If you want to drive more traffic to your website, blog, or online store one of the best ways to do it is by adding a link to your Instagram story. A link in your story can direct your followers to any destination you want whether it’s a product page, a blog post, a landing page, or a sign-up form. But how do you add a link to your Instagram story? And who can do it?
Can Anyone Add a Link to Instagram Story?
Until recently only verified accounts or accounts with more than 10,000 followers could add a link to their Instagram stories. This was known as the “swipe up” feature because users had to swipe up on the story to access the link. However, in August 2021 Instagram announced that it was expanding the ability to share links in stories to everyone regardless of their follower count or verification status. The only catch is that instead of swiping up users have to tap on a sticker to open the link.
How To Add a Link Sticker to Your Instagram Story
Adding a link sticker to your Instagram story is very easy.
Here are the steps you need to follow:
- Open the Instagram app and tap on the camera icon in the top left corner to create a new story.
- Take a photo or video or choose one from your camera roll.
- Tap on the sticker icon at the top of the screen.
- Tap on the link sticker option. If you don’t see it make sure your app is updated to the latest version.
- Enter or paste the URL of the destination you want to link to. You can also preview the link before adding it.
- Tap on Done and place the sticker anywhere on your story. You can also resize rotate or change the color of the sticker.
- Add any other stickers text filters or effects you want to your story.
- Tap on Your Story or Send To to share your story with your followers or specific people.
How To Add a Link To Instagram Bio
Another way to share links on Instagram is by adding them to your bio. Your bio is the section below your profile picture and name that describes who you are and what you do. You can add one clickable link to your bio that can lead to any website you want.
Here’s how to do it:
- Open the Instagram app and tap on your profile icon in the bottom right corner.
- Tap on Edit Profile.
- Tap on Website and enter or paste the URL of the destination you want to link to.
- Tap on Done and save your changes.
How To Add a Link to Instagram Post
Unfortunately, you can’t add clickable links to your Instagram posts. The only way to share links in your posts is by writing them in your captions or comments but users have to copy and paste them into their browsers manually. This is not very user-friendly or effective so it’s better to use stories or bio links instead.
However, there is one exception: if you have an Instagram Shop you can tag products in your posts and link them directly to your online store. This way users can tap on the product tags and buy them without leaving the app. To do this you need to have a business account connect it to a Facebook catalog and comply with Instagram’s commerce policies.
How To Track and Optimize Your Links
Once you start sharing links on Instagram you might want to track how many clicks they get and how they perform in terms of conversions sales or other goals. This will help you measure the effectiveness of your link-sharing strategy and optimize it for better results.
One way to track and optimize your links is by using a tool like Bitly which allows you to create short and customized links that are easier to remember and share. Bitly also provides analytics on how many clicks each link gets where they come from and how they behave after clicking.
Another way to track and optimize your links is by using Google Analytics which is a free and powerful tool that tracks and reports website traffic and behavior. Google Analytics can help you understand how users find your website what pages they visit how long they stay what actions they take and more.
To use Google Analytics you need to create an account and add a tracking code to your website. Then you can create custom campaigns for each link you share on Instagram and add parameters (such as source, medium, and campaign name) that will help you identify them in Google Analytics reports.
For example, if you want to track how many clicks and conversions you get from a link in your Instagram story that leads to a blog post about how to add links in Instagram stories (like this one) you could create a custom URL like this:
https://yourwebsite.com/how-to-add-link-to-instagram-story/?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=story&utm_campaign=link_tutorial
Then, you can use this URL as your link sticker in your story and track its performance in Google Analytics under the Acquisition > Campaigns section.
Conclusion
Adding a link to your Instagram story is a great way to drive more traffic to your website blog or online store. It can also help you grow your audience increase your engagement and boost your sales. To add a link to your story you just need to use a link sticker and enter the URL of the destination you want to link to. You can also add a link to your bio or tag products in your posts if you have an Instagram Shop. To track and optimize your links you can use tools like Bitly or Google Analytics and create custom campaigns for each link you share.
