and watch as your Instagram profile shines with these eye-catching icons!