Even if you’ve only seen a few posts on Instagram or TikTok, you will have likely come across the phrase ‘link in bio’. It pops up everywhere, from your favorite brand’s product posts to the latest snap from that #CottageCore account you follow.

But what does ‘link in bio’ actually mean? Why are people always using it? And should you get in on the action too? Let’s find out!

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What does “link in bio” mean?

Creators on Instagram and TikTok use the phrase “link in bio” to tell their audience they can get more information related to a post by clicking the URL in their bio.

Anyone can add a link to their bio on Instagram and any Business account holder can add one to their TikTok. Once there, creators draw attention to the link by mentioning it in the content they post.

‘Link in bio’ is the only way Instagram and TikTok creators with fewer than 10,000 followers can send people off-platform. Accounts with more than 10,000 followers are allowed to add links to their Stories.

Most creators use their Instagram and TikTok bio link to send viewers to one of six things:

• Their website
• Their other social media profiles
• A blog
• A product page
• An online shop

… or all of the above (more on this later).

Where is the link in bio on Instagram?

On Instagram, you’ll find the ‘link in bio’ in the short description at the very top of a user’s profile. It sits underneath other important information like number of posts and follower count.

Venture North, an organisation that promotes tourism in north Scotland, uses its link in bio to direct its audience to its website.

Where is the link in bio on TikTok?

To keep things simple, the bio link is in exactly the same place on TikTok. It can be found inside the bio at the very top of a creator’s profile page.

How to put a link in your Instagram bio

Adding a link to your Instagram bio is a simple process. So simple in fact that you can get it done in just three short steps.

1. Click ‘Edit profile’ at the top of your profile page

2. Enter your target URL (the link you want to promote) in the ‘Website’ box

3. Click ‘Submit’ at the bottom of the page

And, just like that, you’ve added a link to your Instagram bio.

Quick tip! If you don’t see the link when you navigate back to your profile, you probably forgot to hit ‘Submit’ before navigating away from the page.

How to put a link in your TikTok bio

The process is similar on TikTok. However, currently, most users need a Business account to add a link to their bio.

If you have a Creator account on TikTok and don’t have access to the link in bio feature, the first thing you need to do is switch to a Business account. To do it:

1. Click on TikTok menu icon

2. Click ‘Manage account’

3. Select ‘Switch to Business Account’

4. Choose the category that best describes your business

5. Click ‘Next’

Now that’s done, 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 feature on your profile

4. Click ‘Save’

You now have a link in your TikTok bio.

How to add a link in bio with multiple links

The problem with the bio link feature on both Instagram and TikTok is that you can only have one. You can’t post links anywhere else on these platforms, so you have to get crafty to optimize your one opportunity.

For most creators, that means turning one link into multiple links using a landing page.

Simply create a landing page containing all of the links you want to showcase and add a link to that landing page to your Instagram or TikTok bio.

And if that’s starting to sound a little complicated. Don’t fret, because there are plenty of tools available to help you easily create a multilink landing page.

Link in bio tools

Create a link in 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.

With the free version, you’ll get templates with some customisation options and access to a simple statistics interface so you can see how your page is performing.

If you pay $6 per month to go Pro, you’ll be able to remove Linktree’s logo from your landing page, access better analytics and customisation options, as well as Linktree’s social media retargeting feature.

Create a one-click bio with Hootsuite

If you use Hootsuite to manage your social media, you can create a link tree from your dashboard using oneclick-bio.

With oneclick-bio, you can create simple link in bio landing pages with text-filled buttons like those offered by Linktree. But you can also add social media links 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 in-platform, you can add clickable links to the images in your one-click.bio.

So, anyone navigating to your landing page from your Instagram or TikTok account will be able to access a clickable version of the post they were interested in.

Find out how to create a one-click.bio landing page here.

Create a landing page with Unbounce

If you’ve got a bit more time on your hands and would prefer a completely customisable link in bio landing page, you can create one using 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 Link in bio tips to drive more traffic to your website

Highlight your most important links

Less is more when it comes to multi-link landing pages. Resist the urge to include every link under the sun. The last thing you want is to distract people from what’s important.

Good things to highlight on your link in bio landing page include:

• Your website home page
• Your latest or most popular piece of content
• Information about a sale, promotion or giveaway
• Links to your other social media accounts
• Your online storefront or top product page
• Your best performing lead magnet

Match your links to your goals

What links you choose to include in your link in bio landing page will depend on what you want it to achieve.

If you want to build your email list, you might skip the other social media account links but put your lead magnet and list sign up front and centre.

On the other hand, if you’re on Instagram or TikTok to drive sales, you’ll want to focus attention on your online storefront and latest sale or giveaway.

Offer value, not the hard sell

Someone who’s followed a ‘link in bio’ request from Instagram or TikTok is probably new to your content. So, it’s best to avoid the hard sell on your landing page.

Focus instead on offering value. For example, you could:

• Offer exclusive deals or discounts for people who buy via your landing page
• Link to your most-read or most useful piece of content
• Include a good introduction to you or your brand

Keep your link in 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 link in bio tools allow you to customise your URL. If you can do it, you should!

You can use this space to mention your brand name and include a call to action. For example:

www.mybrand.ca/learnmore

www.mybrand.ca/sayhello

www.mybrand.ca/shopnow

www.mybrand.ca/welcome

Customised links are impactful, easy to remember and more likely to inspire clicks.

And don’t worry if you can’t create a short URL at source. You can use a URL shortening tool like ow.ly, accessible from the Hootsuite dashboard, to create ultra snappy links.

Use emojis to highlight your in-post ‘link in bio’ call out

Once you have a super sleek link in bio landing page, you’ll want to try extra hard to drive traffic to your profile. One way to do it is to use emojis to draw attention to your link in bio CTA.

You don’t have to go full gen Z though. One or two well-placed emojis is all it takes.

Drive traffic to your website from Instagram using Hootsuite and manage the rest of your social profiles in one place. From a single dashboard, you can schedule and publish posts, engage your followers, monitor relevant conversations, measure results, manage your ads, and much more.

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