Adding links to posts has always been difficult on Instagram. Sure, you can always put a link in your post captions, but they won’t be clickable. Plus, your followers on the Instagram app can’t copy it to paste on a browser, so it usually isn’t worth it.
Instagram is one of the biggest social media sites in the world presently. However, it didn’t rise to its current level of popularity by playing softball. Instagram wants you to stay on Instagram for as long as possible, and external links would work against that.
However, links are necessary for brands and creators to funnel their Instagram engagement towards their websites to generate income. For that, creators have to get really …creative.
How to Add Links to Instagram Posts
Fortunately for brands, there are a few ways to circumvent Instagram’s restrictions on external links. We’ll walk you through a few of them.
Link in Bio
This is the only place Instagram allows clickable external links on your profile. It allows one link to your Facebook profile and five to any website you desire. With these slots, you can put in external links and convince your viewers to click on them. That is where the “Link in Bio” term originates from.
Here’s how to add a link to your bio:
- Get to your profile by tapping the photo at the bottom right.
- Tap on “Edit Profile.”
- Tap on “Add Link.”
- Tap on “Add External Link.”
- Fill out the URL and Title fields, then click on the blue tick at the top right, and you’re done.
Link in Stories
Instagram also allows clickable links in Stories. Since these stories (and the links they may contain) disappear after 24 hours, they’ll only work for your temporary needs. You can utilize link stickers within your stories to direct viewers to specific websites or content. Here’s how:
- Create a new Instagram Story by swiping right from the home screen or tapping the camera icon in your profile picture.
- Capture your photo or video content for the story or select from your device storage.
- Tap the sticker icon (square smiley face icon) at the top of the screen.
- Select the “Link” sticker from the sticker tray.
- Paste the link you want to share in the designated field within the sticker.
- You can customize the text displayed on the sticker (e.g., “Learn More,” “Shop Now”).
- Place the sticker wherever you want it on your story.
- Tap “Your Story” to share your story with your followers or “Close Friends” to send it to a curated and exclusive list of people.
Pay for a Sponsored Post
Your final option to get a link into your Instagram post would be to cough up some money and pay for the privilege. Instagram offers an ad service that lets you showcase your products to people not on your followers list, enhancing your reach.
These ads allow you to take those viewers straight to your website from Instagram at the tap of a link.
With these options, you can effectively add links to your Instagram posts and drive traffic to your desired destinations.
