Instagram Highlight covers are more than just aesthetic features; they are key to building your brand’s identity on social media. These covers serve as the first visual impression of your Instagram Highlights and can communicate your brand’s personality instantly. By carefully designing Highlight covers, businesses can strengthen their brand and enhance user engagement.
Importance of Brand Personality on Social Media
Your brand personality is what sets you apart in a crowded digital space. It’s the tone, voice, and visual identity that give your brand a unique flair, making it more relatable to your audience. Instagram, with its emphasis on visuals, is a prime platform for expressing this. From the tone of your captions to the consistency in your visuals, every element contributes to shaping how your audience perceives your brand. Here’s why brand personality is so important:
a. Human Connection
People are drawn to brands that they can relate to and connect with on a personal level. A strong brand personality helps to create a sense of familiarity and trust.
b. Differentiation
In a crowded marketplace, it’s essential to stand out from the competition. A unique brand personality can help you differentiate your brand and make it memorable.
c. Engagement
A strong brand personality can drive engagement on social media. People are more likely to share, like, and comment on content that resonates with their values and interests.
d. Loyalty
Customers who feel a strong connection to your brand are more likely to be loyal. They are less likely to switch to a competitor and are more likely to recommend your brand to others.
How to Develop and Convey Brand Personality on Social Media?
1. Define Your Brand Values
What are the core values that your brand represents? These values should be reflected in your brand personality.
2. Create a Brand Persona
Develop a fictional character that embodies your brand’s personality. This will help you to communicate your brand’s message in a consistent and engaging way.
3. Use Consistent Visuals
Your brand’s visuals, including your logo, colour palette, and imagery, should be consistent with your brand personality. The most important part is, it must be visually stunning.
4. Write Engaging Content
Your content should be informative, entertaining, and relevant to your target audience. It should also reflect your brand’s personality.
5. Encourage Interaction
Create opportunities for your audience to interact with your brand. This could include running contests, polls, or Q&A sessions.
6. Monitor and Respond
Keep track of what people are saying about your brand on social media. Respond to comments and messages in a timely and appropriate manner.
By developing a strong brand personality and consistently conveying it on social media, you can build a loyal following, drive engagement, and achieve your business goals.
Role of Instagram Highlight Covers in Branding
Instagram Highlight covers serve as an extension of your brand’s visual identity. These covers are the first thing people notice when they visit your profile, and they give your Highlights an organised, professional appearance. Whether you opt for minimalism, bold colours, or intricate icons, your Highlight covers should align with your overall branding and appeal to your target audience.
For example, a playful and vibrant brand might use bold colours and creative icons, while a luxury brand may prefer muted tones with elegant designs.
3 Key Elements to Consider for Creating Instagram Highlight Covers
Your Instagram Highlight covers are a visual representation of your brand, so ensuring they are on point is essential. Focus on creating covers that are aligned with your brand’s identity, values, and tone. Here are some key elements to guide your design process.
a. Consistency With Brand Colours And Fonts
Ensure that your Highlight covers reflect your brand’s colour scheme and typography, which helps with recognisability and strengthens brand recall.
b. Use Of Symbols Or Images That Align With Brand Values
Choose icons or visuals that represent the essence of your brand. For instance, a wellness brand could use nature-inspired icons like leaves or the sun.
c. Simplicity And Recognisability
Don’t clutter your covers with too much detail. Simple, clear designs work best as they are easy to recognise at a glance.
Step-by-Step Guide: Creating Highlight Covers
Designing Instagram Highlight covers doesn’t have to be complicated. With a few simple steps, you can create covers that reflect your brand and are visually appealing.Here’s how to create one using Canva:
1. Create a Canva account
Many people use Canva to create their Instagram Story Highlight covers. Canva is a free graphic design platform, and all you need to get started is a Canva account.
2. Find a Template
Search “Instagram highlight covers” in Canva’s library of existing designs to find numerous highlight covers you could use as a starting place. Select the one you like best and want to customise.
Keep in mind, highlight covers are small, so it’s best to choose an Instagram Story highlight cover that’s simple. Small details won’t be visible—opt for bold but clear design choices.
3. Design Your Highlight Cover
Because your highlights will appear at the top of your business’s Instagram profile, users should be able to easily identify your highlights with your brand. In Canva, you can upload custom images and brand colours to use in addition to the platform’s free icons and paid icons. This can help you ensure your Instagram Story highlight cover matches your brand guidelines.
If you plan to make more than one Instagram Story highlight cover, it’s important they’re visually consistent, whether you use text-based highlight covers, photo-based covers, or simple icons. In Canva, you can see all the covers you create next to each other, which can help with this.
4. Finalise Your Highlight Cover
When finalising Instagram Story highlight covers for business pages, everything should look professional. Ensure the background is clear, the icons are pristine, and the text (if you’re using it) is legible—nothing should appear blurry.
When you’re ready to download your Instagram Story highlight cover, Canva provides a few options. Choose the most high-definition option for a highlight cover with the best resolution.
How to Align Highlight Covers with Your Brand’s Voice Each design should tell a part of your brand’s story. For instance, if your brand voice is playful, your Highlight covers might use bright colours and fun icons. A professional tone, on the other hand, might be reflected in minimalist designs with clean lines. By aligning your visuals with your brand voice, you create a cohesive brand experience for your audience.
3 Common Mistakes to Avoid During the Process
While designing highlight covers, some common errors can dilute your brand’s image. Avoid these mistakes to ensure that your Instagram bio and covers stand out and create the desired impact.
1. Using Generic Visuals
Avoid using irrelevant images that don’t represent your brand. Always choose visuals that are on-brand.
2. Overcomplicating Designs
Keep the designs simple and clear. Overly complex covers may confuse visitors and detract from your overall profile aesthetics.
3. Inconsistent Branding
Make sure that your colours, fonts, and design elements are consistent across all covers to create a uniform look.
Conclusion
Incorporating well-designed Instagram Highlight covers into your social media strategy not only enhances your brand’s visual appeal but also communicates your brand personality effectively. It’s crucial to invest time in designing covers that align with your overall branding, ensuring that they reflect your brand’s identity and values. By creating consistent, visually engaging covers, you strengthen your connection with your audience and boost your profile’s professionalism.
If you’re looking for help in improving your social media presence, Newnormz offers professional social media marketing services to help elevate your brand on platforms like Instagram. With the right strategies in place, your brand’s personality can shine through every part of your profile, including the Highlight covers.
1. How Can I Make My Instagram Highlight Covers More Appealing?
Ensure they reflect your brand colours and are simple, recognisable, and visually engaging.
2. Do Highlight Covers Affect Engagement On Instagram?
Yes, aesthetically pleasing covers can help organise your content and encourage users to explore more of your Highlights.
3. What Tools Can I Use To Create Instagram Highlight Covers?
Canva, Adobe Spark, and Photoshop are popular tools for designing custom Highlight covers.
