Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 1 billion monthly active users. While Instagram started as a primarily photo-sharing app, there are now many ways to use it to share all kinds of content – including links. Whether you want to drive traffic to your website, share cool articles you’ve read, promote a new product launch, or direct your followers to sign up for a webinar you’re hosting, knowing how to post links on Instagram is key.
In this article, I’ll explain 5 different methods for posting links on Instagram to help you get the word out about anything from your latest blog post to an awesome giveaway you’re running. I’ll also provide tips to optimize your link-sharing strategy for maximum impact. Let’s dive in!
Also Read: Potential Fixes for the Linktree Not Working on Instagram
Method #1: Share Links in Your Bio
One of the easiest ways to share links on Instagram is to include them in your Instagram bio. Your bio appears at the top of your profile and is viewable by all of your followers.
To add links to your Instagram bio:
- Go to your profile page
- Tap “Edit Profile”
- In your bio text, you can include live links by typing out the full URL (e.g. https://www.yourwebsite.com) or by using Linktree or a similar link-in-bio service that creates a landing page with all your links.
Pro Tip: Create an eye-catching call-to-action inviting people to click, like “Check out my latest blog post!” followed by the link to drive more traffic.
Including key links in your Instagram bio is one of the simplest links in Instagram tactics, ensuring the links you care most about promoting, like your website or online store, are always visible to your followers.
Method #2: Add Links to Your Posts
With Instagram rolling out link stickers for stories back in 2018 and later expanding link-sharing capabilities for feed posts with the swipe-up and “See More” features, adding links directly to your Instagram posts is easier than ever. Let’s look at how to add links to posts in both feeds and Stories.
Share Links in Feed Posts
Instagram now allows you to add links to both photo and video feed posts, giving you yet another channel to drive traffic and engagement with links to external websites.
Here’s how to include a clickable link when creating an Instagram feed post:
- Draft your post copy and select a visually compelling photo or video
- Once your post is created, tap the paper airplane icon to share it
- Select “Advance Settings”
- Toggle on the “Links” option
- Tap “Add Links” and input the URL(s) you want to include
You can share one external link per post. Instagram will automatically shorten and format your link to keep your caption tidy.
When people view your post, they can simply tap “View More” under your caption to be redirected to the linked URL.
Share Links and add Link Stickers in Stories
Instagram Stories provide another great avenue to include links to your website, recent blog articles, special promotions, etc. You can incorporate links either with:
- Swipe up links
- Link stickers
Swipe Up Links
If you have over 10,000 Instagram followers, you unlock the ability to add “swipe up” links to your Instagram Stories.
To add a swipe-up link:
- When creating a Story, tap the “link” icon in the top navigation bar
- Input the URL you want viewers to access
- Post the Story as usual
Followers can then see a special “See More” CTA at the bottom of your Story. When they swipe up on it, it will open the linked web page directly within the Instagram app.
Link Stickers
If don’t yet have over 10k followers, not worry – anyone can still add clickable links to Instagram Stories using the link sticker tool.
To use Instagram Story link stickers:
- Capture or upload content for your Story
- Tap the sticker icon in the top navigation bar
- Select the “link” sticker
- Input your desired link URL
- Customize the sticker appearance as desired
- Post your Story
Followers simply have to tap the link sticker to open the linked web page. Link stickers are interactive and engaging, making including links in your Instagram Stories a no-brainer.
Pro Tip: Add a location or hashtag link in your Stories to make it discoverable by more users who can then click through to your site.
Method #3: Link in Instagram Posts
While Instagram feed posts now allow clickable external links as outlined in the previous section, you can also include direct links to other Instagram posts and profiles as part of your caption or comments.
Mentioning other Instagram accounts and posts allows you to:
- Connect with and show appreciation for those you collaborate with
- Share great content from partners or those you’re inspired by
- Spark more engagement on your own posts
To link to another Instagram account in your caption or comments, simply use the @ symbol:
@accountusername
To link specifically to another user’s post rather than just their account, use:
@accountusername – Tap on the desired post – Copy Link
Then paste the copied post link into your caption or comment.
When you include post and account links in your own Instagram posts, it creates opportunities for increasing engagement and discoverability on both ends.
Method #4: Link Instagram Posts on Your Website or Blog Posts
Thus far we’ve focused on methods for including links within Instagram itself. However, you can also embed Instagram posts and feeds directly into your website pages and blog articles. Linking your top-performing Instagram content on your site keeps visitors engaged, provides social proof, and may lead to increased followers and engagement on Instagram.
There are a few options to choose from when linking Instagram content to your website, including embedding single posts or adding a live Instagram feed.
Embed Individual Posts
To embed standalone Instagram posts on a web page:
- Share the Instagram post you want to embed
- Tap the three-dot menu icon above the post
- Select “Embed” and copy the embed code
- Paste the code on your web page where you want the Instagram post to display
The embedded post looks just like the live Instagram post and is fully clickable, allowing site visitors to like, comment, etc.
Display Live Instagram Feed
Alternatively, to showcase a continuous stream of your latest Instagram activity, install the Instagram plugin to add a live Instagram feed to your website.
Popular Instagram feed plugins include:
- Instagram Feed from Smash Balloon
- Instagram Feed from Lara Schenck
- Easy Social Feed
These plugins easily allow you to add a scrollable Instagram feed directly on your site, pulled automatically from your connected Instagram account. Visitors can seamlessly view, like and follow from your website.
Linking your Instagram presence more cohesively into your website deepens the connection with your brand for visitors across channels.
Method #5: Link in Your Instagram Story Highlights
Finally, consider adding links in your Instagram Story Highlights to provide another persistent way to drive link traffic from your Instagram profile even after single Stories expire.
Instagram Story Highlights allow you to save your favorite, most evergreen Stories at the top of your profile where they remain visible indefinitely rather than disappearing after 24 hours like traditional Stories.
Any original Stories you saved to your Highlights with stickers, polls, sliders, or swipe-up links remain functional and clickable. Followers who visit your profile can interact with your Highlights Stories at any time.
For example, you may want to create Highlights like:
- “Shop My Gear” – showing off new merchandise or special offers
- “Read My Latest Articles” – linking to your recent blog content
- “Join My Email List” – encouraging followers to subscribe to receive your top tips
Including relevant clicks to your website, online store, landing pages, etc within your Highlights extends your ability to drive continuous traffic from links long-term – not just when originally posted.
Pro Tip: Promote your Highlights by tapping into Instagram’s auto-tagging. Whenever you update a Highlight cover image, everyone who is tagged gets notified driving visitors back to swipe through and click.
Conclusion
I hope this overview gave you plenty of ideas for how to effectively utilize links across Instagram to boost traffic and engagement on your connected sites and content. The key is crafting your links and messaging in an authentic, non-spammy way that provides value for your audience rather than just trying to sell to them. Think about what resources or information would be most useful or interesting to them that links could help make easily accessible right from Instagram.
Links are incredibly powerful tools on Instagram. With so many creative options – from your bio and posts to Stories and Highlights – you can develop an integrated linking strategy. Following best practices around call-to-actions and visual content when linking out will ensure your followers enjoy the experience rather than feeling bombarded.
Implementing even just one or two of the link-sharing methods outlined can significantly expand your brand visibility and website visits through strategic links on Instagram. Don’t leave this opportunity untouched – start boosting results today by adding quality links to your Instagram marketing approach.
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