Ways to Add Links to Your Instagram Account
If you represent one of the many businesses that use Instagram for marketing, you’re probably looking to convert your followers into paying customers.
The best way to convert your following is to share a link to your website on your Instagram profile across various channels. However, there’s more than one way to add links to your account. These methods work in different situations, helping you convert your target audience at just the right moment. Learn more about all the different ways to add links to your Instagram profile.
- Adding a Link to Your Profile
The first and most obvious way of adding a link to your profile to include it in your page bio. This is the section on your profile page directly underneath your Instagram handle. Users will look at this section to learn about your account. It’s best to insert a link to your homepage on your profile bio.
Some companies may switch out this link to promote individual products and blog posts. But anyone who is checking out your profile will see this link, so this is a great time to introduce users to your company as a whole, rather than sending them to individual products and services or a piece of original content.
- Using a Link Service
You can also use a link service to share more content with your users. If you want to add more links to your Instagram profile, use programs like Linktree or Linkin.bio to give your followers more options before visiting your website. When you sign up for these services, you can create a customized set of options for your followers.
When someone clicks on your link, they’ll be greeted by a menu with several different options, such as your product categories, individual blog posts, or your video library. You can customize this interface by changing the font, background color, or even add images to further entice your followers.
These programs do add more data to the browsing experience, so make sure your link service is compatible with all mobile devices.
- Adding Links to Post Captions
You can’t add clickable links to your post captions, but you can still add a URL. When adding a URL to post captions, the only way for your followers to access this link is to copy and paste it into their browser or to remember the URL and type it in from scratch, so it’s best to keep your links as short as possible.
Use programs like Bitly to shrink your links, so users can copy and paste them or remember them without too much difficulty. A Bitly link is usually only a few characters long, helping your followers quickly retain this information.
You likely won’t convert as many followers with this option, considering all the steps involved, but if some of your followers really want to know more about a specific post or product, they’ll have the option to do so. Get them interested in a blog post or product by including a sneak peak of your content in the post caption.
- Swipe-Up Links in Stories
To add swipe-up links in stories, you’ll need at least 10,000 followers or you’ll need to be a verified account, which isn’t really an exact science. The app usually verifies accounts at random, so it’s best to shoot for 10,000 followers.
Once you reach one of these two goals, you can start adding links to your stories. Remember that stories are only live for 24 hours and users typically only see your content for 15 seconds or less, so you need to get right to the point. Use this feature to promote new blog posts, temporary sales and discounts, or breaking news. Use strong calls to action (CTAs) to convert your users in a matter of seconds.
When you add a link to your story, users will see the “Swipe Up” option at the bottom of the screen. When they swipe up, they can click on the link to learn more.
- Using Shoppable Posts
You can also add links to shoppable posts on Instagram once you set up a shopping catalog on Facebook. These product listings will include links to the products on your website.
Once you add this product catalog, users will see a shopping tab on your profile, which gives them access to your full product lineup. When users click on individual products, they’ll be directed to your website, where they can make a purchase.
You can also create shoppable posts if you’re featuring specific products. Users will see a “View Products” tab that shows them more information about the products featured in the post. They’ll also see a link that will take them to your website.
- Links in Sponsored Posts and Stories
If you have a business account, you can promote specific posts and stories on Instagram to reach new followers. This gives you more freedom when adding links to posts and stories.
When promoting your content, you can add full-length clickable links to your captions, so users don’t have to copy and paste the link. Users will see a “Learn More” option that will take them to your website.
Instagram is here to help you convert your followers in more ways than one. Experiment with these different link sharing strategies to send your followers to individual product pages and blog posts.
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