While Instagram may be one of the most popular social media platforms, it lacks a major feature important to influencers, businesses, and non-profit organizations alike: convenient link-sharing within an individual post. This predicament has frustrated social media managers who are looking to expand their arts organization’s social media presence into Instagram’s vibrant and engaging community. Fortunately, there are tools available to circumvent this issue.
Linktr.ee is one such application that allows its users to direct their followers to a personalized landing page which can be filled with an unlimited amount of links to web content. Each user receives a Linktr.ee-specific URL to place in the “Website” section of their Instagram profile, as it is currently the only part of Instagram that lets its users hyperlink directly to a website (aside from the “promotions” add-ons). Users of Linktr.ee and other similar services commonly refer followers to the “link in the bio” to direct them towards specific content. From the landing page, followers can easily find the link that directs them to the website.
User Experience
Linktr.ee makes it very easy for its users to add additional links and preview the mobile-specific landing page from the administrative end. Enabling, disabling, and ordering content is also very intuitive and user-friendly, and the preview function allows users to immediately see their changes. Additionally, Linktr.ee allows all users to see the number of times a button has been clicked.
All of the basic features are similarly easy to interact with from the perspective of the Instagram follower, so long as the content is organized in a way that is easy to navigate. The only negative is related to the fundamental problem with Instagram’s inability to easily share links that services like Linktr.ee aim to combat – utilizing a separate landing page adds an additional step in the already difficult process of driving audiences to content.
Linktr.ee Pro
While the basic version of Linktr.ee is free to all users, the service offers a “Pro” version with additional features at a subscription rate of $6 per month. This iteration of Linktr.ee allows for more customization with features including custom page themes, link prioritization, and the ability to add image thumbnails to each link. Some of the more appealing features of Linktr.ee Pro are centered around analytics, such as a “daily breakdown of link traffic” and custom UTM parameters. However, for those arts organizations operating on a limited budget, the basic free version is likely to be enough for typical use.
Pros:
· Free basic version
· Simple user functionality
· Solves problem of linking to outside content
· One basic link erases need to continuously change link in profile
Cons:
· Adds an additional step to the conversion process
· Pro version may be unnecessary for certain organizations
Competitors:
Linktr.ee has a wide range of competitors, including services such as Lnk.bio and Link In Profile. These services all offer the same basic feature as Linktr.ee and contain different price levels, ranging from free to $9.99 per month. Despite the large number of these link aggregates, Linktr.ee’s biggest competitor may in fact be the customers themselves. For many businesses and organizations, it can be much easier to create an Instagram landing page for their specific website. This eliminates the need for middlemen like Linktr.ee and sends audiences directly to the intended source. However, this particular option may be better suited to organizations who are not frequently linking to outside content on Instagram.
Conclusion:
While there are many alternatives to consider, Linktr.ee is among the simplest, most user-friendly options available. For arts organizations looking to cultivate an Instagram presence on a budget, Linktr.ee is an excellent option for elementary and intermediate-level users.