Even if you’ve only seen a few posts on Instagram or TikTok, you’ve probably come across the phrase “link in bio”. It appears everywhere, from posts about your favorite brand’s products to the latest snapshots of the #CottageCore account you follow.
But what does “link in bio” actually mean? Why do people always use it? And should you also participate in the action? Let’s find out!
What does “link in bio”mean?
“Link in bio”refers to a URL in the bio section of most social media profiles. Instagram and TikTok creators use this phrase in posts to let their audience know that they can find more information by clicking the URL in their bio.
Most creators use their Instagram and TikTok biolink to send viewers to one of six things:
- Their website
- Their other social media profiles
- Blog
- Product page
- Online store
… or all of the above (more on that later).
Anyone can add a link to their Instagram bio, and any business account holder can add it to their TikTok. Once there, the creators pay attention to the link by mentioning it in the published content.
Some rumors claim that “link in bio”in your Instagram posts reduces reach and engagement, so we ran an experiment to test this theory. Spoiler: The “link in bio”phrase actually increased our engagement and reach, but you can watch this video to see the details:
Using a link in a bio is one of the easiest ways Instagram and TikTok creators can send people outside of the platform. (Instagram Stories links used to be limited to accounts with more than 10,000 followers, but now they’re available to everyone.)
Where is the instagram link in the bio?
On Instagram, you’ll find “link in bio”in the short description at the very top of a user’s profile. It sits below other important information such as the number of posts and the number of subscribers.
The link to Instagram in the bio is also not limited to business accounts. So even if you only have a personal account, you can add a link to your Instagram profile.
Venture North, an organization that promotes tourism in the north of Scotland, uses a link in a bio to direct audiences to their website.
Where is the TikTok link in the bio?
The link to the TikTok bio is at the very top of the creator’s profile page, just like the Instagram link in the bio.
How to link in your bio on Instagram
Wondering how to add a link to your Instagram bio? It’s a simple process – just three short steps.
1. Click “Edit Profile”at the top of your profile page.
2. Enter the target URL (the link you want to promote) in the Website field.
3. Click Submit at the bottom of the page.
And just like that, you added a link to your Instagram bio.
Quick tip! If you don’t see the link when you return to your profile, you may have forgotten to hit the submit button before leaving the page.
How to link in your TikTok bio
The process is similar to TikTok. However, most users currently require a business account to add a link to their bio.
If you have a TikTok Creator account and don’t have access to the bio link feature, you’ll need to switch to a Business account first. Check out the step-by-step instructions in our TikTok for Business guide, then come back here!
Once you’ve upgraded to a business account, you’re ready to add a clickable link to your TikTok bio.
1. Click Edit Profile.
2. Click Add Your Website
3. Enter the URL you want to use in your profile.
4. Click Save
Congratulations – you now have a link on your TikTok profile!
How to add multiple links to your bio link
The problem with the biolink feature on Instagram and TikTok is that you can only have one link. You can’t link anywhere else on these platforms, so you’ll need to be smart about optimizing your only opportunity.
For most creators, this means turning one link into multiple links with a landing page.
The landing page can contain all the links you want to showcase. You just need to link to this landing page in your Instagram or TikTok bio.
Sounds difficult? It really isn’t! Many tools can help you create a landing page with multiple links.
Link in bio tools
Link your bio landing page with Linktree
Linktree is a free tool that allows you to create a simple multi-link landing page from basic templates. It’s pretty easy to set up.
In the free version, you will get templates with some customization options and access to a simple statistics interface so you can see how your page is performing.
If you pay $6 a month for Pro, you’ll be able to access more powerful customization tools. For example, professional accounts can remove the Linktree logo from their landing page and gain access to enhanced analytics and customization options, such as Linktree’s social media retargeting feature.
Create a biography in one click with Hootsuite
If you use Hootsuite to manage your social networks, you can create a link tree in your dashboard using oneclick.bio.
With oneclick.bio, you can create simple links on bio landing pages with text-filled buttons like the ones Linktree offers. But you can also add links to social networks and an image gallery.
You can use the images feature to recreate posts from your Instagram or TikTok account in oneclick.bio. But, unlike your posts on the platform, these images may contain clickable links.
This simple tool allows anyone who visits your landing page from your Instagram or TikTok bio to access an interactive version of the post they are interested in.
Learn how to create a one-click.bio landing page here.
Create a landing page with Unbounce
If you have a little more time and prefer a custom bio landing page link, you can create one with a landing page builder like Unbounce.
With Unbounce, you can create a fully branded landing page that perfectly complements your Instagram or TikTok profile. Use a simple drag and drop builder or super smart AI to get the job done.
5 Tips for Linking in Your Bio to Drive More Traffic to Your Website
Highlight the most important links
The last thing you want is to distract people from what’s important. So resist the temptation to put every link in the world on your landing page.
Good things to highlight on your bio landing page link include:
- Home page of your website
- Your latest or most popular content
- Information about a sale, promotion or raffle
- Links to your other social media accounts
- Your online storefront or product homepage
- Your best lead magnet
Match your links to your goals
The links you choose to include in your bio landing page link will depend on what you want to achieve on that page.
If you want to build your email list, you can skip links to other social media accounts, but put your lead magnet and list subscription front and center.
But if you’re using Instagram or TikTok to boost your sales, you need to focus on your online storefront and the latest sale or giveaway.
Offer value, not pushy selling
If someone clicked your link in their Instagram or TikTok bio, they are looking for specific content. Make sure your landing page meets their expectations and doesn’t push them with intrusive offers.
Instead, focus on the value proposition. For example, you can:
- Offer exclusive deals or discounts to people who buy through your landing page.
- Link to your most read or most helpful piece of content
- Include useful information about you or your brand
Keep your bio link short
Both Instagram and TikTok display your full URL in your bio. So you want it to be something short and powerful.
Some links in biotools allow you to customize the URL. If you can do it, you should!
Individual links are effective, easy to remember, and more likely to generate clicks. Plus, they often look a lot less spammy.
And don’t worry if your tool can’t automatically generate a short URL. You can use a URL shortener tool like ow.ly available from the Hootsuite toolbar to create super fast links.
Use emoticons to highlight the “link in bio”call.
Once you have a very slick bio landing page link, you’ll want to put in the extra effort to drive traffic to your profile. One way to do this is to use emojis to draw attention to your link in the CTA bio.
However, there is no need to overdo it. You can highlight your call to action with a few well-placed emojis.
