One of the most important parts of your Instagram profile is your bio link. Unless you have the swipe-up feature in your Stories, your bio link is the only way to link people away from Instagram to a page or platform of your choice. So where should you direct people to in order to make the most of this important, limited real estate?
What not to do for your Instagram link in bio
One option is to link from your Instagram bio directly to your website homepage. This method is simple and clean and can be effective if your homepage is well optimized and mobile friendly. However, there’s a better strategy for getting people from your Instagram content to a specific page on your website with as little friction as possible.
For example, let’s say you share a post on Instagram that promotes a free resource you created. In order to access the resource, someone would need to go to your website and fill out an opt-in form to join your newsletter, after which the resource is automatically sent to their inbox. If your bio link is simply linked to your homepage, it’s not very intuitive for someone to click to your homepage and then find the opt-in form. This is what I mean by friction–the fewer steps someone needs to take to achieve their goal, the more likely they are to follow through (aka convert).
Keeping in line with the above example, you could link directly to the freebie optin page in your bio instead of to your homepage. This would be the most frictionless solution for getting someone to sign up for your free resource after reading about it in one of your posts. However, chances are, you’re using Instagram to promote more than just a single free resource. If you follow this method, you would have to update your bio link every time you publish a new post with a different call to action (for instance, booking a call, reading a blog post, listening to a podcast episode, etc.) In my opinion, the best Instagram strategy is one that requires as little time spent on the platform as possible!
Why you need a custom link in bio page
The solution I recommend for most people and brands on Instagram is to create a custom “link in bio” page on your website. This way, you can keep a running list of all the most relevant links that you want to direct people to from your Instagram account, all on one simple page.
Now, every time you want to switch up the call to action in your content and bio, you don’t need to go through the hassle of updating your bio link. But there are other benefits as well. For one, directing people to your website is good for SEO. Furthermore, it makes your brand look more thoughtful, organized, and professional.
A note on 3rd party bio link services
Your Instagram bio link is so important that entrepreneurs have capitalized on the opportunity to create businesses that are tailored to it specifically. The two most popular ones I’ve seen are LinkTree and Milkshake, although there are others.
There are a few problems with using these services; here’s why I don’t recommend them:
- SEO. By linking to a third-party website instead of your own website, you’re missing out on an easy opportunity to boost your website’s SEO.
- Branding. Unless you pay for a premium plan, these services are not as easy to customize to your branding as a page on your own website would be. And why would you pay for a service that you can replicate for free on your own website?
The only time I’d recommend using a link in bio service is if you don’t yet have your own website. If that’s the case, I highly recommend making your website a higher priority; having a branded web presence that you actually own is essential for all businesses.
If the thought of creating a website in the near future sounds intimidating (or expensive), click here to check out my easy-to-use website templates. With one of these templates, you could have a beautiful new website up and running in as little as a day. P.S. Each template comes with a “link in bio” page for Instagram!
How to create a link in bio page on your website
Now that we’ve clarified why having a custom link in bio page is so important, let’s dive into the tutorial. Since I specialize in WordPress, I’ll be showing how I would create this page on a WordPress website using Divi, my preferred theme (click here to learn more about Divi). However, as you’ll see, these steps are very simple and easy to replicate no matter which website platform you’re using!
1. Create a new page
Step one is to create a new blank page on your website. The only elements that should appear on the page are your header and footer. If the template you’re using has a banner or other visual elements, it’s best to remove them if possible; you don’t want any distractions on this page.
In WordPress, we’re going to go to Pages > Add New > Use Divi Builder > Build from Scratch.
2. Add up to 6 buttons
Next, add a section to the page underneath the header. Within this section, add a single column of buttons, each stacked on top of one another. Make sure the buttons are center-aligned.
Link each button to a relevant page that you’d like to direct your Instagram followers to and organize them in the order of priority. Some pages to consider linking to include:
- Your blog page or latest blog post
- A newsletter optin page (I created mine using Flodesk)
- Your scheduling link (I use Acuity)
- A sales page
- Your portfolio
- A free training or resource
- Another social media page that you’re active on (i.e. Facebook group, YouTube channel, etc.)
You could also include a link to your homepage, in case someone is looking to simply browse around your site and learn more about your brand.
In Divi, we’re going to create a single row and add 6 button modules. I’ve set the buttons to full-width so that they are sized evenly on mobile.
3. Embed your newsletter opt-in (optional)
To increase conversions on your link in bio page, consider embedding a newsletter optin directly on the page underneath your buttons. If growing your email list is a priority, this is a great way to reduce friction and get more people on your list.
In Divi, create a new row for your newsletter optin form. You can either use Divi’s built-in Email Optin module, or add a Code module and embed the code for the form, as I’ve done for my Flodesk form.
4. Check mobile view
After you’re done populating your links, you may wish to embellish the page a bit further with some on-brand design details. You could even add your headshot and a brief bio to add a light personal touch. Whatever you do, try to keep it simple so that people aren’t distracted from the reason they clicked onto the page in the first place.
When the page is complete, make sure to check the mobile view to ensure that the page looks neat and balanced. After all, the vast majority of people who click onto this page will be accessing it on their phone!
In Divi, you can preview the mobile version of your page by clicking on the phone icon in the bottom left corner.
5. Customize the URL
Finally, I recommend customizing the URL for your Instagram link in bio page to keep it short and sweet. Since this link is going into your tiny Instagram bio, we want it to look clean. Edit the slug for your page to “links,” “link-in-bio,” or “instagram.” Or, whatever you prefer, so long as it’s not confusing.
In WordPress, go to the Page Editor (exit out of the Divi builder) and find the Permalink setting on the righthand side to customize the page URL.
When your page is complete and live, simply add the link to your bio and you’re all set! You’ve just created a custom Instagram link in bio page.
Looking for website support?
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