Ultimate Guide to Seasonal Instagram Highlights
Learn how to create seasonal Instagram Highlights that engage your audience, boost conversions, and keep your content relevant all year round.
Here’s why they matter:
- What are Instagram Highlights? They let you save your best Stories permanently on your profile, unlike regular Stories that disappear after 24 hours.
- Why Seasonal Highlights? They keep your content fresh and relevant year-round, aligning with holidays, events, and trends. 75% of users take action (like visiting a website) after viewing Instagram ads - Seasonal Highlights can drive similar results.
- How to Get Started: Plan seasonal themes, design eye-catching covers, and use tools like AI to track performance and improve engagement.
Key Steps to Create Seasonal Highlights:
- Plan Ahead: Use a content calendar to align Highlights with seasonal events (e.g., Valentine’s Day, Earth Day, or Black Friday).
- Design Covers: Keep them consistent with your brand using simple icons, colors, and fonts.
- Use AI Tools: Platforms like UpGrow help generate ideas, track performance, and optimize content.
- Update Regularly: Refresh content to keep it engaging and relevant.
Quick Tip: Brands like Glossier and Chobani use Highlights to showcase products, testimonials, and seasonal campaigns effectively. Start small by creating 3-4 categories and build from there.
Seasonal Instagram Highlights are more than just pretty covers - they’re a smart way to keep your audience engaged and boost conversions.
How To Make Highlights On Instagram (Easy Step-by-Step Tutorial)
Planning Your Seasonal Highlights
Building on the basics we’ve covered, effective planning can turn seasonal Highlights into powerful, long-term marketing tools. Let’s dive into a year-round strategy that keeps your audience engaged and your content relevant.
Picking Seasonal Topics
Here’s a breakdown of seasonal opportunities to inspire your content throughout the year:
| Quarter | Key Seasonal Topics | Content Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 (Jan–Mar) | New Year, Valentine's Day | Resolutions, fresh starts, love-themed content |
| Q2 (Apr–Jun) | Earth Day, Mother's Day | Sustainability, family connections |
| Q3 (Jul–Sep) | Back-to-school, Labor Day | Educational content, end-of-summer promotions |
| Q4 (Oct–Dec) | Halloween, Thanksgiving, Holidays | Festivities, gratitude, year-end reflections |
Once you’ve identified these themes, work them into a structured content schedule to ensure consistency and impact.
Building a Content Schedule
Plan your content in three key phases to maximize engagement:
-
Pre-event Phase (1–2 months ahead)
Build excitement early with sneak peeks, countdowns, and announcements. This is the time to tease what’s coming and get your audience curious. -
Active Phase (During the event)
Keep the momentum going with live updates, interactive Stories, and user-generated content. This is also a great time to run limited-time promotions to drive immediate action. -
Follow-up Phase (1–2 weeks after)
Wrap things up by sharing highlights, success stories, and customer testimonials. Use this phase to reflect on the event’s success and preview what’s coming next.
With this schedule in place, you’ll have a roadmap to keep your seasonal Highlights aligned with your overall marketing strategy.
Matching Highlights to Marketing
Brands like Evernote with their "What's New" Highlight and Buffer City Soap’s "Sale" Highlight show how Highlights can seamlessly integrate product updates and promotions.
Here are some ways to align your Highlights with your broader marketing goals:
- Create separate Highlights for different product categories to make navigation easy.
- Use Highlights to feature customer testimonials and success stories that build trust.
- Share behind-the-scenes moments from major launches to create a personal connection.
- Include direct links to products or services to drive traffic and conversions.
Design Tips for Seasonal Highlights
Once you've mapped out your seasonal content, the right design can make all the difference. A well-thought-out design doesn't just make your seasonal Highlights look good - it ensures they grab attention and leave a lasting impression.
Making Highlight Covers
Highlight covers act as visual signposts, guiding your audience to specific content. To create these covers, design them at 1080x1080 pixels, keeping the most important elements centered within a 500x500 pixel area.
Here’s how some top brands approach Highlight cover design and why it works:
| Brand | Design Approach | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Glossier | Minimalist pastel covers | Creates a polished and cohesive brand look |
| M.A.C Cosmetics | Product-focused imagery | Effectively showcases new product launches |
| Salesforce | Brand mascot integration | Reinforces brand identity through consistency |
Content Layout Tips
The way you structure your content within Highlights can significantly influence how your audience engages with it. A clear visual hierarchy helps guide viewers seamlessly through your stories, making the content not only easy to follow but also memorable.
Here are some layout tips to maximize impact:
- Mix up content types for variety while maintaining a smooth flow.
- Group related stories together to create a cohesive narrative.
- Use transitions that feel natural to maintain viewer engagement.
Brand Style Guide
Consistency is key when it comes to creating a recognizable brand identity. A unified look across your Highlights makes it easier for your audience to instantly associate the content with your brand.
To keep your design consistent, focus on these essential elements:
- Colors: Incorporate a seasonal palette that complements your existing brand colors.
- Icons: Use a uniform style for icons that clearly represent each theme.
- Typography: Stick to one or two fonts that align with your brand’s personality.
- Image Style: Apply consistent filters or editing techniques to maintain a cohesive visual style.
For example, Campbell Cole demonstrates this approach beautifully. They regularly update their Highlights with new product launches while staying true to their signature aesthetic. This level of consistency not only strengthens their brand identity but also ensures their Highlights remain fresh and engaging.
UpGrow AI Tools for Highlights
UpGrow offers a suite of AI-driven tools designed to take your seasonal Highlights to the next level. These tools provide tailored content ideas, detailed performance tracking, and strategies for audience growth.
AI-Driven Content Ideas
With the AI Content Ideas Generator, UpGrow predicts trending seasonal topics and offers curated inspiration through its Viral Content Library.
| Feature | What It Does | How to Use It |
|---|---|---|
| Trend Analysis | Spots emerging seasonal trends | Plan Highlights around peak engagement times |
| Content Suggestions | Generates niche-specific ideas | Craft themed stories that connect with your audience |
| Smart Filters | Targets content by audience demographics | Personalize Highlights for specific groups |
Performance Tracking
Keeping tabs on how your Highlights perform is a breeze with UpGrow’s real-time analytics dashboard. It tracks key metrics like view duration, exit rates, tap-forward rates, and replies. For context, Instagram's average engagement rate is around 4.2%, significantly higher than the 0.3%–0.7% seen on other platforms. These insights help you refine your strategy and maximize engagement.
Turning Highlights into Growth Tools
UpGrow doesn't stop at analytics - it transforms your seasonal Highlights into powerful growth tools. By focusing on Profile Optimization, it ensures your content is both discoverable and engaging.
Here are some standout growth features:
-
Smart Targeting
UpGrow filters audiences by location, age, language, and interests, helping you zero in on those most likely to engage with your content. -
Content Optimization
The platform suggests the best times to post, refines your story sequence for maximum impact, and evaluates the effectiveness of your cover images. -
Engagement Monitoring
With 24/7 monitoring, UpGrow alerts you whenever engagement starts to dip, giving you the chance to act quickly.
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Keeping Highlights Fresh
Regularly updating and monitoring your seasonal Highlights is essential to keep them engaging and relevant.
Measuring Success
To maintain interest and drive engagement, it's important to track how your Highlights are performing. Instagram offers key metrics that provide valuable insights into your content's effectiveness:
| Metric | Target Rate | What It Tells You |
|---|---|---|
| Story Retention | 81% by 4th frame | How well your content keeps viewers' attention |
| Reach Rate | 2,999 median | How many people your content reaches |
| Impressions | 4,413 median | Total views across all stories |
You can use Instagram Insights to keep an eye on these metrics and align them with your main objectives - whether that's increasing revenue, boosting engagement, or driving website traffic.
"We're trying to figure out a way to improve the profile and get more of the content above the fold, and simplify it [...] You will still have control, you can still pin things, there'll be a dedicated Highlights tab, but we don't need to have pogs and squares and have it be all complicated and pushing everything down." – Adam Mosseri, Instagram chief
These insights can guide you in refining and updating your Highlights for better performance.
Updating Old Content
Refreshing your Highlights strategically can help maintain their relevance. For instance:
- Califia Farms categorizes Highlights into themes like "Califia Culture" and "Sustainability", ensuring their content stays updated while reflecting their brand story.
- Chobani regularly updates its "Fan Love" section with fresh testimonials, all while sticking to its recognizable brand aesthetic.
To keep your Highlights fresh and engaging:
- Review analytics monthly to identify top-performing Stories.
- Swap out outdated promotions for current ones.
- Update seasonal content with new visuals.
- Rotate content regularly to draw attention to important Highlights.
Content Storage Tips
Once you've refreshed your Highlights, having an organized system for storing content can make future updates faster and easier. Create a library that categorizes your seasonal content into:
- Seasonal campaigns (e.g., Christmas, Summer)
- Promotional events
- Product launches
- Customer testimonials
For example, Handsome Scent, a fragrance brand, maintains a library of behind-the-scenes content specifically for major sales events like Black Friday. This allows them to reuse and adapt their assets effectively every season.
Instagram's archive feature is another handy tool for managing your content. It enables you to:
- Quickly access past seasonal content
- Repurpose high-performing stories
- Ensure consistency across campaigns
- Save time during busy promotional periods
To make retrieval even easier, tag archived content with labels like "Christmas-ready" or "New Year's". This approach not only saves time but also ensures your Highlights remain fresh, engaging, and on-brand.
Conclusion
Main Points
Creating impactful seasonal Instagram Highlights takes careful planning, thoughtful design, and consistent updates. With 75% of consumers favoring brands that align with seasonal trends, it's clear that this approach can make a significant difference.
Here are the key elements to focus on:
- Strategic Planning: Use a content calendar to organize seasonal posts effectively.
- Design Consistency: Keep your Highlights visually cohesive with branded covers.
- Regular Updates: Ensure your content stays fresh and relevant to maintain audience interest.
- Performance Tracking: Use Instagram Insights to measure engagement, reach, and conversions.
These steps provide a roadmap for elevating your Instagram Highlights and making them a valuable part of your strategy.
Getting Started
If you're ready to build a seasonal Highlights strategy, here’s how to begin:
-
Core Categories
Start by creating 3-4 main Highlight categories. For example, Califia Farms uses focused sections like "Califia Culture" and "Sustainability" to tell their story. -
Design System
Develop a consistent look for your Highlight covers. Chobani nails this with a clean and cozy aesthetic, using brand colors and simple icons to enhance brand recognition. -
Track and Optimize
Keep an eye on your Highlights' performance. According to UpGrow, seasonal promotions can boost conversion rates by as much as 29% compared to regular campaigns. Use analytics and AI-driven insights to fine-tune your strategy.
With half of Instagram users interacting daily with at least one business via Stories, there's a huge opportunity to connect with your audience. By applying these strategies and leveraging tools like UpGrow for analytics and content planning, you can create seasonal Highlights that truly engage and inspire your followers.
FAQs
How can I plan Instagram Highlights that align with seasonal events and trends?
How to Align Instagram Highlights with Seasonal Trends
To make your Instagram Highlights resonate with seasonal events and trends, start by planning ahead with a content calendar. Include important holidays and themes that matter to your audience, such as Halloween, Thanksgiving, or Christmas. This allows you to prepare in advance with content like themed visuals, special promotions, or event updates.
Keep your Highlights looking fresh by updating the cover images and reorganizing the content to reflect the current season. Adding interactive Stories - like polls or Q&A sessions - can also help you learn more about your audience's preferences, making it easier to adjust your Highlights to what they actually want to see. Staying visually relevant and engaging is a great way to keep your followers interested and coming back for more.
How can I design Instagram Highlight covers that look great and match my brand?
To design Instagram Highlight covers that catch the eye and match your brand, focus on keeping things consistent and simple. Stick to a color palette and fonts that reflect your brand’s style, so all your covers have a unified, professional vibe. This not only enhances your profile’s overall look but also makes it easy for people to recognize your brand at a glance.
When it comes to the design itself, less is more. Use clean, straightforward icons or images that clearly represent the content of each Highlight. Skip the clutter and avoid overly detailed designs - this ensures your covers are easy to understand and visually appealing. With these straightforward steps, you’ll create Highlight covers that not only look polished but also strengthen your brand’s presence on Instagram.
How can UpGrow's AI tools enhance the engagement and performance of my seasonal Instagram Highlights?
UpGrow's AI-driven tools take your seasonal Instagram Highlights to the next level by diving into key story metrics such as views, taps, replies, and exits. By breaking down this data, you can craft content that truly connects with your audience.
On top of that, UpGrow streamlines the entire process. It automates content curation, delivers real-time analytics, and offers actionable tips to fine-tune your strategy. Together, these features help boost visibility, spark better engagement, and amplify the overall impact of your Highlights.
