Are you ready to take your business branding to the next level? Well there’s ONE thing you HAVE to do…

If you don’t already know that nailing down your BRAND is essential to your business, you’re behind the times, sister! Those who know me know it’s no secret that I heart cohesive branding, and in my mind, nothing says “put together” quite like a branded Instagram page {seriously!}. Your Instagram page is a HUUUUGE part of your brand, so it’s time to take it seriously! So what’s my favorite-ever way to do just that, and make a feed feel cohesive and jazzy? Branded Instagram story highlight graphics, of course!

You’ve most likely seen them while scrolling through Instagram — those stylized circles at the top of everyone’s grid. I don’t know about you, but I feel like this simple design detail adds so much brand personality, and says “Hire me, I for sure know what I’m doing.” {and who doesn’t want that!?} Did you catch that? Make your own Instagram story highlight graphics look fan-freaking-tastic, and others will want you to do the same for you!

To tackle this topic, I’ve asked my ah-ma-zing designer, Cheri, to break it down for us!  She’s been curating the look and feel of the Sparkle Society for the last two years, so I highly respect and trust her advice!  Let’s get started….

How to Create Bangin’ Instagram Story Highlight Graphics

1. Consider Your Design Direction

Okay, so I can already hear you, “I’m not a designer. How can I possibly make branded icons or graphics?” Stick with me — yes you can, I promise! It’s not nearly as overwhelming once you dive in and go for it!

• Drybar • Madewell • Lululemon • Monat • 

First, take a minute to reference your favorite feeds {some of mine are above} and decide which direction you’d like to your Instagram story highlight graphics to go.

Do icons make more sense? Consider creating them on a white background OR pull in your colors by swapping the white for something more on-brand.  Does a word typed in your brand font work better? Maybe it’s just super simple brand colors?

Anything goes – but since your brand reflects YOU — stick with something that YOU love!!!  There’s no wrong way to do this!

• Grit & Virtue • Style Me Pretty • Dear Photographer • 

2. Get Your Design On

Once you’ve decided on your design direction, it’s time to play! I typically use an Adobe program like Illustrator or Photoshop, but if you’re looking for a platform that has a gallery of pre-made icons and images, Canva and Adobe Spark are probably more your lane. If you’re in search of specific icons, check out the Noun Project. It’s one of my favorite resources for simple icon inspiration.

To start, create an artboard in a square format {my go-to size is 300×300 pixels}. From here, add your branded background color as well as any graphics, icons or typography that you can dream up.

• It’s best to keep the design simple since it will only appear in a tiny circle on your profile page, but don’t let that stop you from mixing photography with icons or icons with typography.

• Make sure your design is centered with enough “air” around to fit inside the icon circle. We don’t want your masterpiece to get cut off!

Now, get those babies on Insta!

When you’re happy with the design, export or save your image in RGB color format {for screen} as a JPEG or PNG file {if you’re using Canva or Adobe Spark, simply “download” the image}. Once all of your graphics have been created, save them as images into the photo gallery on your phone.

From there, head over to your Instagram feed. Tap on one of your Story highlights {or create one if you haven’t yet}, tap the 3 dots on the bottom right, tap “edit cover,” tap the image icon and finally, add one of the custom graphics you’ve created from your photo gallery! You can pinch and zoom to position, but with the square format, it should be nearly perfect. When you’re finished, just tap “Done.” Repeat this process for each Story highlight and voila! Your Instagram feed is well on it’s way to branded and beautiful — not so bad, right?!

3. Post to Instagram Consistently

True story: once you’re done making your Instagram story highlight graphics, you’re not actually done. LOL! Sorrryyy, but that’s a fact! You’ve got to post to Insta consistently and COMMENT on others’ posts {4 word minimum!!} to get your Insta account and those amazing highlight graphics SEEN! Want people to see your amazing handiwork and hire your incredible self? Then get POSTING! Whether you post on the fly or use a scheduler, being consistent on the Insta is KEY!

Ready to make your Insta-story graphics sparkle? GO GLITTERDONE! And…

Once you’ve got everyone’s attention on Insta, I’d love to show you how to convert those eyeballs into actual customers by snagging them for your email list. Check out my email marketing workshop for creative entrepreneurs {that’s YOU!} I’m going to show you how to design an email marketing plan that not only helps you grow your business more effectively, but it also helps you protect your business, save time {we’re talking hours and hours}, and keep ’em coming back for more! Don’t spend time trying to figure this all out yourself when I’ve already done it for you {and my business is proof that it works!} Get in here and let’s do this! Can’t wait to see you in class!

Cheri Stammen is a designer who believes in the details!  She creates at the intersection of design, social media, and branding. Cheri works with agencies, businesses, startups, and entrepreneurs; thriving on finding out the stories behind each client and collaborating with the people who know them best.  From the whimsical to the mod, her design work gives her the opportunity to work across industries, helping businesses engage with the people who love them, and find new ways to connect.

Cincinnati is home and she uses the city as a launching point for inspiration and travel. Always a dreamer who gets things done and loves what she does every day. From custom design to working and developing concepts on a team, she’s your girl.  Check out her work on her website & Instagram!