Social media and its users have established themselves in today’s modern world. With the budding netizen population, it has become one of the most effective ways of marketing.
Having a startling amount of one billion monthly active users, Instagram—a photo and video sharing social media app—has successfully advertised and promoted businesses, brands, influencers, and budding artists across the globe through its “Story” feature.
With such a blooming marketing potential, what could be a simple and hassle-free way to direct potential clients to where you need them to be?
Let’s look at how story links are Instagram stories’ best feature.
How Links Are Important to Your Instagram Story
Instagram stories (more commonly known as IG stories), in itself, provide a wide variety of features. Aside from editing tools like animated stickers, thousands of filters, polls, and other interactive widgets available, they provide a way to advertise your brand to millions across the globe in a few simple taps.
The IG story, despite its worldwide reach, can be limited. The confines of being inside the Instagram app and the tiny space an IG story provides may not be enough. Enter the story link—your IG story’s best friend.
A Window to a New World
When placed strategically in your IG story, the link directs you to another page, one with limitless potential, and all in a single click! A new world where items can be purchased, money to a charity or a foundation can be donated, pages of organized information can be read, and much more becomes available.
Versatile and Flexible Links
Short links have the advantage of malleability. This includes compressing texts. There are only so many widgets, stickers, or texts you can put on an IG story before it starts to look too crowded. Combine that with a lengthy URL, and you are basically asking for a story that looks messy and unprofessional!
Compared to its verbose alternative, the short link is conveniently concise. Taking up only a small space, this window to limitless potential is the perfect addition to your IG story.
Another advantage to a short link is how it can be tweaked to your needs. An IG story’s view time only runs for a couple of seconds (less if a viewer becomes impatient and chooses to skip over it) and lasts for twenty-four hours.
The probability of a viewer remembering your brand depends on how well and how much you get your brand’s name out there. With a short link's customizability, stamping your brand’s name onto a link can boost your brand’s marketability.
Clear and Confident Branding
Aside from marketability, customizable links also help avoid confusion. Suppose an influencer decides to lend their platform to different charities and encourage their followers to donate by clicking the link in their stories, a customized link is bound to help in avoiding confusion. A series of random URLs is easily beaten by specified links that say “feedthehungry.io” or “healingelephant.com”.
The branded link also gives the feel of security. Random URLs are everywhere on the internet, and many of them lead to harmful websites.
When a brand is stamped unto a link, something clicks in the viewer’s brain, telling them, “Since they were confident enough to place their brand’s name, the chances of this link leading me to a sketchy site is less.”
How to Add Short Links to Your Stories
Adding links to your stories is a simple and short process. Here are the few steps you can take:
1. Utilize a link shortening service to provide you with a short link.
2. Copy the link.
3. Open the Instagram app on your phone.
4. Swipe left and capture, select from your gallery, or create a post.
5. At the top right, tap the sticker icon (it’s a small post-it with a smiley).
6. Scroll down until you find the Link sticker.
7. Select the sticker and paste your link.
8. Click Done.
With these eight easy steps, your brand has upped the chances of being discovered and interacted with.
Why You Should Add Short Links from Short.io
Short.io provides you with the link shortening services you need to elevate your business. As previously stated, shortening and rebranding links are beneficial, but Short.io offers more than just a pretty face.
It’s almost ironic how Short.io’s small and unimposing link packs an even bigger punch than the regular lengthy URL. By providing you with the data you need, Short.io becomes your brand’s ally.
While an IG story may get your brand out there and advertise your information to others, the links from Short.io can help you gain a broader understanding of your viewers.
Short.io provides you with a plethora of information. Detailed analytics like your viewer’s location and devices used, the times your link gets the most traction, and much more now become available.
The importance of audience data cannot be emphasized enough. For example, knowing the demographics of your viewers and followers can be a useful tool. This allows you to expect the culture, preferences, and ongoing events of your target audience. Accurately adjusting your product or services becomes more achievable.
Knowing when your links get the most and least traction is also valuable information. With it, you can determine the best times to announce big news or launch new products. Simultaneously, you can exploit when your website gets the least traction by implementing and testing new adjustments when they least impact your audience.
This array of features elevates how you can understand and reach out to your viewers online.
Short Links and Social Media
The short link does not exclusively make its home in the Instagram story. In fact, it has a useful place on many social media platforms. It is definitely not to be overlooked as it is one of the most convenient and flexible tools in expanding a business or getting your brand out there.
Perched innocently on an influencer’s Twitter bio, intentionally placed on a YouTube ad, or attached to an advocacy’s Instagram story—short links have been used all over the world by the biggest and smallest brands. There is no reason you cannot utilize the same strategy.
Join the conversation