How to create Instagram Stories Highlights

29/10/2019

Instagram Stories Highlights is a great way to let people know more about the life and community at your church, and, when we’ve only got 150 characters to write in the Instagram bio, this extra feature can make a big difference to our profile.

Why use Instagram Stories Highlights?

When an Instagram story is posted, it only lasts for 24 hours in the stories feed, found at the top of your Instagram news feed. By saving a story to a highlight, it keeps that story indefinitely on your profile. When someone views your profile, they can browse through your highlights to find out more about your church community. 

How to create Instagram story highlights Example

What makes a good highlight?

When considering what highlights to create, take a moment to think about what someone who is new to your church would like to find out about you. What would they find interesting or useful to know about your church community? What may inspire them to come along?

A new person might like to know about what your Sunday services look like and recent life events such as baptisms, confirmations and weddings. Creating highlights of these themes could be a great place to start. For example, a church could create a highlight called ‘Sunday services’ giving new people an idea of what to expect when they visit for the first time. Other highlights could feature youth ministry, events within the church life, prayers, or social action projects.

  1. Make the name of the highlight descriptive so it’s clear what it is about.
  2. Keep the highlights current by adding new stories and removing older posts that have become outdated. Read on to find out how..
  3. Highlights can be deleted, so don’t worry if you change your mind after it has been created!

Churches, cathedrals and dioceses have used story highlights to let people know more about their community life and events.

How to create Instagram story highlights Example 2

How to save a story to your highlights

Method 1

If you want to create a highlight from a story you have just posted:

  1. Create a story. Find out how-to here.
  2. Once shared, view your story by pressing on your profile picture in the Stories feed, and then select ‘highlight’ on the bottom right of the screen.
  3. Select a highlight to add it to, or create a new highlight.
  4. You can see your highlights on your profile page by pressing your profile image on the bottom right of your screen.
How to create Instagram story highlights Add

Method 2

If you want to add a story to a highlight which was posted over 24 hours ago:

  1. Press on your profile picture in the bottom right of the Instagram app.
  2. Next, press the three lines on the top right of your screen to open the menu.
  3. Select ‘Archive’ to view all the stories you have shared.
  4. Scroll to find the one you would like to highlight.
  5. Select the story and then press ‘highlight’ on the bottom right.
  6. Choose the highlight to add it to, or create a new highlight.
  7. View your highlights by pressing your profile image on the bottom right of your screen.

Edit your highlight, delete and add a cover picture

  1. To remove or edit your highlight, go to your profile and select the highlight you would like to edit.
  2. Once in the highlight, press the three dots on the bottom right of your screen, opening a menu.
  3. Press ‘remove from highlight’ to remove one story from the highlight, or ‘edit highlight’ to change the name, cover picture or stories featured in the highlight.
How to create Instagram story highlights Edit

Find out more about how your church can use Instagram here.

Liz Morgan
Church Digital Champion

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