The Truth About Link Sharing on Instagram

Think you’ve cracked the code on Instagram link sharing? Think again. The rules and algorithms keep changing, and your strategy might be stuck in 2022. In this post, we will explain the best practices for sharing an external link on Instagram.

Did you know, that links in your Instagram captions actually decrease your engagement? Yes, you read that right, decrease. Links in Instagram captions are also un-clickable, so they really have no point, as users can’t even copy and paste captions on mobile devices.

A study conduced by The Science Social Media Podcast, found that posts with a CTA of “link in bio” had 21.24% more impressions, and 40% more reach to the external website than having the link in the caption.

So what’s the best way to share links on Instagram?

We’re glad you asked. Most platforms now have the option to share multiple links in your bio with a link menu to your external pages. You can also use resources like LinkTree, Taplink, or if you have Sprout Social, the Sprout Link In Bio.

Redirecting your audience to the “link in bio” will be much more effective for your Instagram engagement, and website traffic. Users will not have to worry about trying to memorize the link name, or copying and pasting that un-clickable link that’s dragging your caption down. So next time you are writing copy for your Instagram captions, leave the link behind!