How to link a profile on instagram story
How to Add a Link to an Instagram Story (and Customize It)
Want to add a link to your Instagram Story? We have good news and then better news. (And as a bonus, we have a sweet new Instagram Story hack!)
The good news is that even though Instagram has retired its swipe-up feature, you can still add links to Stories using Instagram link stickers.
The even better news is that the 10,000 follower minimum is officially over, when it comes to adding a link in your Story. In theory, EVERYONE has access to link stickers on Instagram now. (Learn more about the update here.)
Which leads us to the other good news: we have a simple hack to customize your link sticker so that it vibes with your brand and design. Read on for all the steps.
Wait, what was the Instagram swipe up feature?
What is the Instagram link sticker?
How to use the Instagram link sticker
Who can use the Instagram link sticker?
How to customize your Instagram link sticker design
Other ways to drive traffic to your website from Instagram
Download your free pack of 72 customizable Instagram Stories templates now. Save time and look professional while promoting your brand in style.
Wait, what was the Instagram swipe up feature?
The Instagram swipe up feature helped brands and influencers reach their audiences and gain more followers by allowing them to add links directly to their Instagram Stories.
Viewers could swipe up on a Story or tap an arrow at the bottom of their screen to access a link without leaving the Instagram app or navigating all the way back to the bio to find that “link in bio.”
But in August 2021 Instagram announced it was retiring the swipe-up feature. Why?
There are a few theories. Perhaps Instagram has secret plans to make Stories move vertically like TikTok, rather than horizontally? The mystery remains unsolved. (Actually, Instagram did give its reasons, which we’ll get to in a second.)
Regardless, the end result is that now users can include links in their Instagram Stories by adding a link sticker, instead.
What is the Instagram link sticker?
The Instagram link sticker replaces the swipe up feature, letting users add an external link to an Instagram Story.
Story link stickers are the easiest way to drive traffic to external content and products on Instagram. You can also track link taps with Instagram analytics.
Instagram says that when it comes to links, the sticker has three major advantages over the swipe-up feature:
- Stickers are familiar and popular with users, who use them for music, questions, locations and polls, etc.
- Stickers allow more creative control over how a Story looks than swipe up links did.
- And most importantly, stickers allow viewers to engage with a Story, whereas the swipe-up feature didn’t allow replies or reactions.
Simply put: just like swipe-up before them, Instagram link stickers are an important tool for any Instagram business strategy.
How to use the Instagram link sticker
Instagram Stories only stay up for 24 hours, but adding a link to your Instagram Story is helpful for increasing your conversions, boosting organic engagement, and making it easier for your followers to access the content you want to share.
Source: Instagram
Here’s how to add a link sticker to your Instagram Story. (Spoiler: it’s the same as any sticker.)
- In the Instagram app, tap the plus sign
- Select Story (rather than Post, Reel, or Live).
- Create your Story using all the gorgeous media you have at your disposal.
- Tap the Sticker icon in the top row.
- Type in the URL
- Type in the sticker’s text or call to action (eg., Tap to read)
- Place the sticker on your Story
- Pinch to resize it
- Tap to shuffle through the available colour schemes (blue, black, white, beige, etc.)
- Then send to your Story, and you’re done!
It’ll look something like this:
Who can use the Instagram link sticker?
As of October 2021, everyone is supposed to have access to the link sticker in their Instagram Stories (not just accounts with more than 10,000 followers).
Of course, as always, a roll-out across a billion accounts takes time, and we’ve heard from many people (including our own social team at Hootsuite!) who still don’t have the sticker popping up in their accounts.
If this is the case for your account, all we can advise is to keep your Instagram app up to date and say a prayer. It’ll show up eventually.
And if you’re one of the lucky few who have contacts at Instagram HQ, maybe send those contacts a note?
How to customize your Instagram link sticker design
If you are finding that the Instagram link sticker isn’t living up to your brand’s aesthetic, you’ll be happy to know you can customize it even further in a few simple steps.
Watch the video below for a quick tutorial on how to customize your Instagram link sticker.
Here’s how to customize your Instagram Story link sticker design:
- Create your Instagram Story and add a link sticker just as you usually would
- Go to the design app of your choice
- Design a sticker that is on-brand, visually pleasing, with a clear CTA (eg.
, “Read more” or “Tap here!”) - Export it to your phone as a PNG file with a transparent background
- Go back to your Instagram Story draft, and add your custom sticker from your phone’s photo album or files
- Place the custom sticker directly over your link sticker
Voila! That’s it: you’ll have perfect aesthetic control over your Story, and people will still be able to tap through.
Pro Tip: Remember to track your Story metrics so you can optimize your click-through rate. If you aren’t getting as many taps as you want, make sure you have a clear call to action, and that you don’t overload one Instagram post with too much information.
Still stumped? Read our five other reasons that your Stories might be failing to convert.
Download your free pack of 72 customizable Instagram Stories templates now. Save time and look professional while promoting your brand in style.
Download the templates now!
Other ways to drive traffic to your website from Instagram
Sharing links with your audience is useful whether your goals are relationship-building or converting.
If you don’t have access to the link sticker yet, here are some alternatives:
Link in bio
You’re probably doing this already, but you can add a call to action and a link in the bio section of your Instagram profile. Some IG users choose to put the one specific link they want in their bio or use link shortening tools for customization.
You can also use tools that allow you to host multiple links on one landing page (less updating your links, more conversions!). It’s called an Instagram link tree and it’s very easy to make.
Just remember to say “link in bio” in your caption when you post (we did an experiment, and don’t worry, it won’t hurt your engagement if you say it.)
Use your DMs
Post your Story and let your followers know that they can DM you for a direct link. It’s super easy for them, and a great way to build a relationship with your audience since it might feel even more personal when they receive the link directly from you.
Bonus Tip: Use the DM Me sticker: your followers can get in touch with you in one tap!
Create a poll
Share your content and then create a poll that asks people if they want to be sent the link.
All you have to do is check who said ‘yes’ to your poll and you can follow up with a link sent via direct message in the Instagram app.
Ready to start driving traffic to your website from Instagram? Use Hootsuite to schedule Stories, posts, and carousels, engage your audience, and analyze performance—alongside all your other social networks.
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How to Add a Link to Your Instagram Story
- You can add a link to an Instagram Story using a link sticker.
- The link sticker replaced the swipe-up feature, which was only available for accounts with more than 10,000 followers.
- You can use Instagram Story link stickers to send followers to blog posts, products, and more.
Instagram Story links are one of the many ways you can customize your posts. When Story links were first launched, they took the form of a swipe-up feature, and were only available to Instagram accounts with more than 10,000 followers.
The swipe-up feature is no more (except for sponsored story ads), and has been replaced with a link sticker that is available to all users.
In this article, we'll go over what Instagram Story link stickers are, how to use them, and what to use them for.
What are Instagram Story link stickers?
Like other types of stickers on Instagram — such as location, polls, and questions — Instagram Story link stickers are another way to personalize your Story posts.
Unlike the now-retired swipe-up feature, which was only available for accounts with more than 10,000 followers, the Story link sticker is available to all.
It can be used to share links to products, YouTube videos, or online articles like this one.
How to add a link to your Instagram Story
1. In the Instagram app home tab, tap the plus sign on your profile icon at the top-left of the screen, or swipe right.
2. Select a photo or video from your phone library, or tap Create to build a post from a blank background.
3. Tap the sticker icon at the top of the screen.
The sticker icon has a smiley face on it. Abigail Abesamis Demarest4. Tap link.
Links, location, and mentions are just some of the different sticker types available for Instagram stories.5. Paste the URL of the website you want to point your followers to, then tap Done.
Paste the url from a browser tab on your mobile device. Abigail Abesamis DemarestQuick tip: You can customize the sticker text with a call to action, or provide more detail than the default link name.
6. Tap the link to change the font color, drag to move the link, and pinch the link to resize it as desired.
7. Finish creating your Story post as usual, then share it.
Tips to use Instagram Story link stickers
- Link to blog posts or online articles. Promote your latest blog post or share an interesting article you recently read.
- Link to products. If you're an influencer, an Instagram Story is an ideal place for an affiliate link, especially if you're talking about or wearing the product in your post.
If you're a business owner, you can link to a specific product page.
- Link to buy tickets. If you're hosting a ticketed event, a direct link to buy tickets with a call to action can be an effective way to boost sales.
- Link to book services. Use sticker links to encourage clients to book haircuts, schedule consultations, and more.
Abigail Abesamis Demarest
Abigail Abesamis Demarest is a contributing writer for Insider based in New York. She loves a good glazed donut and nerdy deep dives into the science of food and how it's made.
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TOP-8 how to add a link to stories (9 life hacks + 5 mistakes)
Using a link, you can increase the number of views in your profile and increase traffic and the number of purchases on other resources.
And do not believe if you are told that you can only add it if you have N-th number of subscribers. They blatantly lie to you. I will reveal eight ways to add a link to Instagram Stories.
If you have 10k subscribers
If you have such a number of subscribers, then you have access to the function of adding an external link from any resource.
Copy the address to the resource, go to instagram. Take a photo or add one you've already taken, then find the paperclip icon in the top bar. Once in the next window, click "website link", then paste it and click "done".
Create linkPrompt subscribers to swipe up to go. Use text or animation. Once the story is uploaded, followers will be able to take action. For example, a beauty salon can post the work schedule of masters in stories and transfer subscribers to an online recording service.
We strengthen the buttonIf there are no 10k subscribers
If there are not so many subscribers, then placing an active link in the Instagram story is also possible, and now we will analyze ways to do this.
Method 1. Mention
This method is suitable if you plan to tag a person or company account.
Go to the story, select suitable photos, videos or create new ones. Then click on the emoji icon in the top bar. In the window that opens, select a mention.
Select stickerThen enter the username, the profiles will appear under the line, select the one you need. Next, you will see a line with a profile link. You can change the color by clicking a few times on the mention and place it where it suits you.
Mark profileMethod 2. Link to post
In order to share a post with friends, you do not need to take screenshots and write instructions, you can simply add a link to the post in the story.
To do this, under the post you want to share, click on the airplane icon. Select "add post to story", design and publish.
Sending post A small trick: if you click on a post in the history before downloading, then it will be highlighted in a frame, click again and the frame will disappear.
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Method 3. Link to stories
You can post a story you've been tagged in and it will have a link to go back to the original account.
When a user mentions you in their story, you will receive a message about it in the direct. By opening this message, you can add this story to your profile.
Adding a storyNext, you can change the filter, sign the text, enlarge the story. To go to the address, you just need to click on the image a little longer, and a window for the transition will appear.
Active buttonMethod 4. Link as text
Of course, you can copy a link from any resource and paste it.
But I immediately warn you that it will not be clickable, that is, you won’t be able to click on it and go to the site. This method of placement is suitable if the address is short and easy to remember.
Copy the link, go to the story, select material from the gallery or create a new one and click "Aa", i.e. paste text. Then paste the link into the text input field.
Paste the addressAgain, if you want to highlight the link in a frame, click on it and choose a highlight color from the palette below.
FormattingInteresting. Do you want to shoot cool stories on your phone to increase your reach? Then I recommend taking a special course where you will learn how to shoot and edit original and professional videos in a few minutes. Click and watch -> Create engaging STORIES.
Method 5. Link to IGTV
Yes, videos in IGTV channels can also be linked in stories. You can place, for example, your videos in this way, increasing the number of views.
Select a video on the IGTV channel, it can be your channel or any other. Open it and click on the airplane icon. Then add the video to the story.
Adding videoNow add your comments, stickers or emoji. Then the story can be published, after that, when you click on the video, a link will appear to open it.
Active buttonMethod 6. Link to the mask
Using masks in instagram diversifies your stories, and most importantly, if you post stories with your own mask, it will help promote your profile.
Go to story, select "normal mode". Then scroll to the end of the standard masks and subscription masks, select the magnifying glass icon with asterisks. You will be taken to the effects gallery. After that, click on Instagram. If you use your own mask, then just select it in the list of effects.
Mask search After you take a photo or record a video with a mask, add text or stickers - whatever you want, and publish.
A link to the mask will appear in the upper left corner under your name.
Method 7. Through Facebook
This method is already more complicated. If you use an advertising account on Facebook, then you have the opportunity to add a link to an ad through it. If you still need to start an office, then about this in another article. I will only talk about the topic: how to add a link to an ad in stories.
To do this, when setting up an advertisement, after selecting the goal, budget and key target audience, select the placement - Instagram.
Choosing a publication locationAfter that, check the box next to "Instagram Stories". You can also share the post on Facebook.
Adding history Next, you need to choose optimization and delivery based on your goal. For example, if the goal is traffic, then set the optimization to "Page views". And if the goal is likes, then "Impressions".
Next, select the image format: picture, video, slideshow, etc. You can also set the full screen mode to get more attention for your post.
Publication formatUpload the desired image, edit if necessary.
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Specify the destination below - "website", insert the desired link and issue a call to action. Here you can also set the background colors in your future story.
Adding a linkTo see how the ad will look, click "Check", and if everything is fine, click "Publish".
Publication check
Related:
Advertising on Instagram Stories: step-by-step instructionsWhat else you need to know
There seems to be nothing to say about such a banal topic, but still I found a few points that you still have.
Life hacks
They are chips, tricks and recommendations... But seriously, here is a list of things that will help you make your link even more interesting and effective.
- Intrigue. Promise in stories that by swiping, users will receive exclusive content, discount promo codes, or the results of a contest held on your blog;
- Promotion. If you want to promote your site, then create a link with a utm-tag. So, through Google and Yandex analytics, you can track traffic from Instagram;
- Details . Tell more useful information about the resource where you direct your subscribers. This will build trust and your link traffic will increase;
- Save the story. This way you will attract even more visitors to your resource, the site of the advertiser or your partner;
- Additional indicators. Attach a swipe to your story and look at the statistics for new indicators: the number of clicks and transitions.
Errors
Most likely you may encounter the following errors during your work. Although, it may not occur. But it is better to know and be on the alert, so as not to tear your hair on your head later.
As an advertisement
- The paperclip icon is missing. Even with 10K subscribers, you may not have a paperclip icon. The reason may be that you once used subscriber cheat services or did not switch to a business profile;
- Swipe Up does not work. You may not have attached the link or there was a technical error, please check your settings or wait a bit, even instagram may be wrong;
- Can't follow the link from your account. You need to test the link from another, external account. Perhaps you have a second account or ask someone you know to test;
- Airplane symbol missing. Update Insta. It often makes changes to its interface and functionality, so it requires regular updates.
briefly about the main thing
We figured out how to add a link to Instagram Stories. Now you can safely share interesting and useful information with subscribers. And for bloggers or commercial accounts, this is another opportunity to attract traffic to the site or other social networks. Finally, we repeat once again all the ways of linking:
1. Mention;
2. To the post;
3. On stories;
4. As text;
5. On IGTV;
6. On mask;
7. Via Facebook;
8. Through fix.
Related:
Ideas for stories 150+ with examples from a bloggerHow to add a link to Instagram stories: to a publication, YouTube, Telegram, video
Update : links in Instagram stories are now available to all users.
A link in history allows you to direct the user to a website or another page. To follow the link you need to click on the sticker and select "Follow the link".
Swipes are a thing of the past.
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In the article, we will describe a new way to add a link to a story, and also share other ways to add links. As a bonus, we will tell you how to create a link sticker in your story so that people click on it more often.
Read also: The best Instagram promotion courses
How to make a link in Instagram Stories: all the ways
For greater clarity, let's introduce a few definitions.
All links in stories can be conditionally divided into two types: external and internal .
- External links lead outside the social network - to a website, YouTube channel, Telegram or WhatsApp. Since recently, all accounts can add external links to stories. Also, they can be added when launching ads. External links are shown as a sticker.
- Internal leads to objects inside Instagram: account, post or rils. They can be added both in the form of an external link, and in the form of mentions and reposts.
Important : links are available to all users, not just those with more than 10,000 subscribers. At the same time, new accounts, as well as accounts that have repeatedly violated the Rules of the social network, will not receive access to the sticker with the link. Details of what counts as a new account in this context have not been released.
By the way, in order to get the maximum coverage of stories, the quality of your subscribers is very important.
You need to understand who is watching you, how many% of live people, and how many bots and garbage, so we recommend that you conduct a complete analysis of the Instagram audience, for example, through the InstaHero service. And when you find out who is watching, commenting and liking you, you can start keeping stories tightly. And to increase reach, engagement and activity, you can remove bots from Instagram followers.
External links in stories to a website, YouTube or blog
First, let's talk about external links.
Method number 1: available to all users
How to add a link to the story, we told in our video and further in the text.
To attach a link to a Story, follow a simple algorithm:
- Start creating a new story. Add a photo or video from your gallery, or take a photo or short video with your camera.
- Click the sticker icon in the top menu.
- In the window that opens, select the "Link" sticker.
- You will see a field for adding a link. Copy the link you want to share and paste it here. This can be a link to a website, a landing page, a separate article or product in an online store, a link to a YouTube channel or video, and even to a Telegram channel.
To check the correctness of the entered url-address, click "Preview". - Add additional elements and labels.
Many users don't know how to follow a link in History. Push them to the target action - add a call to the link on the photo or video to learn something interesting.
After the link is published, in the Stories statistics, you will see how many clicks were made on the link. To analyze navigation in web analytics systems, use UTM tags or other markup.
Method #2: Advertising in Stories
Adding a link when setting up an ad is a more time-consuming, but also more effective process.
To set up ads, you must first go to the Facebook profile associated with your Instagram business account, and click on "Create Ads". Or go directly to the Facebook Ads Manager.
In your personal account, click "Create ad" and follow the simple algorithm of actions.
Select the purpose of the advertisement. There are 6 goals available for links in stories, including Traffic, App Installs, Conversions. Choose the appropriate goal depending on the format of the business account and the link being promoted.
Select the campaign objective. Clicks or views can be selected here. That is, you will pay either for clicking on the link, or for visiting the page when the user waits for it to load.
Set up an account. If you have not created an ad on Facebook before, you will be prompted to specify the time zone, country and currency of the ad account.
Set up audience . Choose the place where the link leads - to the site, application or messenger.
Then specify the desired parameters of the target audience: gender, age, interests, and others.
Select the advertising location. By default, the ad will be shown on three sites. If you only want Instagram Stories, click on "Edit Placements" and check "Instagram, Stories" only.
Set a budget and select a bid strategy . You can set a daily budget limit or an amount for the entire campaign, and the system will distribute it evenly. Then choose a bid strategy - by default, the system selects the lowest price. If you want, you can set it manually, to do this, click on "Set a bid limit". The lower it is, the less likely it is that the ad will be shown.
Select the ad format. You can select one image or one video. From a marketing point of view, it is better to use video - despite the fact that advertising has a time limit of 15 seconds, it allows you to better convey the idea to users and add a more prominent call to action.
After filling in the required fields, a preview will open in front of you.
On this page, you can upload images or videos for your ad, add a call to action, add or edit a URL. After saving, your ad will start showing to the target audience according to the selected parameters and the set budget.
Instagram Stories ads are quite short. In addition, after viewing, they are closed automatically, and the user will not be able to view them again. Therefore, add a bright call to action, limited in time - this will increase the conversion.
More on the topic: How to properly target on Instagram
Internal link in the story to a post, account or IGTV
Once again, please note that such a link will not be formatted as a swipe in the story, it will be just a mention.
Method #3: link to the Reels in the story
- Open the Reels you want to share in the story and click on the airplane icon in the menu on the right.
- Select "Add Reels to your Story".
- Add text, stickers and other design elements as you like.
Method #4: link to the post in story
- Open the post you want to share a link to.
- Repost a story post: click the airplane icon below it.
- Select Add Post to Your Story.
- Add text, stickers and other design elements as you like.
Method number 5: link to the account
- Start creating a Story.
- Open the sticker panel and select the Mention sticker.
- Enter the name of the account you want to link to. Design your story and add other elements as you see fit.
Method #6: link to the video
After combining the IGTV format and the video, the link to the video is published by analogy with the repost of the publication.
How to create a link sticker in Instagram stories
As you already understood, now instead of swiping in stories, a link sticker will be displayed.
Accordingly, the approach to design also changes. Now, instead of a pointer to a swipe, you need to select a link sticker and add a pointer to it or make a highlight. You can do this for free with Canva.
- Register on canva.com and activate your 30 day free trial ( don't forget to cancel your subscription later if you want to use the service for free ).
- Select the Instagram Story template.
- Add any layout available in the menu on the left and change it to your liking. Or create a layout from scratch.
- Add a pointer to the layout. To do this, in the elements section, enter in the search [ here ] or [ here ].
Place the element you like on the layout, in the place where the link will be located (add text Place under the link , as in our example is not necessary).
- Go to the story editor and upload the created layout. Then add the link sticker to the desired location and post the story.
