How to Add a Swipe Up Link to Instagram Story

Have you often tried to figure out how to add a link to the Instagram story? It has been a while since we all have been seeing this swipe up link in many videos shared in the form of the Instagram story feature. Any movie trailer playing as an Instagram story is certainly going to show up the swipe up feature at the bottom of the screen that can take us directly to the YouTube platform for viewing the complete trailer.

In this blog, we will learn more about the swipe up link feature of Instagram in detail. Instagram is really popular these days among people because of the many options that it provides to stay connected with friends & family.

What is a Swipe Up Feature of Instagram

This is quite an amazing feature on Instagram to direct more traffic to the website or YouTube video. Thus, it can be considered an effective marketing tool that can transform the website traffic numbers instantly and effortlessly. This link can be seen at the bottom of your mobile screen when you are playing an Instagram story. The Instagram swipe up feature often beckons users to simply perform the swipe motion on the screen to directly visit the product’s page of the business site or YouTube video.

Here’s how it looks like.

Once a user gets to the right destination, after that, any business can expect to witness a rise in conversions happening on their website – the more conversions, the better the growth of the business. Therefore, adding a link to Instagram stories is gaining popularity among businesses and artists day by day.

This is the first time that businesses can provide direct links to their promotional videos, new products launched and any other necessary event that needs to catch their customer’s attention. Before this, people could only add links in the bio of the Instagram profile and urge people to click the link there. It was certainly not a sure shot method to gain website or video traffic because many times, consumers might find it a time taking process and hence avoid clicking on the link in the bio. Clicking the swipe up link of the Instagram story can seem as a quicker and convenient option to users now.

But the important criteria that has to be met before utilizing the swipe up feature of Instagram is to have 10000 followers on a business account of Instagram. This feature is, therefore, a boon only for verified Instagram accounts.

Effects of the Swipe Up Feature of Instagram

The main benefit of using the swipe up link of Instagram is facilitating consumers and users with an instant action point to reach the video or product instead of making them take the prolonged route of going via the link provided in the bio section of the Instagram profile page. Thus, every time there is a new product or video, businesses can simply have the customers click on the video or website link available on the bottom of the Instagram story.

Who can add the swipe up link on the Instagram story

An important criterion has to be met before utilizing the swipe up feature of Instagram. As per the current restrictions imposed by Instagram, you have to fulfill the conditions shared here to access the swipe up link functionality.

• Have 10000 followers on a business account of Instagram.

                                         OR

• Become a verified Instagram account.

This feature is, therefore, a boon only for verified Instagram accounts and business accounts with more than 10000 followers.

How to Insert Swipe Up Link to Instagram Story

To know how to add a link on the Instagram story,  you can follow the below steps if you already have a large number of follower base.

Step 1: First, you need to add a story by either capturing a photo or video directly from the Instagram app camera or by choosing an image or video content directly from your albums.

Step 2: Then, click on the chain like icon located above when you are editing the story before posting it.

Step 3: Further, click on the ‘+ URL’ option to add the web link of the web-page or the video.

Step 4: After this, enter the URL in the specific field and then click on ‘Done’ that can be spotted above in the top right corner of the screen.

Step 5: Now, once you publish the story, you will be able to view the ‘see more’ or ‘learn more’ text with the upward caret at the bottom of the screen, which the followers can then use to swipe up. This way, the Instagram swipe up feature appears on the bottom of the story in 4 simple steps.

Other Ways to share a link on Instagram story

Instagrammers who don’t have 10K followers can still provide useful links to promotional videos and products by sharing a link with their users on the Instagram story. This can be done in the following ways:

1. IGTV Videos with a Link

People who want to promote their content on Instagram can upload their videos on IGTV to access the link feature button. You can put the URL on the IGTV caption of the video. Once you are done posting your video on IGTV, you can also add it to your Instagram stories by clicking on the link icon and then selecting the ‘+IGTV video’ option instead of the ‘add URL option.’ This way, the swipe up feature of Instagram automatically appears in the story without even having 10K followers.

2. Use DM or Poll to Directly Send the Link to your Followers

To publicise your content you can share your Instagram story with your followers and either use the poll feature or urge followers to use the direct message facility available at the bottom of the story to obtain the link from you instead of adding a direct link to your Instagram story.

Ways to Obtain 10 K Followers

If you are still wondering how to obtain 10K followers, then read ahead to know some of the best practices to gain followers quickly.

• Make sure to post regularly.
• Ensure that your content is relevant, engaging, entertaining and useful to your followers.
• Interact more with the help of polls, Q&As, etc.
• Optimize your page and keep your profile updated.
• Most importantly, ensure to use a business or professional account as followers can easily find and follow you.
• Join pod groups. These can beat the algorithm by initiating and receiving quick engagement on your posts and stories, which will automatically push your post on the top of everyone’s Instagram feed.
• Get help from Instagram Insights to track the performance of your account.
• Use hashtags, geotags and also ensure to tag brands.

OK, now I know how to meet the required conditions and add swipe up link to my Instagram story, but how a swipe up link is going to help me. If this is what you are pondering about, then below is your answer. Here are the benefits that a swipe up link gives you.

What benefits can the Instagram swipe up feature give you

The Instagram swipe up feature is not only helpful in promoting the products and services of a business but also increasing the popularity of your account. Here is how it helps you.

Blog Post Promotion

We believe that there is no better way to promote a recent blog post other than an Instagram story. Even if a person is scrolling through the stories purposelessly, he stops at a story promoting a blog post with a swipe up link. The only condition is that the graphics of the story must be clear and interesting enough to attract the attention of the viewer. To ensure that the graphics are clear and attractive, you must create them withing the right dimensions, fonts, and colors. Below is an example of a story promoting a blog post.

Product Promotion

Instagram is no longer merely a social networking application. It has now become a place where most of the product promotion happens. Recently, we have seen a lot of brands promoting their products and services on an Instagram story that contains a link to the product page. Well, earlier also brands promoted the products on Instagram. But, before the introduction of swipe up link feature, they used to add the product link in the bio. And, making users visit the profile to click the link present in bio was a tough thing to do for business. Now, you simply need to link the product page to the Instagram story via a swipe up link, and you will get visitors on the product page if the story is attractive enough. Click professional pictures of the product to ensure that the story attracts viewers. Below is an example for you.

Virtual Event Promotion

If you want to generate more turnout for your virtual event, then simply add the event graphics to the Instagram story with a swipe up link to the registration page. The swipe up link makes it easier for people to register for the event. Moreover, you can also share the story to make more people view and click on the registration link. Take inspiration from the example shared below.

Video Promotion

No matter whether you have posted a video on your website, Facebook, YouTube, or IGTV, promoting it via the Instagram story is a smart idea. Simply, add the video thumbnail and its direct swipe up link to your story so that your followers can immediately view it. Here is an example.

Lead Magnet Promotion

As per a recent study, 1 billion people are active on Instagram. This makes it the best place to promote lead magnets, i.e., ethical bribes to connect with a larger population. Below is an example of an Instagram swipe up story that promotes lead magnets.

Now, we know you are curious to know whether you are getting the above benefits from your Instagram swipe up story or not. Well, you can effortlessly analyze the performance of your story to know that it is proving advantageous to you or not. The below section shares the ways to do it.

How to analyze the performance of the Instagram story

You can analyze the performance of your Instagram within 14 days of posting it by implementing the ways shared below.

View story analytics through your profile

You can see your Instagram story analytics through the profile. Simply click the menu present on the top-right corner, select “Insights” from the drop-down menu, choose “Content,” and lastly select “Stories.” The images shared below explains the process clearly.

Check the story analytics via stories

Another way to view analytics is through stories. Simply click on your story and swipe up. You will see a graph like icon, click on it. Now, you can have a look at the performance of the story by clicking on the eye icon. Here is a picture explaining the process.

If you are not satisfied with the performance of the Instagram story, then do not worry. Here, we have got a bonus for you. Below are the tips to drive more traffic to your story and make it perform better.

Pro tips to drive more traffic to Instagram story

• Post a preview of the story on your profile’s main feed.
• Save the story as a highlight.
• Use other social media platforms to promote the story.
• Post interactive stories that encourage the active participation of the audience.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

For further assistance on the topic, you can check out these frequently asked questions (FAQs) for help:

How can I remove an Instagram Story?

You can easily remove the Instagram story with the help of some small steps. Just tap on the story you want to remove, then tap on viewers, and then tap on the delete icon to remove the story.

How long does an Instagram story stay up for?

All the Instagram stories last for 24 hours from the time of posting. You can not change this time. However, you can remove the story before the completion of 24 hours if you want with the help of the above-stated method.

What is the difference between Instagram Story and Instagram post?

The basic difference between the Instagram story and post is that the post remains on your Instagram account until removed, while the Instagram story lasts for a maximum of 24 hours only. The Instagram posts are visible on the news feeds of your followers while the Instagram story is visible on the stories section of the app or website.

What is the time limit for every Instagram story?

The maximum time limit for every Instagram story is 15 secs. If you wish to upload a longer video as a story, it will get chopped into different parts.

Can I put someone’s Instagram story as my story?

Yes, you can easily put someone else’s Instagram story as your story if they have an open account or no story restrictions otherwise. Just open the story you want to upload on your profile, tap on the arrow icon on the bottom of the screen, and select your profile to put it as your story.

Now, Easily Add a Swipe Up Link to Instagram Story

To wrap up the article, we would recommend the readers to use the various tips and tricks suggested in the article above to promote your business, products, or videos. Also, keep yourself updated with the latest trends to gain benefits. You certainly learned about the simple steps that can help to add a link to Instagram stories along with ways to share the link of your website or video without using the link feature. You can always take your pick from the methods in this article.