How to add a link to your Instagram bio
Your Instagram bio is a small window of opportunity to tell prospective followers and customers everything they need to know about your brand or company.
That means you have 150 characters to cover an entire mission statement, value proposition, and CTA.
No pressure.
A link is one of the most important elements you can add to your bio. Instagram allows users to add up to five clickable links in their bios. You can prompt audiences to follow you to your website, online store, or another social channel. It’s essential for moving audiences
Understanding Instagram bio links
Instagram bio links are a powerful tool for businesses and individuals to drive traffic to their websites, blogs, or other online platforms. Adding up to five links to your Instagram bio allows you to promote multiple destinations and increase engagement with your audience. Direct your Instagram followers to various content, such as your latest blog post, online store, or a special promotion, all from a single profile.
By strategically placing these links, you can maximize the potential of your Instagram profile, turning casual visitors into engaged followers and potential customers. Whether you’re a small business owner, a blogger, or an influencer, leveraging Instagram bio links can significantly enhance your online presence and drive more traffic to your key destinations.
How to add a link to your Instagram bio
Adding a link on Instagram is simple. All you need to do is:
1. Go to your profile
You can only edit your link in bio on mobile, not via desktop.
2. Open your edit settings
Beside your username, you’ll see an “edit profile” button. By clicking, you can customize or edit any of the information on your main profile page—not just the link.
3. Add your link!
Third from the top, you’ll see a form field labeled “Links.” This is where you’ll add your link (note: it doesn’t have to be your website; you can add a link to any destination you like. We recommend a custom link in bio page so your audience can access all of your properties at once).
And hey presto, you’ve added a link to your Instagram bio!
Now that we have the basics down let’s discuss the type of link you need to add to give you the best chance of converting profile visitors to happy (and hopefully paying) customers.
Optimizing your Instagram bio link
Optimizing your Instagram bio link is crucial to driving traffic and increasing engagement with your audience. Here are some tips to help you make the most out of your Instagram bio link:
- Use a clear and concise link: Ensure your link is easy to read and understand. A long, complicated URL can look spammy and deter clicks. Use a URL shortener to create a neat, professional-looking link.
- Include a call-to-action: In your bio, include a compelling call-to-action (CTA) to encourage your followers to click on your link. Phrases like “Learn more,” “Shop now,” or “Check out our latest post” can entice users to take action.
- Incorporate relevant keywords: Incorporate relevant keywords in your link to give your followers a clear idea of what they’ll find when they click on it. This can also help with SEO, making your content more discoverable.
- Direct audiences to a landing page: Directing your followers to a specific landing page can be more effective than a general homepage. Whether it’s a product page, a blog post, or a special offer, a targeted landing page can help drive conversions.
- Test and track: Regularly test and track your link’s performance to see how it’s doing. Use analytics tools to monitor clicks and engagement and adjust as needed to optimize your results.
Brand your bio with links
Since Instagram is all about visual marketing, you need to make the most of any visual elements in your profile, including your link.
Obviously, you won’t want a long, ugly URL underneath your perfectly worded Instagram bio, so opt for a short link.
Within short links, you have a choice between what’s known as a generic short URL and a custom short URL (Also called a branded link or a vanity URL).
To take this one step further, you can turn that single branded link into a doorway to multiple destinations. A link in bio tool, like Link Gallery, functions as a landing page for all of your platforms. With one link you can share your blog, your youtube channel, your online store, and more.
The benefits of using a branded link in your Instagram bio
Branded link is obviously more aesthetically pleasing, but there are many other benefits associated with using one as well:
1. They’re memorable
Which of these links are you more likely to remember?
- linkbu.sh/35325233423
- Studio7.band
Having a memorable link in your Instagram bio means that even if passersby choose not to click on your link at that moment in time, the chances of them remembering it and being able to type it directly into a browser at a later stage is way more likely than if you had a generic link with a randomly generated string of letters and numbers, like this: butt.ly/ir83yhe9.
A memorable link also encourages word-of-mouth referrals, one of the most powerful forms of endorsement. If someone happens to be telling a friend or colleague about something they saw on Instagram the other day and your link pops to mind, it makes the user journey super simple, which can result in happy future customers.
2. They’re editable
Imagine you’ve used a generic link in your Instagram bio that directs you to a single destination, like, say, your latest blog post.
Now, say you update your blog and want to swap out that link for a link to your new post.
Now, imagine you have to do that every. Single. Time. You publish a new blog post. Nightmare, right?
Even if you use a single branded link in your Instagram bio, a link management dashboard lets you to edit the destination URL of that link at any time without actually swapping out the branded link in your bio.
Even better still, if you’re using a bio link tool like Link Gallery, you can edit any of the destination URLs on your custom page without even opening your Instagram bio.
Super simple.
3. They provide in-depth analytics
While generic links offer basic tracking functionalities like how many clicks your link has gotten, there’s not much you can do with that information.
With branded links, you can see anything from the time of day or date the link was clicked to whether the clicks were unique or non-unique and what browser or device the user was using—the list goes on.
First-party data is super helpful for determining what types of content your prospective followers are interested in, which will ultimately help you with your targeting strategy. Play around with the links you include to test and optimize the best path to conversion.
4. They help you grow your audience
Branded links also have the added benefit of having retargeting functionality.
Traditionally, you have to direct people to a property you own (like your website, blog, or landing page that sits on your company’s domain) to be able to retarget them. You add a piece of javascript code to the header of your website and once a new visitor hits any page on your website, they get what’s known as pixeled.
Essentially, this means that you’ve added a little tag to these users and filtered them into your retargeting audience in Google Analytics so that you can serve them retargeting ads across other websites. Given that only 2% of users purchase on a first visit, this is the perfect way to re-engage them when they’re in a better position to buy.
For example, suppose you’re shopping online and you look at a pair of sneakers, but you decide it’s just not the right time for you to buy them. In that case, you’ll notice that a few hours, or even days later you’ll be browsing through Facebook and see an ad for that exact pair of sneakers with the caption ‘still interested?’. This is retargeting.
Now for the mind-blowing part.
Unlike traditional retargeting, you can actually pixel people who click on your links with a technology called link retargeting– even if those links don’t direct to your website or a property you own.
Over to you
We’d love to hear how you use branded links to inform your Instagram marketing strategy. In the comments, let us know what your favorite features are!
Further reading:
- 12 Expert Tips to Bring Instagram Traffic to Your Website
- Linking on Instagram: How to Link in Instagram Stories
- Instagram Bio Ideas for Your Business
- Writing the Perfect Instagram Bio for Your Brand
