It’s a tool that many influencers use today. The “link in bio” is a clickable URL in social media profiles that takes visitors to a separate website, whether it’s your own website or the landing page of a particular product you are currently promoting.
The practice of adding a link to your profile arose because Instagram does not allow users to add a hyperlink to individual posts. It posed a challenge to influencers at the beginning who needed a way to drive their followers to websites. The only way to include a clickable URL is to add a website to your IG profile—thus, the “link in bio” was born.
Even now, Instagram does not allow hyperlinks in posts, unless it is a sponsored post. You can also add clickable links via direct message (DM), an IGTV description, or a “link” sticker on Stories.
Most social media channels make it simple to include links in your bio. For example:
- Facebook allows you to add a website and your social media accounts to your “About” page. You can also tag other people, interest pages, and businesses.
- LinkedIn lets you link your employer’s Company Page to your profile.
- Twitter gives space in your profile for a website link.
- Instagram, like Twitter, lets you include one URL at a time on your bio.
Because these social channels normally allow only one clickable URL at a time, it’s important to optimize this link in bio. Of course, you can include other links in the bio field, but they won’t be clickable.
Optimizing your bio link means you need creative marketing campaigns that will stimulate further interest from the public. Custom campaigns will work as well if you need something that caters to a specific market. Link in bio tools for Instagram are particularly important because of the link restriction Instagram has on individual posts. This is what most influencers do, and there are tools that even allow you to customize your hyperlinks for more oomph on the branding side.
Link-in-bio Tip
We’ve shared all the most important details about links in bios that you need to know and tips for optimizing the limited space. The good news is that there are many more great link-in-bio tools available to help you customize your Instagram link in bio so that you don’t have to keep swapping links manually every time you launch a new campaign.
Great tools to customize your clickable link in bio
Beacons is a powerful content creator tool that is easy to set up and use. Beacons' link in bio feature turns your link in bio into a whole digital ecosystem that you can monetize and engage with your followers. Build a landing page that is tailored to your audience and is seamlessly linked to your existing channels and services. Display your content to your followers and enliven your brand. With a single, effortless link, share everything. Though Beacons is free for growing creators.
Formerly branded as Shorby, Shor lets you create personalized landing pages with your latest content and links to your other social media accounts, if any. You can also use Shor as a regular URL shortener and a live chat link creator. Each one is geared towards Instagram but can be used on other social networks. In your Shor landing pages, you can add your branding, links to messenger services, dynamic content feeds, stickers, and more. You can choose from three plans, with the most basic one at either $15 (billed monthly) or $12 (billed annually). There’s a free 14-day trial available if you want to test Shor out before purchasing it.
Linktree was created in 2016, and it touts itself as the first link-in-bio tool. Like Beacons and Shor, it lets you create a link in bio that takes you to your own Linktree profile, where you can share content, sell things, and get paid. What’s nice about Linktree is that the free version allows you to create an unlimited number of links and a customizable Linktree profile, with some basic analytics such as total clicks and click-through rates. Should you wish to upgrade for more features, the Starter plan comes at $5 a month. The Pro plan is at $9 a month. Premium plans, which have all features including a Customer Success Manager, comes at $24 a month.
Lnk.Bio is a simple web-based tool that uses the official Instagram API. Its elegant interface ensures that your followers are treated to good visuals when they click on your link in bio. Lnk.Bio can handle multiple links, perfect for when you have multiple campaigns running on social media at the same time. Like Linktree, the free plan offers unlimited links and a custom profile URL for your bio link. Unfortunately, customization is not available for links you want to share. Pricing is a bit different. You can choose to pay for the Mini plan monthly at $0.99 a month or a one-time fee of $9.99. You can get the premium Unique plan for a one-time payment of $24.99.
While not strictly a tool for bio links, Leadpages can still get you that landing page where you can put all the necessary information and links to your promotions. With Leadpages, there’s no need for you to have your own website. You can create and host landing pages right on its platform. Drag-and-drop customizations make it easy for you to build an effective landing page. You can then use the link for your landing page as the link in your IG bio. Prices are a bit on the expensive side since Leadpages is technically a website builder that offers custom domains, hosting, and other tools for conversions.
What to include in your link in bio
For Twitter and Instagram, the link you put in your profile lets your followers see what the most important website is for you at the moment. It can pique their interest and generate clicks and leads. Use it appropriately and this link can be a powerful tool for your online presence.
From time to time, you may need to change your link to promote seasonal offers or new products. The link-in-bio tools we featured in this post will help you promote several products or deal with a quick succession of marketing campaigns without the need to change your link in bio too frequently. Profile links can help push more potential customers further down the marketing funnel, driving conversion.
Marketing campaigns usually aim to drive engagement, increase conversions, and encourage positive responses to their calls to action. Having a working link on your profile can help people who are interested in a brand to learn more.
A few ways to use your link in bio include:
- Promote a sale or discount you’ll be offering. Beauty brands, for example, can promote seasonal sales or other promos by encouraging their followers to click on the link in bio to receive a special discount code.
- Direct followers to a landing page or lead magnet you’re promoting like your email newsletter. (Speaking of email marketing, here are some great ways to grow your email marketing lists.)
- Provide more information about your brand and what you offer on your website’s “about” page.
- Promote a competition or giveaway you’re hosting.
- Direct people to a video or podcast.
Whatever you choose to include in your link in bio, be sure that the URL leads to a dynamic landing page where your followers can learn more about you and your campaigns and advocacies.
