It became possible to add links to Instagram stories a few years ago. This was a super exciting addition because it was the first time you could create a direct call to action from a post!
Of course, before you could mention a link and direct people to your bio, but that didn’t always work out well. People like to have things at their fingertips, so a link in an Instagram story if perfect for a quick visit to a site!
Who Can Link In An Instagram Story?
If you’ve just checked how to add a link in your Instagram story, you might have realized that you can’t do it if you don’t have enough followers.
Unfortunately, you need at least 10,000 followers on Instagram to include a link in your story.
Instagram is cracking down on fake accounts and people who buy followers, so they save some special features for those who have worked hard to get their followers on Instagram. A swipe-up link is a great reward, especially for businesses. You give customers an easy way to shop on your site!
Another way to get the story link option is to be verified on Instagram. You don’t need to have 10,000 followers on your verified Instagram page to unlock this special feature.
However, if you are verified on Instagram, it’s likely that you’ll have much more than 10,000 followers anyway.
This might be frustrating to you as a small business owner or a micro-influencer that works with brands. Often, during collaborations, brands will request you have 10,000 followers so that you can include a swipe-up link. Of course, this might limit your brand deal opportunities! Of course, the best way around this is to continue to grow your account until you have 10,000 followers. Afterward, it’ll be easier to get brand deals on Instagram!
Linking IGTV Videos
The one exception to the rule is when you link IGTV videos. If you have anything on your personal IGTV, you can link that through your Instagram story, no matter how many followers you have.
Of course, this is great because if you filmed something for IGTV, you’ll definitely want your followers to see your awesome video!
The easiest way to do this is to click the link icon in your Instagram stories and click IGTV video. You will see a list of your IGTV videos which you can link to your Instagram story.
Your followers will only need to swipe up to access the video and watch it. It’s great for them because they can swipe out of the video at any point to return to Instagram stories at any point. It’s all contained within the app.
If you’ve been thinking about creating IGTV videos, but are worried about no one seeing them, don’t worry! You’ll definintely be able to easily promote them in your Instagram story.
How To Add Links To Your Instagram Story
However, if you are one of the lucky people that are either verified or have 10,000 followers on Instagram, it’s important to know how to add a link to your story! It’s very simple, so you’ll get the hang of it in no time.
- Go to your Instagram story and take a photo, or choose one from your camera roll. Remember that the more aesthetic and engaging your frame is, the more people will click your link! So spend time creating a lovely Instagram story.
- Click the link icon at the top! It looks like two links in a chain.
- You’ll be brought to the option of adding your swipe up link. It can either be an IGTV video (if you have any) or a web link.
- If you want to add a web link, exit Instagram now to retrieve the link you want to share. Copy it from the URL bar. Go back to Instagram and paste it into the web link option.
- Click done. Your call to action has now been added. Simply post your Instagram story and watch the results come in!
If you want to check how your swipe-up link is performing, you can check back and see how many people have swiped up!
Go to your Instagram story and swipe up to view your insights.
You’ll see how many people have seen your Instagram story as well as how many link clicks you had.
If you’re serious about tracking link clicks and making progress through your Instagram story, then keep a spreadsheet of which links work well and which don’t.
You will want to track how many times people swipe up in comparison to how many impressions your Instagram story had.
You will probably soon notice a pattern. For example, maybe the stories that have lots of animations do really well because it engages your followers. On the other hand, maybe dramatic titles capture your audience’s attention, too!
Also, keep an eye on what time of day works best for your Instagram story swipe up links! Posting when your audience is most active is the best.
What To Link In Your Instagram Story
Now, it’s time to talk about what you can link in your Instagram story! Of course, you don’t want to link to any old thing. It has to be relevant to both your story frame and your account.
1. Link To Your Products
If you’re a business and have over 10,000 followers then you will become best friends with the feature to add links to your Instagram story!
Of course, any business can add products to their Instagram stories no matter how many followers they have. You just have to link together your Instagram and Facebook.
But adding a swipe up link is great, too!
If you have a new product, certainly include a swipe up link! This is better than tagging products because it’s cleaner for your story frame. Plus, you can link to your whole website or section of your website rather than one specific product.
So if you’re a business, definitely link to your site!
2. Promote Your Blog Or Other Channels
If you’re an Instagrammer with the swipe-up link function, this is a great way to direct people to your blog, YouTube channel or another channel.
Sometimes letting your followers know about your blog or YouTube isn’t enough for them to actually check it out.
By giving them a glimpse of a blog or video, and adding a link, they’re much more likely to click the link and view your content! This is great for you because more views equals more success.
It’s a good idea to keep a highlight on your Instagram of all the swipe up links to your blog or YouTube so that new followers can check them all out when they first discover you.
Even if you are using swipe-up links in your stories, be sure to include your blog or YouTube in your bio link, too. Get that shameless self-promo!
3. Working With Brands
As mentioned earlier, brands love if you have the swipe-up link opportunity! Often when you collaborate with a brand, they’ll have a call to action they want you to incorporate into your content.
For example, if you work with Nike to promote a new pair of shoes, they’ll want you to link to those shoes. This increases their sales. If you’re going to boast about a new pair of shoes, of course, you need to show your followers where you got them from!
The brand will likely give you the exact link they want you to share. Simply copy-paste it into your Instagram story to give your followers a chance to swipe up.
4. IGTV
Of course, you don’t need 10,000 followers to use this feature but even if you do, it’s a great way to use this Instagram story feature.
You can use a little bit of your IGTV video to tease your followers, then include a swipe up link so they can go and watch it in their own time.
These are four great ideas on how to incorporate the feature on how to add links to your Instagram story! It’s an awesome feature and can really benefit you whether you’re a business, personal Instagrammer or even an influencer.