What Are Link in Bio Tools and Why You Should Use Them

August 16, 2019
By
Kyra Goodman

How you can post multiple links to your Instagram using a link in bio tool and how to use them successfully.

Although we love Instagram (or at least like it a lot), it only gives you the ability to post one link in your bio. This can be challenging for any marketing campaign or business in general.

What if you need to promote an event, direct buyers to a website and encourage signups to your brand's newsletter? All in the same day?!

Instagram limits you to choosing one link at a time to showcase. How could you possibly make that decision? And why should you have to?

This is where link in bio tools come in handy and why they are a must for every business, social media manager and agency!

Sked Social customers have access to Sked Link – our specialist link in bio tool integrated with your Sked Social workflow. Read on for more!

What is a link in bio tool?

Link in bio tools allow you to link to more pages and content in your Instagram bio. When the link in your bio is clicked, instead of being sent directly to that URL, a page like this will pop up. 

example instagram link in bio from @tate

From there, followers click on any of the buttons you created and are redirected to that specific link. You are still in complete control of what link(s) you want to publish, but now you can have more than one!

And good link in bio tools – like Sked Link – are completely free and customizable! You can pick the background color, what the buttons say, the shape of the buttons and the colors of the text.

Add a witty introduction or just get straight to business with your links.

You can also connect your Instagram feed to the link that will create a visual gallery of your grid.

When you include a grid, then you can direct followers who see any post in their Instagram feed to head to the link in your bio and then click the relevant post displayed in the grid to go to the link associated with the post they saw.

For example, this means that when you publish an Instagram post about a new product available for sale in your store (or a new blog post you published), users can go through your bio link straight to the right place.

On a platform where so many users rely on images and videos, capturing attention with a great feed helps drive traffic back to your page or website. Just like this one!

example of link in bio showing a gallery Instagram feed from @loveproperty

Why is it necessary?

Have you ever found a post worth exploring with a caption that says, “link in bio” only to click the link in the bio and be redirected to something completely off topic? Or seen a post about something and then had to try and search through the main website in the company's bio to find the page you were looking for?

Using a link in bio tool can help prevent that from happening by giving you the freedom to post 5-7 links from your bio.  

As an extra bonus, it just gives you way more freedom so you’re no longer stressing about putting the best link in your bio. Put them all in! Okay, maybe not all because you still want to keep it organized and professional.

If you are a business owner, social media manager or agency using Instagram to grow a business, link in bio tools are necessary. You open up heaps of possibilities to get your followers involved. 

Reasons you might use a link in bio tool

1. You just want to include more links for your Instagram followers

Stop being tied down to only one link in your bio. Save the stress for more important things! Add 5-7 links and your feed to the link in bio tool and you’re all set! Get creative with them!

2. You sell products or services and constantly have to change your link in the bio

If your business sells products or services, chances are that you are constantly pushing new content, multiple times a day. What good would it be to have to change your link in bio each time?

Connect your Instagram feed so users can scroll through and when they find something they like, take them directly to your website where they can purchase it. 

3. You want to run more advanced marketing campaigns 

You’re trying to drive traffic to your website, improve SEO or get people to subscribe to a newsletter. Having a link in bio tool allows you to better customize your campaign and have more control over where users are going. 

4. You want people to look at your feed and website

Even if you just want to lead users back to your homepage or website, link in bio tools give you the chance to do that and add more when you're ready. 

Keep in mind that link in bio tools are external services outside of Instagram. That means if there’s a problem with the service, there’s a problem with your links.

5. You want to get users to the right page, quickly

Sked Social's link in bio tool is designed so that the Sked Link page is published statically and distributed on hundreds of servers around the world – it's both more resilient this way, and (importantly) faster for your followers, as the page will load from a server near them.

We've measured Sked Link, and it's up to 4 times faster than alternative link in bio tools. That might not seem important to you, but studies have found that speed is vitally important to improve conversions – Walmart famously found that for every 1 second a page loads faster, conversions increased by 2%.

Tips for success

1. Match the theme of your Instagram 

You’ve worked hard on creating your desired look for your Instagram. You have your aesthetic locked down to the preset filter and hashtag template. It’s easy to keep that going with a link in bio tool that lets you customize layouts, colors, drop shadows, sizing and more.  

2. Make sure the links work

Nothing is worse than when you go to a website and the “404 page not found” pops up. People won’t go back to search for it if it’s not right where they want it. That’s the end of the line!  

Making sure you have the correct links ensures that your users don’t have to deal with that frustration while maintaining your credibility as a brand. 

3. Link to your Instagram feed to generate more traffic back to your own page 

Using the gallery option to link back to your Instagram feed is not only visually appealing but it helps drive traffic back to an exact post or URL associated with that post.

Maybe your pictures and videos got lost in the Instagram algorithm and your followers didn’t see it? Or maybe someone new is looking at your page. Linking your feed gives users another chance to get back to YOU and your brand. 

4. Create a call to action button 

Encourage users to sign up for a newsletter, subscribe to your YouTube channel or get email updates from your brand.

Some Link in Bio Page Inspiration

Sure, this all sounds great, but you’re not exactly sure how to incorporate a link in bio tool into your account? Here’s how some accounts from different industries are using their Sked Links.

1. @ragstock

example link in bio page from @ragstock

Clothing brands like Ragstock are using link in bio in a variety of ways but ultimately, they are enhancing the online shopping experience.

With one link, they are able to send customers to their online store, find shop locations, become an ambassador for the brand, join a newsletter and read from their blog. Driving traffic, promoting their brand and generating sales all with one quick press of a button.

Spend less and get more with Sked Social

Get everything social schedulers are missing without writing a blank check for an enterprise platform. AI-integrated tools, custom collaboration and approval workflows, deep analytics and insights, and real auto-posting to more platforms — it’s all here.

Get Started for FREE

2. @huxtaburger

example link in bio page from @huxtaburger

Calling all food lovers and restauranteurs! Food pages can definitely make use of link in bio tools.

Huxtaburger keeps their design simple, but let’s be honest, when you’re looking for food to satisfy that craving, simple and easy to navigate is your best friend.

Now, instead of just being led to the Huxtaburger website, users can check out promotional events, browse the menu, buy vouchers for friends and family and even order delivery online! Yum!

3. @nyglass 

example link in bio page from @nyglass

Retail company of eyewear and accessories, NY Glass gives information about store locations, links to blue light blocking glasses (for anyone who is staring at a screen, which everyone reading this is) and even fashion tips on how to wear glasses.

Sked Link allows them to create a cohesive aesthetic from their Instagram page to their link in bio.

NY Glass connects their Instagram feed and encourages users to “Shop our Instagram feed.” See some glasses you like? Buyers just click on the photo that redirects to the website where they can buy that specific product. Easy and effective!  

4. @timeoutsydney

example link in bio page from @timeoutsydney

Time Out Sydney is a travel guide to culture, dining and other life experiences in Sydney. Their link in bio enlightens Instagrammers about the 2019 Time Out Food Awards, local gems and things to do in August.

They even have a poll going for people to vote on their favorite dish in Sydney!

Get started with Sked Link

The days of bios locking you into one link are over. Whether you’re a social media manager for a clothing brand, a small business owner or a marketing agency, link in bio tools give all businesses the freedom to lead your audience in better ways. 

Still not sure how to get started? Sked Link is Sked Social’s free link in bio tool. It's included – free – for all Sked Social customers.

You can see how to get started in our Sked Link User Guide, or sign up for a Sked Social trial if you're not a customer already.

Contents

What to read next

Lead generation

Twitter Image Size Guide 2024: How to Size Your Images and Videos for Maximum Impact

October 28, 2023

Tweet at the right size.

Lead generation

The 2024 LinkedIn Marketing Guide: Best Image + Video Sizes & More!

October 13, 2023

Measure twice, post once.

Get the visual content planner for visual brands and agencies