Usually, I share Instagram tips to help you plan your Instagram feed like a boss (if you need help, check this). But today, let’s talk about Insta Stories for a minute.
How can you make these nice circles under your Instagram bio? Easy peas-y!
Use “Canva”. Canva is a (super easy) design tool. You can use it on your computer or on your phone. It’s going to make your life so much easier.
For this tutorial, I’m going to use the app because it has templates for Insta Stories. The computer version doesn’t have templates for Insta Stories. But you can still do it on your computer if you want to. If you are using your computer, select “Custom Dimension” and your Insta Story dimension (example: 1242 x 2208 px for iPhone 6S Plus).
Feel free to open your phone and the Canva app to follow the tutorial with me. It’s really easy.
Follow these steps:
1. Open Canva and select “Your Story”
Open the Canva app. On top you will see all the designs you can make. Select “Your Story”. This will load templates for Insta Stories.
For this tutorial, I’m going to show you how to design a cover with a background color and an icon. I’m going to start with a blank template (the first one on the list).
2. Choose a background color
Your blank template is loaded.
- At the bottom of the screen you can choose a background color for your cover
- Press “+” if you want to choose your own color
- You can also type your own color code (great if you want to stick to your brand or Instagram theme colors)
3. Choose an icon or add text
Now that you have a background color, you can add an icon, emoji or text. It’s up to you.
For this tutorial, I’m going to show you how to add an icon.
If you want me to show you other designs with photos and text, let me know and I’ll make another tutorial.
To add an icon to your cover:
- Select the “+” button on the bottom right corner of your screen
- Select “Graphics”
- You can scroll to discover all the graphics they have, or you can search for a specific icon (example: “heart”)
- Press on the icon you want to use for your cover
- Choose the color of your icon
4. Add pages to design more covers
You can continue to design more covers for your Insta Story Highlight.
- Press on the “+” button on the bottom right corner of your screen
- Select “Pages”
Design another cover with another icon. Repeat the process to design more covers.
5. Save the images on your phone
Once you are done, you can save your Insta Story covers on your phone.
- Press “Share”
- Select “Quick Look” (iPhone) or “Upload to Photos” (Android)
- Press the export icon (bottom left corner)
- Select “Save image”
6. Make sure you turn on the Insta Story “Archive”
Before you share your covers on Instagram, make sure you turn on the “Archive” feature.
- Go in your Instagram settings
- Select “Story Settings”
- Turn on “Save to archive”
7. Post on your Insta Story
You have to do this step in order to set a cover for your Highlight. Your covers need to be added in your Insta Stories first, before you can use them as covers.
- Share your covers in your Insta Story
- Press on the “Highlight” button
Now you have 2 options:
- Create a new Highlight
- Add cover to an existing Highlight
If you already have an existing Highlight, select the one that needs the cover.
This is how you create an Insta Story Highlight:
8. Create an Insta Story Highlight
- Select the “+” button
- Give a name to your Highlight
Your new Insta Story Highlight will appear at the bottom of your Instagram bio.
9. Edit the cover
You can edit the cover:
- Hold your finger pressed on a Highlight (a circle)
- Select “Edit Highlight”
- Select “Edit Cover”
Here you can change cover images. And you can also resize your cover image. For example, if your icon is too small in the circle, zoom in with your fingers to make it bigger.
Done!
I hope you found this article useful. Have fun creating your covers! Leave me a comment below if you have any questions.
