Digital Tips: Using Instagram Highlights

This resource is adapted from our Digital Tips e-mail series. To sign up to receive these resources in your inbox regularly, join our network.


Did you know you can see how many people visit your Instagram profile each month? Every visitor may not opt to follow your Instagram, but each visit is a valuable chance to introduce yourself to constituents and shed light on your current priorities.

Instagram Stories Highlights are an easy way to ensure new visitors can easily find updates about you and your work. You can use Instagram Stories Highlights to highlight legislative updates, break down important issues, and share your personal story.

Screenshot of Kansas Rep. Haswood's Instagram Stories Highlights
Kansas Rep. Haswood's Instagram Story Highlights

Below, find three steps to create a quick Instagram Highlight. I did all of the following steps on my iPhone 7 in a few minutes. 

Creating a quick Instagram Highlight 

1. Find visuals: Start with an app like Unsplash (also available on desktop) to find free, high-quality photos related to the theme of your Instagram Story. 

If the subject matter is difficult or inappropriate to visualize, use a photo of your legislature instead, or search "texture" on Unsplash to find an abstract background.

2. Create the first Story: In the first Story, add a photo and a large title to introduce the topic.

Instagram Stories Example

3. Add details in consecutive Stories: You can use the same background photo or a different one in the next set of stories. Break up your explanatory text across multiple stories, so the information is not overwhelming. And always provide context: keep in mind that visitors to your profile may be entirely new to the issue you're discussing or even to how a state legislature works.

If you'd rather create a selfie video instead of using text, go for it! Just be sure to add captions, which can be auto-generated within Instagram Stories

Use emojis and GIFs to help illustrate the information, but don't go overboard. (Tip: You can paste in any photo or GIF from your phone to Instagram Stories!)

Instagram Stories example

4. Create the Highlight: After posting your Story, you can easily create an Instagram Highlight. Then, give the Highlight a short title and "cover." or thumbnail.

Instagram Highlights demo
After posting your Instagram Story, you can add it to your Instagram Highlights

Free Downloads

Here's a little help to get started: download one of SiX's Instagram Stories templates and use our collection of icon thumbnails to make your highlights easy to identify. You can also screenshot all of these resources in SiX's Instagram Highlights!

Digital Tips: We ❤️ Legislator Tweets

This resource is adapted from our Digital Tips e-mail series. To sign up to receive these resources in your inbox regularly, join our network.


In this issue of Digital Tips, we'll help inspire your social strategy by analyzing three tweets from legislators in our network.

Tutorial: Tweets from Legislators

A check-in tweet from Sen. Julie Gonzales

Why We Love It

Colorado State Sen. Julie Gonzales' tweet illustrates how informal but genuine posts can enrichen your social media strategy. Asking your audience a question—and then engaging with their answers— is a great way to build community and connect directly with constituents.

Tips

It takes time to build a space where people feel comfortable sharing publicly. Don't be discouraged if, at first, you don't get responses. Try enlisting a colleague or friend to answer the question (using their account) so that you can reduce the barrier to participation for other followers.

You can also tailor your question to a particular issue you're championing. For example, if you're advocating for expanded child care access, you can ask, "Parents and caretakers: what's been your experience finding child care for your kids?"

An accessible explainer thread from Rep. Rayner-Goolsby

Why We Love It

This tweet from Florida Rep. Michele Rayner-Goolsby is the first in a four-part thread about the ongoing battle over voter restrictions in Florida. Sometimes, it's precisely when an issue is front-page news that an accessible explainer is needed.

Tips

 In addition to drawing upon facts, use personal anecdotes (or constituent experiences) to present a complete picture and leave readers with a memorable mental image.
 

Whenever possible, avoid legislative jargon if there's a more straightforward way to get across the same point.

A heartfelt message from Sen. Polehanki

Why We Love It

Michigan State Sen. Dayna Polehanki's video for Teacher Awareness Week is an excellent example of how a thoughtful message—whether written or on video—can set your content apart and make your followers feel seen.

Tips

Captioning your videos is essential, and there are lots of low-cost and free ways to do it. Here are a few tools I like: MixCaptions (free or paid; for desktop and mobile), Kapwing (free or paid; best for desktop), and Rev.com (paid; for desktop.)

Finally, note that the length of Sen. Polehanki's video is just 37 seconds. Though Twitter videos can be up to 140 seconds long, it's best to keep them short.

Quick Links: Digital Resources From Around The Web

📱  Why Do Videos Sent from My iPhone Vary so Much in Quality?

🪄  How to Make The Facebook Algorithm Work For You

📸 5 Instagram Accessibility Tips

🤳🏾  Taking Great Selfie Videos and Photos

Recap: Black History Month Tweet Chat

The #SIXBHM tweet chat took place on February 18, 2021. The following answers have been lightly edited for clarity. You can view all of the tweets here.

Which person, past or present, has helped shape how you approach your work?

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Assemblyman Cameron "CH" Miller (NV) with his late cousin, Assemblyman Tyrone Thompson.

Delegate Pam Queen (MD): Mary McLeod Bethune, as a former slave who became on outstanding leader, educator, civil servant who left us a legacy to achieve racial equity and justice. Her quote, “The true worth of a race must be measured by the character of its womanhood” continues to inspire me.

Rep. Attica Scott (KY): My daughter @Ashantilynn01 (+ my son who doesn’t like social media). Ashanti often reminds me that we don’t move in fear, whether as we are pursuing justice for Breonna Taylor or standing up for reproductive freedom.

Delegate Gabriel Acevero (MD): My mother, she was the first organizer and movement leader I knew.

Assemb. Cameron "CH" Miller (NV): My cousin, the late Assemblyman Tyrone Thompson, inspired me to run and shaped my approach to the work. To honor his legacy, I always consider how policy will help or hurt the most vulnerable in our communities first, our youth.

Why did you run for office? What does it mean to represent your community?

State Sen. James Coleman (CO): I ran for office to serve my communities, simple as that. And it is beyond humbling that my constituents continue to believe in me to represent their interests.

State Sen. Erika Geiss (MI): In the #mileg, we have term limits, so running wasn’t something on my long-term radar initially. When my Rep was termed out in 2014, I decided to run because of an education issue adjacent to our community but that impacted our community.

As an educator and then PTO mom, and as one of the few folks from the district likely to be able to have a shred of institutional knowledge about it, I decided to run.

As the 1st woman of color to represent my district in the #mileg, it means a lot. And it has never been far from my mind as I worked for the roughly 100,000 people of my former House district or as I work for the nearly 260,000 people of my current state Senate district.

Del. Shaneka Henson (MD): After moving from public housing I ran for office to be a voice for my city and tenants who struggle with mold.

Rep. Michele K. Rayner-Goolsby: This moment calls for bold and audacious leadership. I answered the call to serve because representation is not a cliché, it's a must.

Tell us about an issue you're advocating for this legislative session.

State Rep. Park Cannon (GA): To hold police accountable and protect reproductive rights. By sharing the term #reproductivejustice with my legislative colleagues, thanks to the words of @sistersong, I have been able to continue fighting against injustice in my community.

Assemb. Cameron "CH" Miller (NV): We must stop the school to prison pipeline and policies that criminalize youth before they ever get a chance to thrive. My highest priority is ending the direct filing of minors into the adult judicial system. 60% of direct filed youth in NV are Black!

Rep. Attica Scott (KY): My top priority this legislative session is Breonna’s Law for Kentucky to restrict the use of no-knock search warrants across our Commonwealth.

No family should carry the weight of what her family has endured.

Sen. Erika Geiss GIF with subtitle "Let's make economic justice a priority and reality every day."
Michigan State Sen. Erika Geiss

State Sen. Erika Geiss (MI): This session, I'm advocating for several things to address #BlackMaternalHealth. First, a package on #DoulaCare to improve recognition of community-based & traditional doulas & Medicaid & commercial insurance for both.

State Sen. James Coleman (CO): I am currently focused on three main legislative priorities: eliminating prison recidivism, eliminating youth violence, and eliminating the Black wealth gap. This session, I am excited to lead an attack against CO's 50% recidivism rate.

Delegate Pam Queen (MD): I champion legislation which seeks to increase homeownership for Black families. These bills are part of the Maryland Speaker of the House's “Black Agenda.”

In what ways have you seen state legislatures perpetuate anti-Black racism in your lifetime? How can state legislatures disrupt anti-Black racism?

Rep. Stephanie Howse (OH): Let me the count ways the Ohio General Assembly perpetuates anti-Black racism:

The way we can begin to address anti-Black racism in the Ohio legislature is to first start to call a thing a thing. Racism is Racism.

Delegate Gabriel Acevero (MD): Where do I begin??

State Sen. James Coleman (CO): My colleagues and I reconvened last Dec. for a special session and passed SB20B-1, which set aside $4 million for the CO Minority Business Office. Almost immediately a lawsuit was filed against this legislation for violating the 14th Amendment.

Rep. Attica Scott (KY): My goodness! Where to begin? In Kentucky, the legislature has refused to hear any bills by members of our Legislative Black Caucus in at least three years, but have spent this session playing performative politics on race, including stealing one of my bills!

State Sen. Erika Geiss (MI): From situations such as the Senate Majority Leader asking me “why not all mothers” when I asked him to co-sponsor my resolution to recognize #BlackMaternalHealthWeek, to a colleague wearing a Confederate flag mask to session last April with no recourse...

...to members including the Senate Majority Leader cozying up to white supremacists, to racist statements said aloud by GOP members. I’ve seen a lot when it comes to anti-Black racism at work in the Michigan legislature.

There’s also a lack of attention to cultivating Black staff at all levels so that there are voices here beyond those of us who are elected.

We must continue to speak up and advocate for our communities and not worry about being “polite” or notions of “civility” because the repeated trauma of racist comments and actions is anything but polite or civil.

What does it look like for Black communities to not just survive—but thrive?

State Rep. Park Cannon (GA): The five pillars of #ReproJustice, self-determination; access to comprehensive reproductive health services; affordability of care; parenting with respect and dignity; and workplace and caregiving supports, are key to a thriving life for black families and families to be.

Delegate Gabriel Acevero (MD): It looks a lot like Black Wall Street. It also looks like clean air, water, and REPARATIONS.

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The St. Luke Penny Savings Bank, one of the first black-owned banks in the United States. (Source: National Park Service)

Rep. Stephanie Howse (OH): To have thriving Black communities, governments in particular must acknowledge the harm and destruction they have caused to Black people and commit to policies and practices that restore and renew.

Rep. Attica Scott (KY): When we thrive we are freely our whole, authentic selves. We have access to quality affordable housing, education, healthcare and jobs. We’re paid a fair wage, our businesses are supported, and our neighborhoods are safe from environmental hazards and toxins.

State Sen. James Coleman (CO): Our communities need strong economic investments and infrastructures that overcome historical injustices. When our Black communities are given first consideration, rather than everything after, we will do more than just survive.

Last question: let's talk about Black futures. What's your message to Black youth this Black History Month?

Delegate Gabriel Acevero (MD): My message to Black youth this Black History Month and everyday is: You are enough. Life will not be easy but as philosopher and poet, Kendrick Lamar put it... “We gon’ be alright.”

State Sen. Erika Geiss (MI): My message to Black youth this Black History Month is to pay attention to what is going on in your local community, state, country, world & get involved no matter how small or large the issue is. Your voices are important, necessary, and powerful. And when you’re able to, register to vote and vote in every election...local, state, federal. There no such thing as an off-year election.

Rep. Attica Scott (KY): You're are loved. You are needed. You are valued. Continue to raise your voice in protest of corrupt, unjust systems. Show up for racial justice. Speak out. Stand up. Continue to support good public policy. Continue to run for office and change the face of government.

What Should I Post? Building a Social Media Strategy for Legislators

Legislators and staffers often wear many hats, including the role of social media manager. Is it possible to build an engaged social media following while juggling other priorities? Yes! And having a solid strategy can help. 

A successful social media strategy requires more than tweeting regularly—it involves identifying realistic goals and concrete steps to reach those goals. Use the prompts and resources below to start developing a social strategy today.

Strategy Prompts

Big Picture
Style & Tone

Content

Cheatsheet: Help! What Should I Post?

Got time?
Don't have time?

Tools & Resources

(All of these websites are free to use, but some have premium options for more features.)

Articles:

Downloads