Living in a “Link in Bio” World

The phrase “link in bio” has become part of our modern lexicon.

You, or any creator or small business you know, can say these three magic words and immediately make someone stop scrolling and head to that tiny but powerful link in your social media bio.

Because that’s just what a link in bio is: a clickable link in the bio section of a social media profile.

This single link usually directs your audience to a landing page with additional content and links relevant to your prospective customer or brand.

We’re using the term broadly here, not referring to any specific platform—still, with the words “link in bio,” audiences will expect to open a mini landing page or a microsite experience with multiple links.

But how many links are too many? We’ll get into that below.

Benefits of this Single Link

A link in bio is a powerful top-of-funnel marketing tool that can help pique interest and drive action among your current and prospective audience or customer base.

Folks can grab your freebie, learn more about you or a seasonal promotion, or purchase from you after discovering you on [insert social media platform here.]

Think TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, and more.

Almost every social media platform allows you to enter one URL in your profile.

And they limit the number of clickable links you can share directly in posts.

Some platforms, like Instagram—in seemingly direct competition with the link in bio tools we’ll also explore below—now let you enter more than one URL in your bio.

But one link is best. 

Don’t overwhelm your audience.

Fewer links = fewer options = easier to convert an action.

The goal: make the most of that one link.

While I love a jam-packed, value-driven link in bio, there are pros and cons to using “link in bio” tools (like the ones offered by Linktree, LikeShop, or Later), and I’ll share tips on how to best optimize that one magical link.

Here are seven pros and cons of using a link in your bio, why I don’t use a tool for it (my secret hack is below), and how the link-in-bio experience has evolved—plus, is the phrase “link in bio” dead? 😮

🔗 Let’s get link-y.

Link in Bio as Part of Your Marketing Strategy

A “link in bio” is crucial in the top-of-funnel marketing experience.

It’s the gateway for potential customers who discover you online and want to learn more.

When someone stumbles upon your content and clicks on the link in your bio, they are invited to explore your brand further—whether that’s shopping your products, signing up for your newsletter, or engaging with other key content or actions aligned with your marketing strategy.

Ultimately, social media platforms are discoverability tools. And your link in bio is a tool that directs people on how to engage with you or your brand further.

A link in bio offers a seamless way to guide new audiences down the marketing funnel, turning curiosity into meaningful engagement.

7 Pros and Cons of a Link in Bio Tool

Pros:

1. You Can Share Many Links: The most significant benefit of a link in bio tool is your ability to share many links through one URL. If you or your business offers a variety of products, promotions, services, or content, this all-in-one link makes it easy to present them to the world. But even if you don’t have boatloads of things to link out to, your link in bio page should still do the following, at a bare minimum: inform and drive action.
2. You Can Track Clicks: Many link in bio tools offer tracking analytics to give you insights into what people click on most. This data can inform your content strategy and help you optimize your marketing efforts.
3. You Can Customize Your Page: Link in bio tools often allow for some customization so you can align the landing page with your brand’s look and feel—visual consistency is essential for brand awareness.
4. It’s Generally Free and Easy to Use: With user-friendly interfaces (for you and your audience), setting up and managing your link in bio is typically easy and straightforward, even if your tech skills are limited. You might consider booking a 1:1, and we’ll get you set up together (with a clear strategy on which links to include), or you might DIY it with some of the documentation provided by the popular link in bio tools and platforms.

Cons:

1. It’s Another Platform You Have to Manage: Using a link in bio tool means adding one more platform to your stack, which could be overwhelming for small business owners who already juggle multiple tools and tasks.
2. Brand Limitations: While customization is available, it’s often limited to the constraints of the respective link in bio tool or platform. This limit on creativity might not be an issue for you, but know that your link in bio page will look like everyone else’s (short of a color change here or there). You’ll lack originality and flexibility to maximize your page, which could be a downside.
3. Potential for Old and Broken Links: If the tool you use goes out of business or you decide to stop using or updating it, all the links you’ve shared could break or expire, which leads to a poor user experience—it doesn’t make for a great first impression when someone first discovers you online.

How to Optimize Your Link in Bio

Optimizing the link in your bio involves more than just adding random links.

Here’s how to do it strategically and effectively:

1. Prioritize Your Links: Determine which links are most important to your business goals. Whether it’s driving traffic to your online store, promoting an affiliate link or new product, or encouraging sign-ups for your newsletter, prioritize accordingly.
2. Update Regularly: Keep your link in bio fresh by updating it regularly with new content. This update could be a new blog post, press hit, seasonal promotion, or limited-time offer.
3. Use Urgent and Compelling CTAs: Each link should have a clear call to action (CTA). For example, instead of just saying “Shop,” try “Shop Our Summer Collection” or “Grab Your 20% Off Now.”
4. Leverage Analytics: Use the analytics provided by your link in bio tool to understand what’s working and what’s not. If a link isn’t getting clicks, consider rephrasing the CTA or removing it from your list. Keep what converts. Hide what doesn’t.

What to Include in Your Link

Now that you know how to optimize your link in bio, what should you include? Here are some ideas:

1. Your Website: This is the most obvious choice, but it is still worth mentioning. Direct traffic to your homepage or a specific landing page that aligns with your current goals or promotion.
2. Latest Content: Promote your most recent blog post, podcast episode, or YouTube video to keep followers engaged with your most recent work.
3. Shop or Product Pages: If you sell products or are an affiliate, include a direct link to your shop or specific product pages, especially if you’re running a promotion.
4. Email Newsletter Sign-Up: Grow your email list by including a link to sign up for your newsletter. Consider offering a lead magnet, like a discount or free guide, to entice sign-ups.
5. Social Proof: Include links to customer reviews, testimonials, or case studies to build trust with potential customers. Depending on the level of customization on your link in bio tool, you might display a testimonial or two right on the page.

Link in Bio Tools (Examples)

Here are some popular link in bio tools:

• Linktree: One of the most well-known tools, Linktree offers a simple way to create a landing page with multiple links.
• LikeShop: This tool replicates your feed so users tap on an image versus a text link to take them to their page of interest. This tool is popular with digital magazines and publications that publish super frequently. It’s a more visual experience.
• Later: While I use Later to plan and automate social media posts, Later also offers a link in bio tool that it describes as “a mini web page built into your social profiles [so you can] drive traffic to all your content from a single link.” Later is another option that you can use to streamline your workflow since it combines post scheduling and a link in bio tool all in one platform.

Link in Bio Alternative

A link in bio tool or platform is an easy, fool-proof way to get your landing page with links up and running.

However, I prefer to build a one-pager on my website for data, tracking, creative flexibility, and ownership.

I hack my own link-in-bio experience by creating a rogue, hidden page on my website designed explicitly to copy the link-in-bio experience consumers are used to.

 

 

Why?

If I run ads in the future, I can target users who have visited my domain.

When the “link in bio” page is on my website, I own my data and traffic, unlike a third-party platform.

If any of the aforementioned platforms were to poof and disappear or change their prices or page layouts, I’d be at their mercy.

I’d prefer not to rely on any third party to house my links or force the way my links appear.

Creating a unique page on my website as the gateway allows me to keep better creative and analytical control.

I’d simply take the URL of that page and use it as the link in my bio.

How the Link in Bio Has Evolved

Is the phrase “link in bio” outdated, or worse, dead? No.

But it’s no secret that most social media platforms want you to keep the action on their platforms.

It’s better for their bottom line when your audience engages with you on their platform versus you taking them off the platform. So, more tools and digital behaviors now exist that have evolved the engagement experience.

The “link in bio” play is still in action, but you may have seen more of this, particularly on Instagram:

• “DM me the word ____ for _____,” or
• “Comment the word _____ for _____”

This behavior is still a top-of-funnel action that gets people in your marketing flywheel.

But notice the action is about commenting and direct messaging on the platform.

These behaviors are made possible by a chat automation tool like Manychat.

You can still take advantage of the discoverability offered by a platform like Instagram, but in addition to driving audiences to your “link in bio” page, you can send the same links via automation as a direct message triggered by a comment or a DM.

There are many ways to get the perfect links to your ideal audience, and the “link in bio” lives on!

In Summary

A link in bio (whether you use a tool or platform or build a page yourself) is an essential part of your social media strategy and overall web presence, especially for creators, entrepreneurs, and small businesses.

When you optimize the link in your bio, you can automate and drive more traffic to your key content or products, grow your audience, and automate and control how your leads and prospective customers enter your marketing funnel and overall ethos.

Happy linking!

About the Author