How to make money using your Instagram link in bio (& best options to use)

How can I use an Instagram biolink to make money?

Let’s think about this from the perspective of your ideal follower for a second. Say they stumble across your profile after finding your content through the Explore page or on the new Suggested feed.

The first thing they’ll do is check out your bio. If it resonates with them and aligns with the content they’re searching for, they’ll start binging your grid posts.

Then if your content is educating, entertaining or inspiring them, they may head over to your link in bio and click it. Whatever is in your link in bio may be the difference between them following you, becoming loyal to your personal brand, and purchasing whatever digital products you offer in your bio link - versus them tapping off your profile (never to visit again).

Your bio link is a portal to countless direct or indirect ways to make money - for instance, directing them to your podcast, enabling you to get more listeners and in turn charge more for sponsored ads, or directly selling them your 1-on-1 consulting services or affiliate links. Keep reading for more on insights into making money using your Instagram bio link.

Did you know? 85% of marketers would pay extra to work with influencers with social media insurance

6 ways to make money using your Instagram link in bio

The link you choose to have in your profile bio depends on your Instagram goals. Here are some of the most popular options.

1. Link to another social media platform

According to Backlinko, the average user was active on 6.6 social media platforms per month in 2021.

Is Instagram only one of your core social media platforms? Are you trying to grow your TikTok, Twitter, YouTube or Facebook account (etc.) too?

In this case, consider putting a link to your second preferred platform in your IG bio. This will drive your Instagram audience to your other channel so you can increase its views, likes, comments and follows. And as a result, charge more from brands for sponsorships.

2. Link to your blog or podcast

Likewise, if your goal is to generate more blog post views or podcast listens, you can direct Instagram users to your blog or podcast using a link in bio.

This will build awareness of your presence on these platforms, potentially leading to more engagement, new subscribers, and more money from ads.

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3. Link to your portfolio or LinkedIn

Do you sell a service alongside content creating for a living, such as photography or graphic design? If so, consider having your online portfolio or resume in your link in bio.

You can use a free portfolio hosting website like Crevado, Behance or Dribbble to get started. Alternatively, you can create your own website for free using Wix or Squarespace for $12 per month.

In terms of showing off an online resume, you can always use your LinkedIn URL.

4. Link to your online store or landing page

Research shows that 70% of online shoppers look to Instagram for their next purchase. If you’re selling products or services, it’s a great idea to have your online store link in your Insta bio. Sending your IG audience to your online store will increase your website traffic, product or service page views and maybe even sales.

Another option is to link to a landing page where you have information about a product or service. You can create one on your own website in hardly any time at all.

On the other hand, you use software like Leadpages or ClickFunnels that will help you create landing pages to achieve a specific conversion event. This could be getting people to sign up to your email list using a lead magnet, or purchase your product or service.

5. Link to your “About” or “Services” page

Again, if you have something to sell, you can link to an “About” page in your bio. Whether this page is hosted on your own website or through landing page software, it will allow your Insta audience to get to know you and your background better.

This personal info can be especially effective for building trust with the target audience of your product or service. The “know, like, trust” factor in marketing helps your prospects to understand what you’re offering and believe in your brand, which is essential for acquiring new sales or clients.

6. Share your affiliate link(s)

Are you signed up to an affiliate program (or programs)? Join the 67% of affiliate marketers who already use social media to connect with their audience and make sales by popping your affiliate link(s) in your bio.

This will allow you to drive more traffic to the product page(s) where you earn a small commission if the website visitor makes a purchase. 

‍Fashion influencers are able to use platforms such as Like To Know It to create a shop page for multiple affiliate links. Alternatively, they can use a designated link-in-bio tool.

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How to add a link in bio on Instagram

Adding a link in bio on Instagram is very simple:

1. Log into the link-in-bio tool you're using, and copy your unique URL
2. Go to your Instagram profile
3. Tap on "Edit Profile"
4. Tap on "Add links"
5. Tap "Add external link"
6. Paste your unique URL from the link-in-bio tool
7. Voila!

Instagram link in bio examples

Curious to see how other creators are using their link-in-bio to drive visitors to their other services and content? Here are a couple examples from two creator coaches:

Using Stan to promote a YouTube channel, a referral link, and a community membership

Content creator Juan Galan, who teaches people how to grow and monetize on Instagram, uses Stan's link-in-bio to lead users to his digital storefront. Note how his call-to-action (CTA) on his Instagram bio is "Subscribe to my YouTube channel" - an easy and free task, which helps increase the number of visitors to his Stan store. There he can promote his paid offerings, but the main thing is to get as many people to his store in the first place.

On his Stan store, note how he includes icons at the top of the page that link to his TikTok, Instagram, and email. He then promotes his YouTube channel, a brand's waitlist that he earns referral revenue from, and his paid membership community.

In doing so, he is able to boost three different revenue streams.

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Using a personal website to promote a paid membership, a paid resource, 1:1 mentorship, and a free course

Another content creator and business coach, Mya Nichol, uses her Instagram bio to link to her personal website, instead of paying for a dedicated link-in-bio tool. Note how she drives people from her Instagram bio to this webpage using the CTA, "Free Offer Quiz". Promoting a free resource while help increase the number of clicks on this link.

The link leads people to a page on her website, where she presents visitors with four options:

Her paid membership, her paid digital product to help people build email lists, 1:1 mentorship, and for those who aren't ready to pay anything, a link to her free Instagram Reels challenge.

And because this is all hosted on her website, many of the visitors to this page will end up exploring her site and learning more about her services.

These are just two examples to show what is possible using your Instagram bio link. Whether you use your link to direct users to your own website, or you decide a dedicated link-in-bio tool is best for your business, there are endless possibilities of what you can promote. Note how both Mya and Juan include a mix of offerings to cater to different types of visitors - those who are ready to pay money and those who aren't. Think about this when designing your own directory.

Best free link in bio tools for Instagram

1. A page on your website

Firstly, we just want to reiterate that you can create a page on your website to host multiple links if you already have a website. This will save you the time and money it takes to sign up for a link-in-bio tool.

You can also use the landing page software we talked about earlier to create a landing page with several links and then generate one URL for your bio. Even so, the price for Leadpages starts at $37 per month and ClickFunnels costs $80.84 and upwards.

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2. Milkshake

Lastly, Milkshake transforms your link in bio into a functional yet attractive website in a matter of minutes. The layout is quite unique in the sense that you can set up “cards” for this website, whereby you can swipe between each card like an Instagram Story.

Setting up your Milkshake involves 3 simple steps:

• Picking a card template
• Adding your content (including images, text, GIFs, videos and more!)
• “Shaking up” the aesthetic (in terms of choosing from one of the cute “Looks” and personalizing it to align with your brand colors, fonts and logos)

As well as producing beautiful link-in-bio pages, this app is very user-friendly. You can use it from the comfort of your smartphone whether you have an iPhone or Android—and did we mention that it’s completely free to download?

3. Linkpop by Shopify

Shopify launched its own link-in-bio tool called Linkpop in 2022, which is completely free. You'll need a Shopify account to get started, so it is tailored to those with e-commerce stores. You can then promote websites, newsletters, and any other links that promote your business.

But what sets Linkpop apart, and makes it ideal for those with online stores, is that you can add individual products to the page and let visitors purchase items. They can click "add to basket" or "Buy it now" and complete their transaction in just a few clicks - pretty neat.

4. Linktree (free version)

Linktree is a popular link-in-bio directory that supposedly has over 25 million users. Their free plan allows you to host unlimited links on your page, as well as:

• Social icons
• QR codes
• Social media embeds
• Contact forms

The interface is straightforward to use for beginners and extremely intuitive. You can also customize the background, colors and fonts on your page according to your personal branding.

Best paid link in bio tools for Instagram

5. Linktree (paid version)

Paid plans start from $5 and allow for more customization, including:

• Email collection
• Phone number collection
• Animation
• Spotlight (so you can highlight a specific link)
• Backgrounds
• Fonts
• Schedule (so you can plan when certain links go live)

If you have numerous income streams, it can be helpful to upgrade. You also gain access to analytics on a paid plan so you can optimize your page based on key statistics and insights.

In November 2022, Linktree also announced its Payment Lock feature, which lets users on free and paid plans charge visitors access to specific items that are linked to on their link-in-bio page. This opens up another possible revenue stream for creators.

6. Stan

Stan is an “all-in-one creator store” for your link in bio that offers a one-tap mobile-optimized checkout, drag-and-drop editor, calendar bookings and more. This tool has apparently generated $300K+ of income for 1,000+ creators.

For $29 per month, you also can take advantage of:

• An email list builder
• A funnel builder
• Analytics of your audience
• Creator community access
• 1:1 creator strategy coaching

It’s all about the details with Stan, as it allows you to display key information about your products or services on your page to encourage quick conversions.

Try it for free for 14 days before committing to the paid plan.

7. Campsite

Campsite claims that you can get a profile set up within two minutes with their “Make My Bio Link” wizard. The free version of this software gets you:

• A title
• Divider
• Video and music embed
• Carousel

It’s no-frills but also no-fuss, ideal for creators looking for a link-in-bio tool that just gets the job done. 

Try the Pro or Pro+ plan (starting from $7 per month) if you want to collect email addresses via an opt-in form. Additionally, the premium versions allow you to pull through your latest blog posts or YouTube videos via an automatic feed.

Investing in Campsite Pro specifically means you can unlock in-depth analytics and add your own custom domain to your profile. Whereas, Pro+ gives you access to traffic insights, data exports and up to six profiles per account for team members.

The number of links to use in your link in bio

There’s no set rule in terms of how many links to have in your directory. Even so, we’d recommend sticking to a few core links and placing the one you want your audience to click on the most at the top. 

After all, you don’t want to cause decision overwhelm when it comes to which link your audience should click. Otherwise, they may choose not to click any at all (which defeats the purpose!).

Instagram link in bio not working

If your Instagram link in bio isn't working, it could be a temporary glitch on Instagram's side or on your link-in-bio tool's side. Many Instagram users complained in October 2022 of their link in bio not working, for example. It turned out to be a bug on the Instagram app, which they eventually fixed. Alternatively, Instagram might have intentionally blocked your link-in-bio if it contained links to websites or services that don't follow Instagram's community guidelines.

There's no magic formula for fixing your link in bio. Here are your options:

1. Delete and reinstall the Instagram app
2. Ensure you've updated the app to its latest version
3. Contact the support team of your link-in-bio tool
4. Wait patiently for Instagram to resolve the bug

The takeaway

One of the first things your ideal follower will do when they’re interested in your content and profile is check out the link in bio.

When used wisely as a directory (or even mini-website) rather than one link, this link has the power to build awareness of your brand, products or services and create trust. It’s also an optimal monetization tool, converting your ideal follower to an actual follower, subscriber or even a customer.