What Is the Relationship Between Instagram Link in Bio and Engagement?

If you've spent some time scrolling through Instagram, you may have seen "link in bio" added on several posts' captions.

The tactic of having an Instagram link in the bio is essential if you have a business with an Instagram presence.

And this is because Instagram has become more than just a comfy place to view images and send messages to your friends.

Instagram is a fantastic driver for online success, which offers opportunities for businesses to turn their occasional Instagram users into potential customers.

One of the ways to do this is by placing a link to your Instagram bio to drive traffic outside the platform to your website.

But what does "link in bio" mean, and how do you find a link in someone's bio on Instagram?

And more importantly, what is the relationship between engagement and the existence of a "link in bio" in captions on Instagram?

1. What does “link in bio” on Instagram mean?

As the name suggests, "link in bio" is the clickable URL from an Instagram profile that is meant to tell the audience they can get more information about a particular topic by clicking it.

The "link in bio" phrase is a CTA through which Instagram users can be directed towards other websites, product pages, or some other important pages.

Any brand or content creator with an Instagram presence can add a link to their bio. Once they've done that, they can promote the link by mentioning it in their posts' captions or their Stories.

In the beginning, "link in bio" was the only way brands with less than 10,000 followers could direct users from Instagram towards other platforms.

Thanks to Instagram's update from October 2021, the platform now allows all users to share links in their Stories!

Another critical take regarding Instagram's link in bio is that it can feel limiting, as it only offers one link destination.

However, there are a lot of link in bio tools that will let you put together several key link destinations and share them via a single URL.

This will lead to a custom landing page with all the relevant links you'd like to share with your followers.

2. How to create your own Instagram link in bio

The Instagram link in bio lives in the short description at the very top of a user's profile. It sits underneath other important information like the number of posts and followers.

Adding a link to your Instagram bio is an easy process that requires only three steps:

• Enter your profile and click on the "Edit Profile" button at the top of your page
• Enter the URL you want to add to your Instagram bio in the "Website" box
• Click on "Done" to save the changes to your bio

And there you have it! You've added a link to your Instagram bio in just a few seconds.

TIP! If you want your Instagram bio to look more appealing, I suggest you take advantage of the other options Instagram puts at your disposal as well.

For example, you can write a custom description in 150 characters or less or add hashtags by tapping "#" followed by the hashtag you want to associate with.

3. Instagram posts that don't include the phrase “link in bio” in the caption slightly outperform Instagram posts with that phrase

Now that we’ve seen what an Instagram link in bio is and how you can create one of your own, it’s time to look at how effective this tactic is and if the Instagram algorithm “punishes” posts that include the “link in bio” phrase in the captions.

Like I mentioned previously, the Instagram link in bio is used to drive traffic outside the platform to other websites.

Which is the exact opposite of what any social media platform would want, as the main objective is to retain users as long as possible on the app.

So how do Instagram posts with or without the “link in bio” phrase in the caption perform

According to an Instagram case study that analyzed 78,662,277 Instagram posts, posts without the phrase “link in bio” in their captions perform better than those with the words.

However, according to the data, engagement between posts that don’t have the “link in bio” phrase in the captions and those that have it are not significant.

As the graphic shows, inserting the “link in bio” phrase in the caption of carousel posts can downgrade the engagement rate from an average of 0.59% to 0.57%.

The same goes for images and videos, as posts that don’t contain the “link in bio” mention get slightly more engagement across the board.

4. Placing “link in bio” in Instagram posts is a pretty common tactic for brands

So inserting “link in bio” in posts’ captions will potentially lower the engagement of your posts, but how common is this practice among brands?

Only 32.4% of the brands analyzed have the habit of placing “link in bio” in their posts’ captions.

Why are brands opting for this marketing method in their Instagram posts?

First of all, there are plenty of options available when creating an Instagram link in the bio.

With the help of the link in bio tools, brands can make their Instagram bio more aesthetically pleasing and in line with their image.

Also, having a link in bio in your Instagram profile builds authority and shows users that you take your online image seriously.

Secondly, accessing multiple resources from a single hub can create an overall positive experience.

Conclusion

Having an Instagram link in your bio is essential if running an Instagram business profile.

It can help you with traffic conversion and build more trust in your page when done right.

However, data never lies, so don't put your hope too high regarding the engagement it will bring to your posts.

Studies have shown that adding a "link in bio" in Instagram posts lowers the average engagement, so think of how you can best incorporate them next time you're planning your Instagram marketing strategy.