Instagram Stories Links: 10 Creative Ways to Use the Swipe-Up Tool

Instagram Stories has become a ubiquitous functionality for the channel's addicts, translating to a fantastic business opportunity for social marketers. The ability to add links inside an Instagram story is a game-changer for companies trying to engage their followers while also driving IG ROI.

Make sure your brand is keeping its audience on its toes with the below 10 creative ways to use the swipe-up function in Instagram Stories.

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We previously laid out the multiple advantages of switching to an Instagram business account, and one of our points included the ability to add links in your Instagram Stories. If your profile has racked up 10K followers and more, you're golden. To quote myself, this tool is your oyster.

Why?

• It can help drive significant website traffic.
• You can literally promote anything your brand is trying to get its consumers to see.
• Your link destinations can bring your audience more value, which in turn makes users more into your brand.
• You can drive sales directly or indirectly, the latter being through assisting customers with product discovery and information.
• What you link to can help complete your brand story and continue your audience's brand journey.

Essentially, adding a link to any of your Instagram Stories for people to swipe upwards and onto a destination of your choosing is a major marketing opportunity that should not be neglected. The best part is that you can indulge your ROI while making it super fun for your followers all at once.

If you're short on ideas and not entirely sure how to not sound super salesy (reminder: that's a huge no-no), then you're going to want to keep reading. We drummed up ten super creative ways to use the Instagram Stories swipe-up tool to further engage your followers, consequently creating deeper bonds and stronger connections.

Let's just chat CTAs real quick before getting into it. It's important to think about busting out your most efficient call-to-actions to compel your audience into following your orders. The only way to figure out what works for your brand is to do some testing: try out some different prompts to see what effectively incites your people, pay attention to what gets the most swipes and for what type of content to fully maximize your Stories strategy. You got this. 💪

Now for the main event!

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1. Your Newsletter Signup Page Or Swipe up to Email

There's no business out there that's not trying to get more email signups, and that goes for every single industry. A really cool visual accompanied by a direct link to subscribe to your newsletter is a brilliant tactic to lure people into the email fold.

Make your prompting image or video one that speaks to why they should subscribe. What kind of cool stuff will they be seeing in their inbox if they come through on your mailing list? That hook has to be on point for the bait to bite.

If it's worthwhile for users, newsletter signup pages are fantastic because it's low commitment: it takes two seconds and people can opt out at any time if they want.

2. Your Company Blog

Your social channels exist not only to be product-pushing machines, but also to establish your company as an entity with a voice and a point of view. Certainly your corporate blog publishes cool content that serves your brand and plunges your consumers even deeper into your world.

A brand blog is awesome because it's one of the prime communication tools of this generation, coming off as a genuine means to connect. There's something that feels personal about a blog—even if it's by a business—and that lends your brand extra authenticity brownie points.

While you're promoting your latest article on your Instagram Stories, be sure to insert the link to it for your followers to swipe up and read it right then and there.

3. Your YouTube Channel

If your business has a YouTube channel, Insta Stories are a key spot to promote it. Real talk: people are obsessed with YouTube, especially younger Millennials and Gen Z. It's a medium that rakes in some of the industry's highest engagement—videos feel personal and relatable because they put a personality on display.

With that said, if you've got a YouTube channel, you should one hundred percent be cross-promoting it in your Stories. Give viewers a little teaser on a story card and add the link to the full video so your followers can head over to view the whole thing (and also subscribe while they're at it, amiright).

4. A Product You're Demoing

Are you producing an Instagram story to demonstrate an item, or maybe you're a cosmetic brand that's giving a tutorial on how to use a specific product? Using Stories to creatively showcase something's functionality with either some static images or videos will make people want to learn more about it. Slide that product URL into the link slot to give your audience all the additional info it might need to come to a decision to buy.

You'll notice this to be the list's most obvious pointer, but you must make things worthwhile with a value-add as opposed to a straight up selling ploy. Solely adding these links to product stories doesn't do much for brand connectivity. The goal is to engage people while giving them a new need they never knew they had. It's an art, and as a social marketer, you got this.

5. A Contest

Alright folks, riddle me this: do you love free stuff or the promise thereof? Same. That means your followers also feel this way. If you're running a rad contest with a ridiculously amazing megaprize, your Instagram Stories are THE prime spot to be announcing it. It's a sweet way to add value to your people's lives while doubling down as a means to collect loads of entries (and perhaps also newsletter signups simultaneously? Just a thought).

6. A Playlist

Nothing says "We have personality! We're cool!" like a music playlist. If your brand often creates themed playlists on Spotify, your Instagram Stories is a really prime spot to give them exposure while gaining new Spotify followers... and ultimately boosting your street cred, natch.

7. A Product Category

Did your latest collection or line of products just drop and you've concocted some killer stories media to introduce your lookbook? That's awesome.

Instead of adding specific product pages to your story links, think of adding the collection's landing page for your consumers to discover it as a whole on site. Not only is it extra stuff for people to look at (and potentially slide into a wishlist), but it's also a more seamless transition from the story.

8. A Recipe

Whether you're a lifestyle brand or a publisher, if you're incorporating the very hot topic of food into your Insta Stories, you best feed your people. Whether you've published an article about a specific dish or having a foodie take over your account to make a meal, people are going to want details.

Input that recipe link to preemptively avoid DMs about it and to become your audience's mouth-watering reference.

9. A Reservation Page

If your business is a service or a restaurant, prompting your followers to make a reservation and then actually serving them the rez page is a genius tactic to get more folks through your doors. People often make appointments at the last minute, and sometimes all they need is a nudge at the right moment.

Make your story visual about your service or your space and your followers won't be able to resist putting you on their calendar.

10. A Special Sale

Is all your merch on sale? Or maybe you're running a special because it's National Donut Day? Either way, it's an awesome thing to broadcast through your Stories, along with a link to it. People might not buy right then an there (unless they've been eyeing something and are ready to pull the trigger), but it allows them to browse and make mental notes to go back to later.

There are countless ways to engage your audience through the link in your Instagram Stories, and there are so many advantages that come with doing so. A great creative paired with an effective CTA is all it takes. The more value you can bring to your fans, the likelier they are to become emotionally connected to your brand, which ultimately translates to your bottom line.

Now get linking!