Instagram had introduced the swipe up feature for stories. However, it was only active for the pages that have or had 10k followers. This was a strategy of Instagram that helped your page get link clicks & also conversions.
However, Instagram has recently come up with a ‘link’ feature that allows any page irrespective of its follower count to avail the link feature on their stories.
There’s not much difference between the ‘swipe up’ & the new ‘link’ features. Earlier, people had to press on the arrow at the bottom of the screen & swipe up to reach the URL. Now, they simply have to click on the link which redirects them to the URL.
Here’s an example of the old feature:
Here’s how the new link feature looks like:
Now, there won’t be a swipe-up arrow. People will just have to click on the link!
How to use the link feature in your story?
When you’re uploading your story, check the stickers. You’ll find the feature as a sticker in there.
After you select the link button, add the URL & then hit DONE. After that, you can select where you want to place the link. Then you can post it.
Here are the different ways you can use the link feature on your IG story:
Right after this feature was enabled, the criteria required the account to have 10k followers or be a verified account. But now, it has changed. Accounts can use it if only they’re business accounts.
1. Promote virtual events:
If you’re having a seminar or a zoom session about your brand, the link feature will be a very helpful button for people to sign up for the webinar.
You can upload a story by giving out the information of who’s conducting the webinar, when the webinar is taking place, and the steps to be taken to get enrolled.
2. Promote YouTube videos:
Through the Instagram link feature, you can also promote your YouTube videos which will help you to gain likes, views & subscribers.
All you have to do is create catchy thumbnails & then add the URL of your YouTube channel in the link feature and then publish the story.
3. Promote your products:
Instagram is a visually appealing platform. With the link feature, you can use creative and professional photos of your products & link them to your website directly.
One more thing you can do here is, post a video of yourself talking about a particular product or its USPs. This way people will get interested & click on the link.
4. Promote Blog posts:
When you post a photo regarding your blog and tell the audience to click on the link in bio to read the whole article, most people won’t click on it. This is because it takes a lot of steps to do so & also, some people might not even read the caption.
The link feature helps you to post a story & ask people to click on the link on the story itself so that you get a lot of website visitors.
Create good story slides with a catchy line so people click on the link attached to read the article.
Lastly, put up stories with a CTA. This will let people know what step they have to take next. Be consistent throughout because you’ll only get more views if you post stories regularly.
Also read: Top 3 Instagram Trends To Try For Your Brand
