Instagram Link Sharing

Link sharing is not a new concept. Chances are you have seen various stores, influencers, and celebrities link to web pages in their Instagram stories at some point in time. What is new, though, is that you no longer need to have 10,000 followers or meet the previous criteria to utilize this feature.

 

This past October, that past criteria went out the window when Instagram announced that their new link sticker in Instagram stories would roll out to their users across the world. Instead of only allowing businesses, creators, and influencers the ability to inspire their communities through sharing resources and information, now anyone, regardless of their number of followers, has to ability to share meaningful content with a more intimate group of viewers.

 

If you aren’t sure what link sharing is, or if you want to learn how you can link share on your profile, keep reading below.

 

What is link sharing?

Have you noticed fewer and fewer Instagram stories instructing you to “swipe up?” Well, that’s because link sharing has replaced that former “swipe up” feature. Link sharing was first rolled out and tested in June 2021 and operates like the former feature – allowing you to direct your viewers to a linked website, directly from your Instagram story with just one tap. Unlike the “swipe up” feature though, anyone can use the link share feature regardless of their verification status or follower count.

 

You’ll find that this new feature is much more visible and can be added anywhere on your Instagram story. And unlike any linking you may have seen before; this new link share feature includes part of the destination text in the link to give your followers more of an idea of where they will be sent when they click on the link.

 

How to use link sharing on your profile?

Before you try to find this new feature, you’ll need to first update your Instagram app to the latest version (if you haven’t updated it already). Once you do that, you’ll then want to follow the steps below.

 

  • Open Instagram Story and either upload or snap, a photo or video.

 

  • Click on the “sticker tool” in the top right-hand corner (the tool you are looking for is a square with a smiley face).

 

  • Scroll down until you find the sticker with a blue font that says “LINK.” This is the link sticker tool.If you are having trouble finding it, just type “link” into the sticker search bar found at the top of the screen.

 

  • Copy and paste the URL that you’d like to link into the sticker and click “Done.”

 

  • From there, you can adjust the link sticker’s size and position, or you can change the color of the link by tapping directly on the sticker.
Link Sharing by James Miller
 

 

Try out link sharing for yourself. It doesn’t matter if you own your own small business, work independently, are just starting to get your toes wet as an influencer, or simply want to share your favorite things with your followers - you can now give the universal link sticker a try and see how your followers respond!