Instagram highlights are the latest feature popping up on very blogger’s Instagram profile. These highlight icons are a way to showcase your personality as well as organize media for your viewers. Constantly learning so many different softwares and resources can be exhausting and overwhelming. Here is a simple and FREE way to make creative Instagram highlight icon covers.
1. First choose your categories. What themes do you like to share with your audience? What are some things that may not be Insta post worthy or fit with your feed’s aesthetic, yet you want to share?
(My categories included Modeling, Music, Yoga Teaching Schedule, Brand Collabs, and Year Abroad. These are different things that make up my daily life and personal brand, yet not all my photos from each cohesively fit into my Instagram feed. This makes it easier for my viewers to see when they can attend my yoga classes, photographers or brands can view my modeling portfolio, my yoga student can see my playlist from classes, brand’s can see who else I have worked with and travel companies can see photos from my year living abroad.) Click here to view my Instagram feed.
2. Next what is your icon? Brainstorm what icon or symbol represents that category.
3. Find the Icon. I use logomakr.com. Many websites want to charge you for a logos, but on this website there are millions for free. Pick your icon and save it in the color you prefer.
4. Choose the background. For me, I chose bright colored mandala. You can choose a plain color or photo for a background, whatever you feel fits you. (Be careful you are legally using the photo, not stealing anyone’s work.
5. Layer the icon with background. I did this on Canva.com. This is a free resource every blogger should utilize. The dimensions for an Instagram Story are 1080px X 1920px. If you use the Canva app there is already a section of templates for Instagram Highlight Stories.
Viola! Takes at maximum of 10 minutes. No Photoshop, no cost to you.