Like many marketing features on Instagram, clickable links in stories were rolled out first to verified accounts. In May 2017, however, Instagram began quietly expanding this feature to more marketers on the platform. Clickable stories links are now also available to business profiles (not personal profiles) that have over 10,000 followers on Instagram.
There doesn’t appear to be any geographic restrictions to clickable stories links, and as the feature gains in popularity and usage, we can hope Instagram will continue to roll this feature out to even more users.
Adding a link to your Instagram story is easy to do in just a few quick steps!
#1: Start Your Instagram Story
You can take an image or video directly within the Instagram Stories app or swipe up on the Story screen to import any image taken within the last 24 hours.
#2: Add the Link URL
To add your link, click on the chain link icon at the top of your story.
The chain link icon appears at the top of the Story page to add a clickable URL.
A new window will appear on your screen, allowing you to input the link destination of your choice. Type in the complete URL address and tap on the green check mark (on Android) or “Done” (on iOS) to save the link.
The URL page will allow you to type in the link for any web page to which you want to send your audience.
Instagram Story analytics do not currently track URL clicks, so to measure your traffic and conversions, you’ll want to use a link that you can track separately. I recommend you use a link shortener such as Bit.ly to create a shortened URL you can track metrics with.
Once you’ve successfully linked a URL to your story, the chain link icon will appear highlighted to indicate your story has a link.
The chain link icon on the story is highlighted when a URL is successfully linked.
#3: Continue Editing Your Story
Add any other content including text, stickers, and filters to your story, then upload it to your profile as you would any other story.
I highly recommend you include a call to action (CTA) in your story text to direct your viewers to access the link. Common CTAs include “Swipe up to see more” or “Tap ‘See More’ to visit our website.”
Source: www.socialmediaexaminer.com
