“link in bio” is not working anymore, folks…
May 10, 2024
What’s a “link in bio” anyway?
Instagram allows you to have one hyperlinked url in your Instagram bio.
Otherwise, instagram does not hyperlink anything in captions. So – it’s the only way to easily get your audience to another location on the internet.
If you’ve been using the link in your biography, you might enjoy this “next generation” solution called Chat Marketing.
Basically, when you want to get your audience a link, you encourage them to leave a comment on your post.
Then, once they do, an automatic robot sends them the link via direct message.
So, what does this look like?
Let’s say you make a post advertising your upcoming VBS. The post is a carousel of pictures from last year – kids laughing and smiling and throwing water balloons at each other.
In the caption, you write: “It’s the last week to register for VBS. Comment ‘Register’ and we’ll send you the link.”
Behind the scenes, you’ve set up this automation using any number of free tools on the market. (Peek at my favorite here.)
The second someone comments, the robot sends them a DM on your behalf with a link to the registration page.
Why should you do it this way? …as opposed to putting the registration link in your bio?
There are rumors swirling around that the words, “Link in bio” appearing in your IG caption causes IG to show your post to fewer people.
There are mixed reviews on the truth of this statement. Still, I wouldn’t put it past Meta to do anything necessary to keep you on their platform for longer.
Here are some more practical, proven reasons to switch:
1) It’s less work for the user. With the link in bio, the user has to navigate to the bio, click the link, and then search the menu for the right destination. There’s a lot of friction there.
2) It’s more personal. You can craft your message to them to feel like a friend sending a friend something interesting.
3) It opens up the conversation. If they have further questions about VBS registration, for example, it’s a no-brainer to just continue the chat.
If you have a considerable following on Instagram, I’d encourage you to experiment with this new technique!
