How to Put Custom Links in Instagram Stories (3 Tips)

Instagram can be an effective tool for building your brand. However, it can be limiting in terms of how you include links in your content. If you've only been including one in your bio, you may be missing out on traffic and conversions.

Fortunately, you can place a custom link directly in your Instagram Stories, making it easier for your followers to access the content they're most interested in. Using these links can help you drive traffic where it will have the most impact.

In this post, we'll cover why you might want to include custom links in your Instagram Stories. Then we'll share three key tips for how to use these links to your advantage. Let's get started!

Why You Should Use Custom Links in Instagram Stories

While Instagram is a powerful tool for reaching a wider audience, it can be tricky to include links effectively. You can place a link in your bio, but this can be problematic and somewhat limiting:

First, in order to use your link, users have to navigate away from their feeds. Also, since you only have one link available, you'll need to update it if you want it to point to your most recent content or products. Continually changing the link can be time-consuming and easy to overlook.

Instagram Stories is an extremely popular feature, so it's beneficial for promoting your latest news. Including your most relevant link with your Instagram Story makes it easier for followers to find what they're looking for. These links are known as “Swipe Up” links, as users need to swipe up to follow them.

How to Use Custom Links in Instagram Stories (3 Tips)

To use Swipe Up links in Instagram Stories, you'll need a business account with at least 10,000 followers. Once you're verified, adding a link is as simple as clicking the link icon at the top of your screen after creating your story.

Now that you know a bit about Swipe Up links, let's look at three important tips for using them.

1. Promote Your Long-Form Content

You'll likely have more information you need to convey beyond a 15 second Instagram Story. By including a custom link, you can funnel interested viewers to your blog or other media.

For example, Amazon uses its Swipe Up link to bring followers to information about specific job openings:

You may want to briefly demonstrate a new product with an Instagram Story and then link to an IGTV video that showcases its full features.

2. Share an Exclusive Discount

Everyone loves a good bargain, and your Instagram followers are no exception. You can take advantage of this by using a custom link that directs to a landing page with a special offer. 

You can use our Pretty Links plugin to help track the success of your campaign with a conversion report. To get started, navigate to Pretty Links > Reports and click on the Add Report button:

On the next screen, you'll set up the parameters for your report. You can start by giving the report a descriptive name:

Next, you can select the links you'd like to analyze. In this case, you'll choose your Instagram Story's landing page.

If you just want to know how many people are clicking through to the landing page, you can select the Create button:

You can also add a goal page. This could be useful if you want to measure product sales or newsletter signups. If so, you can select your desired goal page before clicking on Create.

You can view the report by navigating to Pretty Links > Reports, and then click on the View link under the report:

You should be able to see data as soon as you create the report.

3. Add a Call to Action (CTA)

Custom links are only effective if your followers know how to use them. Therefore, it's essential to add a call to action (CTA), since not everyone is aware of Swipe Up links.

Etsy uses a colorful animated arrow to draw attention to the “See More” message. It also uses text to make it clear where the link will be taking you:

StitchFix uses a similar tactic by drawing your attention to the bottom of the screen:

Again, there's no question about where you'll end up if you decide to follow the link. Clear CTAs not only help your followers, but they're also a fun opportunity to get creative and showcase your brand's personality. 

Conclusion

If you haven't been using links in your Instagram Stories, you may be making it difficult for potential customers to find what they need. Including custom links can help send your followers to the most relevant parts of your website.

In this post, we provided you with three tips for how to get the most out of custom links in your Instagram Stories:

1. Promote your long-form content.
2. Share an exclusive discount.
3. Add a clear CTA.

Have you had success with adding custom links to your Instagram Stories? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below!

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