If you’ve been on Instagram for a few years, you’ve likely watched the evolution of influencer marketing.
And a tell-tale sign of influencer marketing? The wiping function.
I can remember countless hours scrolling through stories and hearing my favorite influencers encourage me, “Swipe up, swipe up!” (My bank account also remembers …)
But – as of August 30th – the option to swipe up is no longer available. Instead, Instagram has replaced it with a new link sticker that works in practically the same way: it enables users to link to external websites.
Here we’ll explore why Instagram ditched the swipe-up and how HubSpot (and other brands) used the sticker tool instead.
Why Instagram is getting rid of the swipe up
Back in June 2021, Vishal Shah, former Instagram product manager, told The Verge that they were testing an alternative to Instagram’s popular swipe-up feature that would allow reminder influencers to direct viewers to external links.
As Shah dem Verge announced, stickers fit better into the existing Instagram infrastructure. He said, “[This test] brings links into a similar overall system, which is also very useful from a system-technical point of view. “
In August, Instagram announced that stickers would replace the swipe-up function. In a statement, an Instagram spokesperson said stickers would “streamline the story-creating experience” and offer more “creative control”.
What does that mean exactly? Well, unlike the swipe-up feature, which looked the same for everyone, link stickers can be customized based on color, text, size, and placement within the story.
Plus – perhaps for the best – viewers can still get engaged with the story by reacting to or responding to what the swipe-up feature had previously prevented.
Here is an example of what I mean. On the left phone shown below, you can see an older HubSpot Stories post with a “See More” -CTA at the bottom – the so-called swipe function.
On the right, you’ll see a newer HubSpot Stories post with a “Visit Link” CTA that appears when you click the link:
It’s important to note – similar to the swipe-up feature, the new link sticker will only be available for verified accounts or accounts with more than 10,000 followers. (At least for now.)
Adding links as stickers makes sense for Instagram’s creative alignment as most of the other features are already available in sticker form (including polls, questions, and location stickers).
To investigate how social media teams are using the new link sticker, I spoke to HubSpot’s social team. Next, let’s dive into their advice.
How HubSpot’s social media teams are preparing
I spoke to Kelsi Yamada, a marketing manager for social media campaigns at HubSpot, to find out how the team prepared for the sticker swap.
Yamada told me, “The biggest piece of advice I have is that the sticker take up space. You could use the swipe-up feature to insert a link without it being part of the creative, but [the link sticker] actually needs some screen space. “
When adding a sticker, think about how it can match the aesthetics of the post. If your stories all follow the same visual theme, consider styling your sticker around that theme.
Yamada adds, “I also think the link sticker has a character limit. So be prepared to create custom vanity links or make it very clear where the link goes – for example, for a product announcement we wanted to use bit .ly, but since it showed up as a bit.ly link on the sticker we decided to just use hubspot.com/new to make it look more authentic. “
Next, let’s dive into some additional best practices brands can follow when incorporating the link sticker into their stories.
How brands can navigate
Similar to the swipe-up function, the link sticker enables brands to advertise new product pages, upcoming events or the company’s homepage.
But these links should be used sparingly. If every story you post includes a link to take followers elsewhere, your followers will get tired of clicking.
Additionally, you want your link to be as relevant as possible to the content. If you’re posting about an upcoming product announcement, don’t link to your home page – direct followers straight to the product landing page.
Here are a few other actions you can encourage followers to do with the link sticker:
- Drive traffic to your other social media accounts. For example, you can post a short clip of a branded YouTube video and paste the link to the full video.
- Increase traffic to your blog by posting content related to the blog post with a link to the full article.
- Create promotional offers directly from Instagram. Encourage followers to click a story link for a 10% discount, win a giveaway, etc. This can help you increase engagement on Instagram as well as increase sales.
Here are a few clever examples of how brands are using the new link sticker.
1. ASHYA
ASHYA, a bag and luggage brand based in New York City, recently created a story post highlighting the company’s new fall bag.
The design of the post is minimalistic to draw attention to the new product – and to make sure users aren’t distracted, ASHYA’s link sticker (which points directly to the product page) is gray and white and blends in well in the background.
2. Lil ‘Libros®
Lil ‘Libros®, a bookstore that sells adorable bilingual picture books for children, created a story post to draw attention to an upcoming book signing. The post uses a mix of brown, black and white colors – and the brightly colored blue link sticker perfectly matches the theme of the post.
In addition, Lil ‘Libros® brought the sticker to the attention of the user by adding text with a “click link” arrow that directs users directly to the sticker. Think about how you could similarly style your post around the sticker to show the followers exactly what you are asking of them.
3. Neatly nested
Boston-based home interior store, Neatly Nested, has a clean, sophisticated theme for its Instagram posts. In the post shown below, the team uses neutral and brown tones to highlight their new fall collection. The sticker below is the same color as the background and is placed under the photo to make sure nothing is distracted by it.
And there you have it! You are well on your way to using the Link sticker like a pro. Remember – as with anything social media, you want to do the best for your audience above all else.
When testing the link sticker, keep an eye on which types of links are generating the most traffic. Over time, you can iterate your strategy to engage more of your audience. Have fun linking!
