Stop Putting THIS in Your Instagram Captions!
Why You Should Never Put Website Links in Your Instagram Caption (And What to Do Instead!)
As an Instagram coach, I’ve worked with dozens of small business owners—coffee shops, boutiques, independent makers—helping them harness the marketing power of Instagram to grow their followers and increase sales. And yet, I still see one common mistake that’s costing businesses valuable engagement: adding website links or email addresses to Instagram captions.
If I could play that Family Fortunes game show noise—ugh-urrr ❌—every time I see it, I would!
Why You Shouldn’t Put Links in Instagram Captions
The short answer? You can’t click on them!
And when it comes to Instagram marketing, user behaviour is everything. Think about how people scroll on Instagram: they do it almost without thinking. Sitting at a bus stop. Waiting for a friend in the pub. If your post is so intriguing that they stop scrolling to read your caption, don’t lose them by giving them something they can’t do anything with—like a link they can’t click on!
The Harsh Reality: People Won’t Copy and Paste Your Link
I recently saw a discussion in a Facebook group where someone suggested that people might screenshot a caption, go into their camera roll, manually copy the link, and then paste it into Safari. Let’s get real—they are not doing that. Instead, they’re scrolling right past. And when you lose their interest, you lose the opportunity for engagement and sales.
What to Do Instead
Instagram is a platform built for engagement, so make it easy for people to take action. Here are three ways to drive traffic without dropping non-clickable links in your caption:
- Direct Them to Your Link in Bio
- The classic call-to-action: Click the link in my bio!
- Keep it simple and specific: Want to see my full menu? Tap the link in bio!
- Use a link-in-bio tool like Linktree or Milkshake to organise multiple links in one place.
- How much better is to do this:
- Encourage Comments Instead
- The easiest way to start a conversation and get people engaging is to ask them to comment.
- Example: Comment “MENU” below, and I’ll send you a link to view our latest offers!
- While your following is still manageable, you can manually reply with links. As you grow, use automation tools like ManyChat to handle responses for you.
- Use Instagram Stories for Links
- Everyone now has access to the Link sticker in Stories, so take advantage of it!
- Use Stories to drive traffic directly to your website or ask followers to DM you for more details.
- Pair the link with engaging stickers like polls or questions to increase interaction.
Make It Easy for Your Audience to Take Action
Instagram success isn’t just about what you post; it’s about making it easy for people to take the next step. Whether that’s leaving a comment, tapping your bio link, or replying to a Story, your goal is to remove friction and make engagement a no-brainer.
So next time you’re tempted to drop a website link in your caption, remember this: keep it clickable, keep it simple, and keep it engaging!
Want more Instagram tips for small businesses? Come and find me on Instagram HERE!
Category: Insta Tips, Marketing