Using Links on Social Media
Did you know that how you post links on social media depends on which platform you are using?
Providing URLs to more information about your business or a topic is important to keep your followers engaged. Depending which social media platform you are using will depend on how and where these links will work the best for your followers.
Keep reading for information on how Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn best use links.
Instagram:
Have you noticed that links in Instagram captions are not clickable? Instagram is primarily photo-based and is not optimized to have its users leave the app. To have people directed to a source outside of Instagram, you must ask followers to “click in the link in bio” (see Instagram Bio tips for more information on that). This means, that providing a link to your website, in a caption, is actually creating more work for followers. If you are looking for a way to add links to your Instagram that are more likely to be clicked, using Instagram Stories is the solution.
IG stories now offer “links” that when clicked will go directly to the source. Once you’ve created your IG story, click on the sticker tool in the top right navigation, and scroll to the link option. You can then add your link and even shorten it or add words like “Purchase Here” or “Donate Today.” A full blog post on IG stories will be available soon.
Facebook:
Facebook is a mixture of photo and caption content. Facebook is a platform that utilizes clickable links directly in captions. When creating your Facebook caption in Facebook Business Suites, there is the link preview option. You can copy and paste your URL there. The nice part about including an URL on Facebook is the link preview can be used as a graphic. BUT…this means that the featured image on your website or the website you are linking must be of good quality as that will be the visual piece to your post. If the featured image is not optimal, you can create a graphic as well and just have the link stand alone in the caption ready for users to click.
LinkedIn users are the most likely to leave the app via link. In fact, it is almost expected to leave the app to read an article, apply for a position, or to find more information about a topic that was posted. For optimal link usage, provide content that sparks interest or even tease an article so that LinkedIn users will be drawn to click the link. This is a great way to drive traffic to your website. Similar to Facebook, the link will pop up a visual from the URL but if the vimage is not of great quality or not on brand, then creating a graphic that corresponds to the link can be used as well.
Links serve as a great tool to drive traffic to your website and build trust with your customers. Have any more questions about links? Leave a comment below or send a private message to @socialmirrormedia on Facebook or Instagram!