Instagram users get some control over their profile, including the chance to put a link in their bio. This Instagram bio link is a source of headaches for marketers because the platform only lets you set one link in your bio. Some people don’t even bother with using it at all because they don’t see the point of it, or they don’t want to have to keep switching it out. Here’s why you should be using an Instagram bio link and some suggestions as to what you can do with it.
Why is the Instagram Bio Link Important?
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Having access to just one link in bio means that you can’t add more links to external sources or posts on the platform. You have to manually change the bio link whenever you want to promote something new, such as a new product or blog posts. This is one reason that marketers commonly include the call to action of “Check the link in bio” to their posts.
The link in your bio is important because it is one of the first things people see when they open your profile. You can use that link to drive traffic to your website or to a particular product or service. You can use it to host giveaways and engage people who have expressed an interest in your content. One reason people open up your profile is to learn more about you. They open the profile expecting to see a link to your website at the very least. So, give them that link and avoid disappointing them.
There are lots of great things to do with the bio link, and you have more freedom than you might think. It’s undoubtedly true that Instagram only lets you include one link, but there are tools and tricks you can use to turn that one link into dozens. You can also use these tools to give yourself a branded link, which is a benefit in and of itself.
The Importance of Using a Bio Link in Instagram
1. They are Memorable
The right link in bio can be memorable—something like YourBrand.Is/Better is a great choice. Having a memorable link in your bio means that even if someone doesn’t click on the link the first time they see it, they are more likely to recall it and type it into the address bar later on. Even if they don’t remember the whole thing, they will remember enough to be tempted to come back to your profile to see it again.
Another reason that memorable links are essential is that they encourage people to talk about your website and increase word-of-mouth referrals. Word-of-mouth is the best promotional tool you can hope to get. If someone is talking to their friends or colleagues about Instagram or something related to your brand, your link will pop into their head, and they might share it with those people.
2. You Can Edit Them
Imagine if you used a generic link and it went to, say, your latest blog post. What if you updated the blog and wanted to update the link? You would need to go into Instagram manually and change it. Using a branded link with a link management dashboard lets you change the destination URL whenever you want, without needing to actually change the ink. It’s even better if you use a bio link tool like sharemyinsights.com to change any of the destination links on the custom page.
3. Get In-Depth Analytics
Even a generic link offers some basic tracking functions, such as how many times someone clicks on the link. There’s not a lot you can do with that, but it’s better than nothing. Branded and bio link tool links offer even more analytics. These links let you see things such as the number of unique clicks, when the link was clicked, the browser used at the time, the device used at the time, and so much more.
This kind of deep analytical data is useful for learning more about the people interested in your products. This will help you understand how to target those people better so you can further refine your marketing efforts.
4. They Grow Your Audience
You can use links in your bio for retargeting purposes to grow your audience. Traditionally, you would need to direct people to something such as your website, landing page, or blog so that you can retarget them. The process involves having a bit of Javascript on your website that engages a user in something called being pixeled.
Pixeled is when users are tagged and filtered into the retargeting audience in Google Analytics. This basically lets you follow a user around for retargeted ads. Given that only 2% of people will purchase something the first time they see it, retargeting is the ideal way to re-engage them when they are ready to buy.
Let’s say that you were shopping online for sneakers, but decide that this isn’t the right time to get them after all. It could be a few hours or days later when you’re browsing on Facebook and see an ad for the sneakers you looked at before, asking if you are still interested. This is retargeting done to perfection.
Adding a retargeting pixel to your website links lets you send people to something else, such as a partnership project or coverage you received on the news, while still adding them to your retargeting pool.
Summary
It’s amazing what you can do with one little link in your Instagram bio. There are lots of reasons to take advantage of the offer to include a link in your bio. Use link bio tools to get even more out of your link for better analytics, better retargeting, and overall better user experience for you and your customers. Everyone benefits when you take advantage of your link in bio.