Instagram is an excellent advertising platform, which allows you to promote sites, products, and services successfully. However, the traditional way of brand promotion is complicated on Instagram, as active links are allowed only in a bio.
There are some ways on how to use links conveniently and successfully for the brand.
Where to use links on Instagram?
- Bio.
Bio is the only way to use an active link on Instagram. Instagram limits the number of characters up to 150. That’s why shorten a link. This helps to save some space, keep your profile engaging (without scary links) and let users quickly remember a link.
Moreover, using a short branded domain, not a generic one, helps you to promote a personal brand. Short branded links are memorable and trustworthy. Generic ones, on the contrary, may be associated with spam.
By customizing a slug, you may include the call to action phrases, like “shop,” “order,” “get,” and so on. Most worldwide brands use custom short links, as that’s convenient and productively.
- Stories.
Using links in stories is available only for business Instagram pages with more than 10K followers. If you are, try it.
Add a mark to your story to inform users to follow the link, whether you are speaking on a video or using a text overlay, which guides them to swipe up.
Use this way, and you’re sure to drive more traffic to your desired location. Instagram story links get 15-25% swipe-through rates for brands.
The disadvantage is that video lasts for 15 seconds and disappears after 24 hours. You can save it to the “Story Highlights” section. In this case, attach long-term links rather than expired ones.
- Caption.
Instagram prevents links in photo captions and comments from being clickable.
You may add a link on the Instagram photo caption, but users can’t click on it. The only way is to use mentioned links with "@" symbol to refer to someone.
If you want to use a link on the caption or comments – use a short one. Thanks to its shortness, users may easily remember it and enter the address themselves to get to the desired page.
- Advertising campaigns.
This is the most effective way to promote a brand, but it’s paid. Through the Facebook advertising office, you can set up targeted advertising, by setting the goal of the ad, a promoted link, and a button. After that, users see your add, surfing the Instagram news feed.
The advantages of using short links.
1) Links are short, memorable, trustworthy.
2) Edit a destination URL.
After adding a new vlog, or article, you needn’t change the whole link in bio. The link stays the same on Instagram. You just update the destination URL in the shortening service.
3) Observe detailed statistics.
Instagram has a bit poor statistics. Tracking the statistics is convenience with a shortening service. You will see a particular social media channel from where users follow a link, a country, a browser, a device. This lets you understand, which social source is the most profitable.
Moreover, you may add UTM-parameters for deep insights, and the users won’t see them. Link becomes short but informative.
4) Create retargeting ads.
Add a piece of a pixel code to the link in bio to enhance the promotion. After clicking the link, users will see relevant ads on Facebook, Instagram, Google+ services.
Conclusion
Instagram is a cool marketing platform. The last updates make it more exciting and profitable. Shortening services will just help to make the most of the Instagram.
What did you learn:
- How to use links on Instagram to promote a brand?
- Active links on Instagram.
- Using short links.
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