Unlock the Power of Links: A Comprehensive Guide to Adding Links to Instagram Stories in 2024

Instagram Stories have become an indispensable tool for businesses, creators, and individuals alike. They offer a dynamic and engaging way to share content, build brand awareness, and connect with your audience. However, one of the most sought-after features has always been the ability to directly link to external websites. While the famous ‘Swipe Up’ feature is long gone, Instagram has evolved, and thankfully, adding links is still very much possible. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore all the ways you can add links to your Instagram Stories in 2024, providing step-by-step instructions and useful tips to maximize your results.

## Why Add Links to Instagram Stories?

Before diving into the ‘how,’ let’s understand the ‘why.’ Adding links to your Instagram Stories is crucial for several reasons:

* **Drive Traffic:** The most obvious benefit is driving traffic from Instagram to your website, blog, e-commerce store, or any other online resource. This direct link eliminates the friction of users having to leave Instagram and search for you manually.
* **Promote Products and Services:** For businesses, links in stories are an invaluable tool for showcasing new products, limited-time offers, and special promotions. You can link directly to the product page, making it easy for viewers to make a purchase.
* **Share Valuable Content:** Whether it’s your latest blog post, a YouTube video, or a podcast episode, linking to external content allows you to share valuable resources with your followers without them leaving the app.
* **Increase Engagement:** By offering a clear call-to-action (CTA) with a link, you encourage your audience to interact with your content beyond just watching a story. This can lead to increased engagement and deeper connections.
* **Track Results:** Using UTM parameters with your links allows you to track the performance of your Instagram Stories, helping you understand what works best for your audience and refine your strategy.
* **Direct User to Action:** By giving a direct path for your audience to get to the place you want them to go, you’re improving the efficiency of your posts by decreasing the amount of time it takes to access and take action.

## How to Add Links to Instagram Stories in 2024

The primary way to add links to Instagram Stories in 2024 is through the **Link Sticker**. Let’s break down the process step-by-step:

**1. Create Your Story:**

* **Open Instagram:** Launch the Instagram app on your smartphone or tablet. This guide is applicable to both Android and iOS devices. While you could log into instagram via a browser the editing of stories will need to be done from the application itself.
* **Access Stories:** On the home screen, tap your profile picture at the top left (or swipe right from the main screen) to open the story creation interface.
* **Choose Your Media:** You can either take a new photo or video using the camera icon at the bottom of the screen, or you can upload an existing image or video from your phone’s gallery. You will want to be using an image or video that is portrait and in the 9:16 aspect ratio to fill the whole screen of most phones when viewing.
* **Add Text and Effects (Optional):** After selecting your media, you can customize it by adding text, stickers, drawings, filters, or other effects. There is a wide range of tools available to enhance the appeal of your story and this step should not be overlooked as it is key to creating engagement.

**2. Add the Link Sticker:**

* **Access the Sticker Tray:** In the story editing screen, look for the sticker icon, which resembles a square smiley face. Tap it to open the sticker tray. It’s usually at the top of the screen, or in the tool bar on the side.
* **Find the Link Sticker:** Scroll through the available sticker options until you find the “Link” sticker. It’s often depicted as a small chain link icon. Once located, tap it to select the sticker.
* **Paste Your Link:** When you tap on the sticker you will be presented with a new screen with text box prompting you to “Add a link”. Tap this text box and paste your desired URL into the provided field. You can copy this from your browser of choice.
* **Customize Link Text (Optional):** After adding the URL, you may have the option to customize the text that appears on the sticker. This text is not always customizable, and usually when you can customize, it is the link, which is usually best to leave as the actual link. You can only customize this if you have a link that does not appear as a link. For example, this is very useful for internal linking within your own web properties. For instance, if you have a link that is your own product page with a long URL, you can simply type “Shop Now” on the sticker.
* **Placement on Story:** Once you’ve added the link, the sticker will appear on your story screen. You can tap and drag it to reposition it anywhere you want. You can also pinch to resize it or rotate it with two fingers. Consider placement that does not overlap with important information on your image or video, and that is easily seen by your viewers.

**3. Share Your Story:**

* **Review and Edit:** Before posting, take a moment to review your story and ensure that the link sticker is correctly placed and that the URL is accurate. It is difficult to edit this information after you post so triple check that your link is correct and the link does not contain any typos. Be aware of shortened URL links as these can often expire.
* **Post Your Story:** If everything looks good, tap the “Your Story” button at the bottom-left of the screen to share it with all your followers, or tap the “Close Friends” button to share it with a select group. If you want to share to the feed with the story it can be done here, but this will not add a link to the post, only the story.

**4. Additional Tips for Using Link Stickers:**

* **Use Clear Call-to-Actions (CTAs):** Make it clear to your viewers what you want them to do. Use text overlays or stickers that say things like “Shop Now,” “Visit Website,” “Learn More,” or “Read the Blog.”
* **Make it Visually Appealing:** Use design elements and colors that contrast well with your background, making the link sticker stand out. For instance, don’t use a light colored link sticker on a light colored background. The more your link stands out the more likely people are to interact with it.
* **Use Different Link Stickers:** Consider using different color link stickers to better suit your branding.
* **Test Different Approaches:** Try different placements, colors, and CTAs to see what works best for your audience. Over time, you can learn the most effective approach.
* **Use UTM parameters:** For your links, add UTM parameters to track where you receive the most clicks from so you know what content and stories perform best. Be mindful of the parameters and use a clear, consistent system.

**5. Troubleshooting:**

* **The Link Sticker is Not Available:** If you don’t see the Link sticker, make sure your Instagram app is updated to the latest version. Also, be aware that Instagram will sometimes change how stickers work for A/B testing and you may get a different sticker layout or color. It may also be that your account does not have enough followers to be eligible for the feature, though this is very rare.
* **The Link is Not Working:** If your link isn’t working properly, double-check that you’ve pasted the correct URL and that there are no typos. Be sure to also double check if your link is secure (https://) as some older sites are not. If that doesn’t solve the problem, try using a URL shortener service like Bitly to generate a shorter link, which can sometimes help. If you are using a URL shortener you may have to check the link does not expire. Some URL shortening services allow you to view how many times the link was clicked, so they are useful beyond the basic function of shortening a long url.
* **Link Preview:** The link preview in the sticker is not always a perfect representation of what the linked page is. Be aware of this and let people know if they should expect something different to what is showing in the preview.

## Other Ways to Share Links (Less Effective):

While the Link Sticker is the most effective method, here are a couple of other less direct methods you may encounter:

* **Link in Bio:** This is the traditional way to share links on Instagram. While it’s not clickable directly within a story, you can mention in your story that the link is in your bio. Be sure to keep your bio links up to date. You can use tools that will allow you to display multiple links from one central link in your bio. It is a good practice to get your most important link in your bio as the top one as not all viewers will take the time to scroll or view all links available.
* **“Link” in text:** Sometimes people will add their url as text to a story. While not clickable, it can be typed into a browser. This is not a very efficient or recommended approach, however you may come across it.

## Best Practices for Using Links in Stories:

To maximize the impact of links in your Instagram Stories, consider these best practices:

* **Relevance:** Ensure the linked content is relevant to the story’s content. Don’t lead your audience to something unrelated to your story, as this could be a sign to them that they shouldn’t expect high quality content from you.
* **Variety:** Experiment with different types of links – product pages, blog posts, videos, etc. – to see what resonates best with your audience. Your audience may have a preference, and experimenting is the best way to learn this.
* **Consistency:** Try to maintain a consistent link sharing schedule. If you make it a regular habit to share links, this will encourage your audience to view your stories more regularly.
* **Engagement:** Always ensure your link is visually appealing and relevant. A visually appealing story will capture attention, encouraging more engagement with your story.
* **Analytics:** Track your link performance regularly. Use this information to adapt your content strategy to get the most interaction from your audience.

## Conclusion

Adding links to Instagram Stories is a powerful tool that can significantly enhance your engagement and drive valuable traffic. By following the steps outlined in this comprehensive guide, you’ll be well-equipped to use the Link Sticker effectively and achieve your desired outcomes. Remember to always test and adapt your approach to maximize results and always remain mindful of the user experience. With the right strategy, you can transform your Instagram Stories into powerful sales and promotional tools, whether you’re an individual, creator, or business. Now that you know how, it’s time to go and start linking!