Adding clickable links to your Instagram Stories is an excellent way to drive traffic to your website, promote products, or direct followers to sign up for a newsletter or event. With Instagram’s link sticker feature, any account can add clickable links, regardless of follower count.
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Benefits of Using Link Stickers
There are several key benefits to using link stickers in your Instagram Stories:
- Drive website traffic – Send followers directly to blog posts, product pages, or any other page on your website. This can help increase conversions and sales.
- Promote time-sensitive content – Link stickers are perfect for promoting contests, sales, or events with a deadline, since Instagram Stories disappear after 24 hours.
- Highlight collaborations – Tag and link to brand partners you’re collaborating with to help cross-promote.
- Boost engagement – Followers can react and respond to Stories with links, unlike the previous swipe-up link option.
How to Add a Link Sticker to Your Instagram Story
Adding a link sticker to your Instagram Stories is a quick and easy process. Follow these five simple steps:
1. Create an Instagram Story
Tap the plus (+) icon in the top right corner of your Instagram app and select “Story” to create a new story. You can upload a photo/video or use the camera to capture something new.
2. Access Link Stickers
Tap the sticker icon at the top of your screen and then select the “link” sticker option (it looks like two chain links).
3. Paste Your Link
Paste or type the URL you want to link to into the link field. Then tap “Done.”
4. Customize the Link Sticker
You can change the color or text of the link sticker by tapping on it. Resize or reposition the sticker by holding your finger on it and dragging.
When you’re done, tap “Your Story” at the bottom to share it publicly with your followers.
Tips for Using Link Stickers Effectively
Here are some tips to use Instagram link stickers successfully:
- Add a strong call-to-action – Use captions, animations, or bold text to prompt people to tap your link sticker.
- Place links strategically – Put them near the end so people view most of your Story first.
- Use relevant links – Choose links related to your Story content.
- Track links – Use UTMs or link shorteners to track traffic driven by your Stories.
- Refresh links – Change links daily or weekly to promote your newest content.
There are endless possibilities for the types of links you can share with Instagram link stickers. Here are some ideas:
Blog Posts and Articles
- Share your newest blog content or articles mentioning your brand.
- Drive traffic to increase pageviews.
Product Pages
- Link to product pages in your online store.
- Increase social commerce sales.
Signup Pages
- Direct followers to signup forms for newsletters, consult calls, events etc.
- Grow your email list.
Affiliate Links
- Promote affiliate offers and share your unique tracking link.
- Earn commissions from traffic driven.
Best Practices for Link Stickers
Follow these best practices when adding clickable link stickers to your Instagram Stories:
Keep links short – Use link shorteners like bit.ly to keep the preview text concise. Long links will be cut off.
Use UTMs for tracking – Track traffic sources and link performance with UTMs tagged onto your links.
Match sticker color to aesthetic – Choose sticker colors that align with your brand style guide.
Add animation – Use gifs, emojis or text captions to draw attention to your stickers.
Limit 1-2 stickers per Story – Avoid overloading Stories with too many links and stickers.
Place stickers strategically – Put them in clean areas towards the end for best visibility.
Prompt people to tap – Add captions or animations that cue viewers to tap your link sticker.
Measuring Link Sticker Performance
You can’t view link sticker analytics within Instagram, but you can measure performance using these methods:
- UTM tracking – See traffic sources and other UTM dimensions in Google Analytics.
- Link shorteners – Bitly and other tools show you clicks on each shortened link.
- Link click attribution – See conversions driven by link sticker clicks with tools like Facebook Attribution.
Analyze link sticker traffic, CTR, conversions, and ROI to optimize your Instagram Stories strategy.
Key Takeaways
- Link stickers allow any Instagram account to add clickable links to their Stories.
- Strategically share links to drive traffic to your website and promote offers.
- Prompt viewers to tap with captions, animations, and strategic placement.
- Use UTMs, link shorteners, and attribution to measure performance.
- Follow best practices for link stickers to maximize clicks and conversion value.
Start adding clickable link stickers to your Instagram Stories today to boost traffic and increase engagement with followers!
