It doesn’t seem like we can click the links on our posts captions, so how to put a clickable link in Instagram bio?
As you may or may not know, it is not possible to include clickable links in Instagram captions and comments.
In most cases, you can share clickable links to your website on most social media platforms. In your captions, comments, and profile, for example.
How to Put a Clickable Link in Instagram Bio
The number of places on Instagram where you can share clickable links is severely limited to one or two.
The decision by Instagram to limit the places where you can put clickable links has been widely debated, but there is clearly some thought behind the decision. The decision to limit the places where you can share clickable Instagram links was made to crack down on and prevent people from using self-promotional links excessively, or, more accurately, spreading spam on Instagram. This type of spam is most common on social media in the comment sections as well as in posts.
This does not apply to Instagram, which has effectively prevented spammers from using Instagram as a platform for spamming, at least through posts or comments, but on platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, dealing with spammers who spread their clickable links is a constant challenge.
Of course, Instagram’s decision to limit the ability to share clickable Instagram links hurts businesses and other people who use Instagram in a normal, non-spammy way. There would be no need for Instagram to limit the ability to share clickable links if there were no spammers abusing the features that allow you to do so.
In other words, bots and spammers are ruining it for everyone else, making it more difficult for you as a marketer and business to use Instagram as a marketing tool to drive traffic back to your website and convert people into customers.
The good news is that Instagram hasn’t completely restricted the places on the platform where you can share clickable links. To get the most out of the places where you can share clickable links, you simply need to be more strategic about how you use them.
Fortunately, in this article, I’ll show you how to include a clickable link in your Instagram bio, where you can include clickable Instagram links, and how you can use clickable Instagram links to drive traffic back to your website and ultimately generate conversions.
In other words, use Instagram as a marketing tool for traffic and conversions.
Does that sound right?
Let’s get started!
Ways to Add Clickable Links on Instagram
One of the few and most commonly used places to share a clickable Instagram link is in your Instagram bio.
Anyone with an Instagram account can easily add a clickable link to their bio. The catch is that you can only include one clickable link in your Instagram bio, so you must decide which link to include in your profile. On the other hand, you can change your profile’s clickable Instagram link as many times as you want.
How to Put a Clickable Link in Instagram Bio
To include a clickable link in your Instagram bio, go to the “Edit Profile” section on your app’s homepage.
Once you’ve clicked “Edit,” enter the URL of the website you want to link to in your profile in the “Website” section.
Isn’t it simple?
Now, press the Done button.
As a business using Instagram, you want to use as many places as possible where you can share clickable links on Instagram.
Some businesses share links to their website and specific website pages in their captions or comments, but they aren’t clickable, so if people want to visit that website, they must go to their browser and manually type in the URL.
Of course, this causes a lot of friction for users, and very few people will take the time and effort to do it. If you have a long URL with a bunch of numbers, almost no one will click on it.
To persuade as many people as possible to visit your website in the hopes of converting them, you must create as little friction as possible. This is what clickable links do, as opposed to having to manually type in your website URL as a user.
Let’s take a look at the other places on Instagram where you can share clickable links.
Instagram Story
Instagram Stories is most likely the most effective platform for sharing clickable links. The reason for this is that you can use Stories to tell a story to your audience and then encourage them to click on your link and visit your website.
The closest place you can encourage your audience to visit your website with a link in your bio is in your regular posts, and going from your post to clicking the link in your bio is a bit of friction as it may cause a disconnect. Ideally, the links you share should be seamless with the user experience and take the audience to the exact website they are looking for. This is not possible when sharing a clickable link in your Instagram bio as opposed to sharing a link in Stories.
Swipeable Instagram Stories
Links on Instagram Stories are “swipeable,” which means that to get to the website you’re sharing with your audience, people swipe up on the screen, where they are seamlessly directed to your website.
The catch with Instagram Stories links is that you must have at least 10,000 followers or a verified Instagram account. However, getting verified on Instagram is generally more difficult than getting 10,000 followers.
Instagram set this limit as another attempt to prevent spam because the vast majority of spammers are accounts that were recently created (and are often equally quickly banned) and are used to spread spam-links to spam sites on the platform.
Of course, the 10K follower limit prevents many small businesses from taking advantage of this fantastic way of driving traffic back to their site to use Instagram as a marketing tool to drive conversions, but Instagram appears to be happy with their decision, as they haven’t changed this number since the ability to share swappable links on Stories was released.
To add a link to your Story, create it as you normally would, by recording a video, taking a photo, uploading an existing piece of content from your photo library, and so on. Then, in the top right corner of your screen, tap the chain (the link icon), and paste (or type in) the website you want to link to through your Story. Keep in mind that the chain icon will appear only if you have a verified account or a business profile with over 10,000 followers.
When you tap the chain icon, a new window opens in which you can enter your URL. When you’re finished, click “Done” or the green checkmark.
When you’ve shared your Story, you can see how many people swiped up to get to your website by swiping up on that story.
Instagram Direct Message
Instagram Direct Message is the third location where you can share clickable Instagram links. It’s not the most effective way to share clickable links as a marketing tool because you risk being labeled a spammer if you start sending a bunch of links to people via Direct Message.
On the other hand, if you’re talking to someone, possibly a customer, who might be curious about a specific product, the ability to share clickable links via Direct Message is fantastic, as it allows for a seamless user experience.
A clickable link on Instagram Direct message can be shared by anyone. Simply type in the URL to the site you want to share with someone and tap send.
Shoppable Instagram Posts
Instagram shoppable posts are a significant update that was recently rolled out to all businesses following a lengthy beta testing period. The update enables businesses to “tag products” with the product’s name as well as its price. Then, users can tap on the tag to be directed to the company’s website, where they can learn more about the product.
Product tags are intended to be placed on products visible in the image so that people can be inspired by a photo on Instagram and become interested in learning more about it or even purchasing it.
Remember that Instagram shoppable post tags are not available in all countries or to all users.
To use Instagram stoppable tag posts (Clickable Instagram links), your Instagram account must be approved for shopping.
To enable product tagging for your profile, follow these steps:
Tap in the bottom right corner to access your Instagram profile.
Tap the “Get started” alert at the top of your profile (under the condition that you have converted your account to a business account)
If you don’t see the alert, go to your profile and tap the cog-wheel icon.
Select “Shopping.”
Select “Continue.”
Now, choose a product catalog to connect to your Instagram business profile.
Choose a product catalog to link to your business profile.
Select “Done.”
If you don’t see Shopping in your business settings, it’s likely that your account is still being reviewed or hasn’t been approved for Instagram shopping.
When you apply for a shopping account on Instagram, the process usually takes a few days, but it could take longer.
Instagram Links for Shops
Once your account has been approved for shopping, tagging products on Instagram to create clickable Instagram links is a breeze.
Choose a photo to upload, add a caption, and fix or edit the image as desired.
Now, beneath the photo, select “Tag products.”
Tap on the products visible in the image that you want to tag.
Look up the names of the products you want to tag. Remember that before you can tag products on Instagram, you must first create a product catalog on Facebook. When you find the product you want to tag, tap it and place it in an appropriate location on the product.
Instagram allows you to tag products in new and existing posts, but keep in mind that you must have a business profile to do so.
On Instagram, you can tag up to 5 products per single image post or up to 20 products if you share a carousel with multiple images, and you can edit or delete products that you’ve tagged in single image posts.
Shari Lott, Spearmintlove founder and CEO stated, that Instagram shopping had accomplished one of the most important tasks in improving e-commerce performance, that it’s make consumer can buy things easier. She saw a 25% increase in traffic and 8% increase in revenue, just from using Instagram shopping.
Instagram Purchasing
Once you’ve shared at least nine posts with tagged products on your Instagram business profile, you’ll activate the Shop tab for your audience, which is a tab in your profile that users can tap to see all the products you’ve tagged in your posts. They can then tap the products they want and shop directly from your website.
In that sense, it is a clickable Instagram link; however, it is also one of the most seamless shopping experiences for users, as well as a fantastic way for businesses to integrate Stories with their products and make it easier for their audience to buy.
Instagram shopping is just a tab in your profile, but one that businesses often overlook because they are focused on the tags themselves of the posts. Instagram shopping, on the other hand, is a way to present and showcase the products you sell in an integrated and seamless way that removes friction.
Conclusion
There are several ways to add clickable links to Instagram. Of course, the best way depends on your needs and preference. If you still have any questions regarding how to add clickable links on your Instagram, don’t hesitate to contact us.
