Instagram has recently launched one of its most requested features to date – giving users the ability to add up to five links in their Instagram bio, expanding on its capacity to drive traffic. Maybe we’ve been living under a rock when this whole trend occurred, but since when did wanting more bio links become a thing on The Gram? According to Instagram:

“Starting today, the update will make it easier for creators and other users to highlight their passions, bring awareness to causes they care about, promote brands they love, showcase their personal business, and more.”

Big Time 5

Based on examples and official screenshots, your Instagram bio will now display how many links you have available via profile linking. When tapped, users will then receive a Linktree-like overview of the various link options that you’ve enabled. This is bad news for Linktree and other linking tools.

Instagram’s opposition to external links has long been a key driver of usage for third-party link aggregator tools, but now, people will be able to replicate that capacity within the app itself, which will no doubt see many abandon their paid subscriptions to third-party apps. Then again, some of these tools do allow for branding options that could still act as an enticement, along with more link display options. It’s also now become such a standard behavior that users no longer find it jarring, so maybe some businesses will stick with third-party link tools, even with this new capacity available.

This update will likely limit new users signing on, as they can now do the same in-app. However, it’s good for users, and there are a range of ways that brands and creators can utilize this capacity to drive traffic to various URLs to maximize their brand presence. What’s perhaps the most surprising thing here is that it has taken Instagram this long to implement it, as it’s been testing it since 2021, but now it has decided that it’s time to push ahead.

The Wrap

So, if you want to add multiple links to your Instagram profile, follow these simple instructions.

First, head to ‘Edit profile’ > ‘Links’ > ‘Add external link’. From there, you can drag and drop to order or sort your links as you’d like them to appear in the app.

Again, though it might be a ‘highly requested’ feature, in the overall scheme of things, it’s not a game-changing update. In any case, it’s a good addition if you want to build more traction for your specific off-app channels. It’s at least worth considering for your overall strategy and could help you tap more specific audiences, thus expanding your brand’s reach.

Sources

https://bit.ly/43PwCSq