The biggest shortcoming of Instagram Stories right now? In terms of user interactions, they’re pretty much a dead end at the moment. Apart from a comment function and individual interaction stickers, there isn’t much.
It would be so nice if you could store a link with which the user can get out of the story to an external website. Although, there is: just not for everyone so far.
Links in Instagram: This is how it works without a verified account
Instagram had already introduced the Story Link function in November 2016. Since then, however, it has only been available to verified accounts.
This hurdle seems to have been removed in the meantime: We can now also set links in individual, unverified accounts. But with the limitation of 10,000 or more followers.
Instagram offers many options for businesses. However, Instagram has a disadvantage compared to other platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest: Generating free (organic) traffic for your own website. This was only possible under certain conditions, especially via the popular Instagram Story content format. Fulfilling these was or is challenging for many accounts.
The good news: Instagram now offers the Link option in the story for all users.
How do I use the new function?
If you have already been activated for the function, you will see a “Link” button in the upper right corner after the normal recording of your story in the edit mode.
If you click on this, you currently have two options for the call-to-action. Either with a link to a website or with a reference to an existing IGTV episode. If you choose the web link, you can also see how it will look in the Instagram browser. This preview function is the subtle hint from Instagram that you should definitely optimize the target page for mobile use.
If you confirm the link, your story will receive a “See more” note in the middle.
Depending on the size of the screen of the user who is looking at the story, the note is displayed either on or below your story slide.
Best practice
If you use this function, you should include a clear call to action within the story. So either by saying yourself: “Click down here”, or by writing a note on the story or even drawing an arrow.
In addition, there are now a lot of “Swipe Up” GIFs that you can simply put on the story as stickers.
Otherwise, you run the risk that the user will not see your link. Because the “See more” note from Instagram is not particularly noticeable.
When do I get the function?
As noted above, from 10,000 followers, that means none of them have the function yet. There are also no secret tricks or tweaks.
If you have just reached 10,000 but the function is not yet visible, you should restart your app. Linking is usually possible within minutes.
So you no longer need a separate account verification, but just enough followers.
Should I buy followers for this?
Definitely not. Anyone who buys for their account followers destroys the community and sends Instagram false signals about who belongs to the target group. You certainly don’t want the network to optimize the display for your fake followers in Asia or South America in the future!
Last but not least, the purchase of followers can also fall back on you in the context of unfair competition with a warning.
Stay away from buying followers!
But what you can of course do are Instagram interaction ads. With good content in the channel, you not only get paid interactions, but also a good amount of new followers as a bonus.
What alternatives do I have?
In fact, there is a very smart alternative to swipe up, which is currently becoming more and more popular. Build a call-to-action into your story:
“Send me a heart in the comments and I’ll send you the link!”
In this way, the link becomes something special. As a user, you don’t get it just like that, but only if you “apply” for it. At the same time, your community will be strengthened and you will be able to address the user again in the future!
As a further alternative, you can of course also use the normal “link in the profile”. Then you only need a corresponding call-to-action or hint in your story. So “You can find the link to the website in my Instagram profile info”.
Which way will you choose? Or do you have any other ideas for implementation? Let me know in the comments.
What potential does this offer for content marketing and SEO?
In addition to creating content, seeding is part of content marketing and SEO in many companies. Accordingly, traffic is to be gained via social media. So far, this has been very difficult for many on Instagram. Accordingly, it is now time to consider how Instagram can be used again. Most likely, the social media strategy will have to be adjusted for this.
Read Also: 20 Awesome Facebook And Instagram Ads Ideas For High-Performance In E-Commerce
Does this sticker link also exist for the Instagram story for companies?
So far I only have this new option in my private Instagram profile. In contrast, the link is missing in the Instagram business account. Unfortunately!
The bottom line is that Instagram is rolling out a valuable function for the popular Story content format. Of course, this function has existed for a long time, but only for Instagram accounts with at least 10,000 fans. The task now is to discover this potential and use it for your own successful social media strategy.
Are you planning to use the link in the Instagram story now?
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