How to make links clickable in instagram bio


Instagram Link in Bio: How to Use It to Drive Traffic

You’ve probably seen it many times – your favorite Instagram account posts a photo about something interesting and ends the caption with “link in bio to read more.”

If you’re running a brand Instagram account, this “link in bio” is essential for driving audiences to your site from Instagram, considering how the platform limits you to one permanent link in your profile’s bio.

In this post, we show you how to get the most out of your link in bio on Instagram.

Let’s get started.

What does link in bio mean?

As the name suggests “link in bio” refers to the clickable URL that you can add to your profile section. Most social media platforms give you the option to add a link in your bio to take followers to your website, product page, content or some other important page.

On platforms like Facebook and Twitter, adding a link to the homepage of your website may be more than enough since you can share clickable links to individual pages, products or content in your posts.

But it’s a little different with Instagram. Accounts with 10,000+ followers do have the option to share links through their Stories, but those that are still building their following have to leverage the single link in bio to direct followers to a product page or a piece of content. Plus, outside of Stories highlights, Stories links are ephemeral and not ideal for an account of any size to highlight the most important URLs to drive social media traffic to.

Instagram’s link in bio can feel limiting when you want to highlight multiple important products, posts and pages. Fortunately, there are several link in bio tools that will let you put together all these key link destinations and share them via a single URL. This will lead to a custom landing page with all the relevant links you want to share.

Here’s an example from Travel Yosemite–the single link in their bio leads to the following landing page for quick access to any content they’ve referenced in recent posts:

This makes the user experience much more seamless since they can easily access all the relevant links from one place, meaning you’re much less likely to lose out on potential leads and traffic just because Instagram restricts links on individual posts.

This also brings us to the ubiquitous “link in bio” phrasing familiar to anyone on Instagram: by using these landing pages, brands can highlight their latest sale, news article, product collection or more in their content, and still effectively link to them all, reminding audiences to click that link on each relevant post. You can also maintain evergreen destinations such as your homepage or important lead magnets, while rotating other links for the latest content.

How to put a link in your Instagram bio

It’s easy to add or update the link in your Instagram bio. You can use either the mobile app or the Instagram website on your desktop.

Follow the steps below:

1. Edit your Instagram profile

Go to your profile and tap on the “Edit Profile” button.

2. Add the URL in the Website field

In the “Website” field, enter the URL you want to add to your bio.

3. Save the changes

Tap on “Done” and that’s it – you now have a link in your Instagram bio.

Link in bio tools

If you want to share links to multiple pages and products, you can also use a link in bio tool. As mentioned earlier, this tool will let you create a custom landing page that houses all the links you want to share. And you can just add the URL of this landing page in your Instagram bio.

Here are a few link in bio tools you can use:

1. SproutLink

While there are many great link in bio options, having a centralized platform for any and all of your Instagram needs makes Sprout’s link in bio offering, SproutLink, a stand-out. Through one simple link, your audience can access a replica of your Instagram grid and visit the unique link associated with each of your Instagram posts.

This clickable grid directs traffic to the content links that matter most—whether that’s your website, a specific product, blog or other related article. Adding links to your Instagram posts are baked into Sprout’s Instagram publishing workflow, saving you precious time spent jumping between multiple tools. SproutLink is available on all Sprout plan levels.

2. Linktree

Linktree is a great option for anyone who needs an affordable link in bio solution. The free version comes with pretty robust features, letting you add unlimited links and customize them with images and icons. To unlock even more customization features such as removing the Linktree logo and replacing it with your own, you can get the Pro plan for $6/month.

Here’s an example of how Linktree link in bio pages typically look:

3. Feedlink

This powerful link in bio tool from EmbedSocial comes with mobile-optimized landing pages that look great on any device. Feedlink also lets you keep an eye on your performance by tracking the click stats for each link. Combine these stats with reports from an Instagram analytics tool to get a 360-degree view of your performance. Similar to Linktree, there’s a free version that’s suitable for small accounts, and additional features available with paid plans starting from $19/month.

4. Lnk.Bio

Lnk.Bio is also an excellent option as it lets you add unlimited links even with the free plan. Paid plans, which let you create custom, branded URLs and schedule link updates start from $0.99/month. These will let you create custom URLs that fit with your branding and even schedule links.

Here’s a Lnk.Bio page for the Met Museum:

See how the museum uses a custom URL in their Instagram bio to fit with its branding and make the link look even more credible.

How to use the Instagram link in bio effectively

Now that you know how to set up a link in bio landing page, let’s take a look at some of the ways you can use links in your Instagram bio to promote your business:

  1. Promote a current sale or an upcoming discount. Send users to a page where they can access a link to the sale page. See how Adairs promotes an ongoing sale through its Linktree page.
  2. Hype up a product launch. Take users to a landing page that highlights the new product with your announcement event or content, or after launch, provide full details about the product or links to purchase.
  3. Send people to a landing page or a lead magnet. BigCommerce, for instance, shared a post with snippets from its Cyber Week Trends Report. The caption guided followers to the “link in bio” to get the full report.
  4. Highlight your brand, product or cause with an “About” page. With character limitations in the Instagram bio section, linking to a page where people can learn more about your business or your cause is a great idea and can quickly introduce a newer business or product area to your followers.
  5. Send followers to your best-selling products. If you’re using a link in bio tool, you can also share a URL to a custom landing page containing links to multiple bestsellers.
  6. Link to a popular blog post or one of the latest pieces you’ve published. Many publications use a link in bio landing page to highlight multiple recent pieces of content that they’ve mentioned in Instagram posts. You can also create a URL that has all the articles you’ve mentioned on Instagram. That way, people don’t have to scramble to find the one they want to read.
  7. Get followers involved with a competition or a giveaway. Instagram contests can be effective ways to both engage existing followers and appeal to new ones. Maximize the visibility of your promotion by linking it in your bio.
  8. Direct people to a video or podcast you want to promote. Similar to highlighting current articles on your site, make it easy for followers to reach your longer-form media through the link in your bio.
  9. Offer a free sample or demo of your product. Share a link to a page where people can sign up to get a free sample or demo. They become valuable leads since they’ll be filling out a form with their contact information.

Ready to take your link in bio to the next level?

With the right approach, adding a link in your bio can be a great way to attract quality leads and move them along the conversion funnel. So make the most of the ideas and tips above to start leveraging this feature for your business. Don’t forget to check out our Instagram marketing strategy guide to find out how this fits into your overall strategy.

6 Ways to Manage Links on Your Instagram Bio

The Instagram link in bio…are you familiar with it?

If not, you should change that quickly!

This single, clickable link you can find in your Instagram bio is essential as it’s the only place that allows you to send your followers to other valuable content — it’d be a shame to miss so much potential traffic, wouldn’t it?

But, like many, the question you’re asking yourself is: what link should I add?

Good news: this is exactly what I’m going to cover in this article!

There are many ways you can use this space in your Instagram bio to really take advantage of your link in bio.

Let’s get straight into it!

Link in Bio: 6 Ways to Manage Links in Your Instagram Bio

Why do I need a link in bio on Instagram?

The short answer is that it depends on your overall objective.

Obviously, if you only have a personal Instagram account, you probably don’t need a link in bio, but if you are on Instagram to promote your business — which I guess is the case since you’re reading this blog post 😉 —  and your goal is to drive traffic to your website, or any other content you produce, you should definitely use this link in your Instagram bio.

As you probably know already, if you add a link within an Instagram caption, your followers won’t be able to click on it, that’s why Instagram allows you to add a link in your bio —  just one — that can lead to any external website, providing you with potential business leads.

Don’t forget that your Instagram bio is the first thing people see on your account and that you have less than a second to make a great first impression. Make sure your Instagram bio is 100% well-equipped to convert visitors into followers and followers into business leads.

🚀 To go further: How to Write a KNOCKOUT Instagram Bio for Business (+Tips!)

How do I add a clickable link on my Instagram bio?

Adding a link to your Instagram bio takes only a few seconds and can be done on both mobile and desktop.

Here’s how to do it:

1.  Head over your profile by tapping the person icon in the bottom right-hand corner. On desktop, this will be in the top-right hand corner of your screen.

2. Open your editing setting by tapping the “Edit Profile” button

     3. Add the link you want in the “Website” field

Et voilà, you’ve added your Instagram link in bio!

Now that you know the basics, let’s dive into the different ways you can use your link in bio to give you the best chance to convert your followers into business leads and even better… into customers!

6 ways to use links in your Instagram bio
1. Use a link in bio tool to show off multiple links

First of all, what is a link in bio tool?

A link in bio tool allows you to link to more pages and content via a unique URL that houses everything that you want to link to.

But, why should you consider using a link in bio tool?

As I mentioned before, Instagram only gives you the ability to add one link to your bio. This can be challenging and frustrating for any marketing campaign or business in general.

Let’s imagine you want to promote an event, but also direct your followers to your E-commerce website and to your blog to encourage them to sign up to your newsletter.

All at the same time?! How could you, with only one URL, promote all these different pieces of content?

Well, this is where link in bio tools will help you and why they are a must-have for every marketer and social media manager!

At Iconosquare, we ran into this exact problem a lot, so we went ahead and created our own link in bio tool: Omnilink — a free tool that allows you to create a unique landing page with multiple redirections using one unique link.

With Omnilink, you can display all the content you want to link to, using a unique URL — so you’ll no longer need to update your bio link — and a custom landing page, which allows you to keep your branding consistency on point.

If you want to discover more link in bio tools check out this blog post “5 Tools to Manage Your Link in Bio Like a Pro

2. Direct people to your website / specific page 

Directing visitors to a website is the most common tactic used by most companies.

However, depending on what your goal is, you can also direct your followers to a specific page on your website.

For example, if your goal is to increase sales, you’ll use your bio link to send your visitors to your products page, but if your goal is to get more partnerships perhaps you’ll consider adding a link to your partnership form.

GoPro knows that their community wants to see amazing photos taken with their cameras, but on top of that, they know that their followers want to buy those cameras. That’s why they made a smart move by adding a link to their bio that sends people to the product page of their latest Hero 8 GoPro with a special offer.

Before you just add the link to your website, don’t hesitate to dig into your website to see if there is a page that really serves your main goal that it makes sense to direct your followers to.

3. Promote a product launch

Are you launching a brand new product?

Similar to the previous section, you can make the most of your link in bio to promote a new product you’re launching.

It helps if you give a special offer to your Instagram followers, as this will encourage them to click through to your website, giving you a better chance of making a sale!

Gymshark does it very well — they’re currently promoting their new women Flex collection on Instagram and, in addition, they put the direct link on their link in bio to give their followers a quick way to access and discover — and especially to buy quickly!

4. Send people to your blog

I’m sure you’ve already seen “link in bio” mentioned at the end of an Instagram caption, right?

Most often, it directs followers to a specific blog post that a brand or business has published.

At Iconosquare, we do that A LOT! We share a relevant and appealing image and a caption, and then at the end of the caption, we direct people to our bio to click the link and access the blog post.

It’s a really simple tactic to drive traffic to your blog and to your valuable content like ebooks, guides or case studies — even more, if one of your goals is to inform and educate your community about your industry specifics.

The only drawback to this tactic is that you’ll have to change your Instagram bio link every time you promote a new blog post….oh wait… no, you don’t! Let’s circle back to the earlier section about link in bio tools and combine it with this method.

By using a link in bio tool, like Omnilink, you can simply add your blog posts link to your page and it will automatically update your Omnilink page and no need to update the link in your bio — time saver!

5. Send people to your Youtube channel

Another great way to use your link in bio is to send people to your Youtube channel.

Video content is more and more engaging and powerful. Research shows that in 2020, 92% of marketers say that video is an important part of their marketing strategy and consumers use video as an integral part of their journey with brands.

This is good news for the link in your Instagram bio, rather than sending your followers to your homepage (as mentioned before), why not create a short, attention-grabbing video about your company and direct them to it?

Use it as a presentation of your company: who you are, what you offer, what your values are — people are interested in finding out who you are to decide whether or not your brand is worth it, so show them!

Again, you can do all this via your Omnilink profile. Using the Youtube card, you can feature any Youtube video you want, add a description, and even add a subscribe button right there within your profile!

At Iconosquare we always display our “Meet the Team” video on our Omnilink page so people can learn more about who we are by clicking our link in bio. 💙

Video is an incredibly compelling way to promote your brand and help you achieve important goals — if you feel like it could be effective for your business and that it can meet the expectations of your audience, go for it!

6. Invite people to participate in contests or giveaways

People love to play, but mainly, people love to win! Fact.

Nowadays, it’s crucial to find new ways to grab your community’s attention with relevant and interactive content that will bring you the quantity (and quality) of leads you’ve been waiting for. Contests are a simple, inexpensive, and powerful way to get great marketing results.

From increasing your brand visibility to building an engaged community to creating truly engaging content, running contests and giveaways offers many benefits.

On Instagram, when you’re running a contest or giveaway you post an image or video to announce the start of the contest, the conditions of participation, and the prize, right?

Let me give you another idea: to increase the visibility of your contest or giveaway and drive more traffic to it and get more participants, you can also create a dedicated landing page and put the link in your Instagram bio — all you have to do is mention it on your contest post as you’d do with a blog post.

🚀 To go further: How to Run a Social Media Contest: A Complete Guide

Conclusion

Your Instagram bio is an important place to generate interest for your brand, and your outbound link plays a big part in that. When well used, your link in bio can help you drive traffic, engagement, and even increase sales. There are so many ways to engage and retain your followers than just send them to your website so, don’t hesitate to get a little creative! The more effort you put in, the better results you’ll get.

Want to create an impressive Instagram bio?

Check this blog post to learn How to Write a KNOCKOUT Instagram Bio for Business!

Clickable links on Instagram: life hacks and tricks Instagram 2021

With the help of direct links on Instagram, you will get more traffic to your website, online store or blog. On Instagram, a clickable link is available in the profile header - in the "Site" field, in stories, IGTV and in direct. So, for example, if you insert a link into a post or comment, it will be visible to everyone, but users will not be able to follow it in one click.

Instagram developers still provide a limited list of tools for promoting direct links. On Instagram, you can insert a link anywhere, the question is whether it will be clickable. If the link is not active, the user cannot follow it in one click - only if you remember or copy the link, and then paste it into the browser. Therefore, non-clickable links have no marketing value. Further in the article, we will share ways and life hacks for adding active links to stories and direct.

Important update: Now every Instagram user can insert a direct link in a story - regardless of the number of followers. As a reminder, direct links in Stories used to work only for accounts with at least 10,000 followers.

How to make a direct link in stories

Most recently, Instagram developers have pleased users with a new update: a sticker with a link in stories that everyone can use. To follow the link in the story, you no longer need to swipe - just click on the "Follow link" sticker.

Create a new story. Insert the desired photo or video.

  • Click on "Stickers" at the top.

  • Select the "Link" sticker.

    1. In a new window to add a link, paste the desired url. To check if the link in your story is working correctly, click Preview.

    1. Link ready! Now, if desired, you can add additional elements and inscriptions. After publishing the stories, you will be able to observe the statistics of clicks on the link.

    Warning: If you can't find the link in the sticker list, please update the Instagram app.

    Tip: tell users how to follow links, because many still don't know how link stickers work in Stories. Insert a call to action asking you to click on the sticker to follow the link.

    3 life hacks for active links on Instagram

    Cards with buttons to go to any url. Cards in the carousel format attract the attention of users, many have not seen this yet, so their click-through rate is high. You can create a card in 15 minutes in a visual designer. Clickable cards with a picture, description, and direct buttons are also a new opportunity for businesses to get more traffic to a website or online store. With one message, the bot can send a carousel of ten cards to the client with three buttons in one card. Each button can lead to any page on your site. By clicking on the button on the card in the direct, the user gets to the link you need. Cards can be used, for example, in menu format from key sections of your site or as a catalog of goods and promotions.

    Direct link to direct. You can make a clickable link that will lead directly to you in Instagram direct. If the key sales channel is Instagram, then when promoting in other social networks, instant messengers and websites, you can lead customers directly to direct. It is more efficient to use a direct link to a direct message together with a chatbot that will instantly answer the client and direct them to the desired scenario. Set up a welcome menu so that every new client who follows the link in direct can immediately click on the question of interest in the menu. For more information on how to get a direct link to your direct, read the article: How to copy a direct link to Direct on Instagram.

    Set up the chatbot to issue clickable links. The easiest way to send direct links to Instagram is via direct. Just don’t do it intrusively and start correspondence directly from the link - it will look like spam. Make an engaging post or story and offer users a lead magnet: a checklist, a promotional product, a trial lesson, or a free educational material. Add an explanation that you need to write a certain word command in direct to get a free gift.

    For example, we give users a month of free use of the SMMBOT service, create a publication and add an application to the account description with the text: write in direct “I want a month for free”. When a user starts writing a keyword in direct, the chatbot is activated, sends a welcome message and attaches a clickable link to the site where, after registration, you can connect a monthly plan for free.

    How to add a link to Instagram in Stories, posts and account header

    .

    Instagram doesn't really want users to leave the app for external sites. Therefore, you can’t just copy and paste the active link to the site into the post. She won't work. But you can add a link to Instagram Stories, to posts via IGTV, and to the header of your account.

    Update 2021. Now you can attach an active link in any account, even if you have less than 10,000 followers.

    How to add a link to a website on Instagram

    An active link on Instagram can be added in three ways:

    1. Link to Instagram Stories: via the “link” sticker directly to an external website by clicking (in 2021 even accounts with less than 10,000 followers work).
    2. Attach a link to Instagram (in posts and Stories) via IGTV.
    3. Insert a link to Instagram in the header of the account.

    How to add a link to Instagram Stories

    Previously, you could only add an active link to Instagram Stories if you had more than 10,000 followers. Now in 2021 everyone can attach a link in Stories! It is done quickly through the "Link" sticker.

    Make Instagram Stories or upload from the Gallery. Click the "Sticker" icon at the top.

    Click the "Link" sticker.

    Insert a link (from http/https). You can click "Preview" to make sure that the link in Instagram will work as it should. Click "Add Link" on the top right. Publish Instagram Stories with the link inserted - click "Your Story" or "Close Friends"

    By swiping up, you will see how many clicks were made to the site using your active link in Stories.

    How to insert a link on Instagram in a post and Stories through IGTV

    In IGTV, you will be able to upload a video if it is longer than 1 minute. In the description of this video, you can insert an active link to an external site. That is, first, the subscriber from the Story or post will go to the full IGTV video, and then in the description for it, they will click on the link that you insert.

    Uploading videos longer than 60 seconds on IGTV. To do this, we start uploading the video as usual in the post, click "Next" and select "Share as - Long video".

    In the Description field, you can insert an active link to the site (with http/https). Be sure to leave the "Publish Preview" slider on. So the video will get into your feed, and not just into the IGTV section.

    Once uploaded, your followers will see the video post in their feed. They will need to click on “Watch IGTV Video” and from the post they will be taken to the full video. And there, by clicking on the name at the top, a description will open with an active link to an external site.

    You can embed an IGTV video link in Stories, even if you have less than 10,000 subscribers. Click on the link icon at the top of Stories, select "IGTV Video" and then the desired video.

    In the full video, you need to click on the title at the top and then the description will open. The link in this description will be clickable.

    How to add a website link to your Instagram profile header

    You can add one active link to your Instagram profile header - both in a personal account and in a business.

    In the header of your account, click "Edit Profile" or "Edit".

    In the "Site" field, put the desired link (from http/https).


    Learn more