I’m sure you’ve heard of Linktree or have seen it in Instagram bios, maybe you even use it yourself. I was a big supporter of Linktree… until recently.
What it is
As you may know, Instagram only allows one link to be in the bio of your account. The idea behind Linktree is to allow you to link multiple things in one link. Genius idea, right? But there are things that turned me from an avid user to steering people away.
Why I don’t like it
1. It’s down… a lot
One of the biggest complaints I have for Linktree is the bugs in their system. For some reason, their platform crashes a lot of the time. Even if you don’t outright know it, there are times when it’s down and people aren’t actually able to access any of your links. That’s huge when it comes to traffic to your website. If people can’t actually access your Linktree, they can’t access your site, and believe me… they probably won’t spend more time trying to search your site for what they are looking for.
2. It’s an extra step that doesn’t help your SEO
The main use for Linktree is getting people to your site, right? So why not skip the middle man and get them directly there on first click? Clicks to your site from outside places helps your SEO and analytics. Sure, they would eventually get there, but if you can get them directly on your site without going to a different platform, wouldn’t you?
This is where your website comes in. It is SO easy to recreate your own “Linktree” from your site using a dedicated page and some buttons. See mine below. See how it’s a link to my website automatically on a page dedicated to Instagram only? From here, they can navigate to other areas of my site while boosting my website’s analytics and lowering its bounce rate.
All I did was create a new page, added text, an image, and buttons to the links I wanted. Then, I stylized it just like I would any page.
PRO TIP: For WordPress users, set the page’s template from “Default Template” to “Blank Page” to remove the menu and footer.
3. It’s not on brand
This is important especially if you are someone with a product/service that relies heavily on your branding. If you want to brand/personalize your Linktree, you have to pay for the premium account, which is $6/month. Sure, it’s not a lot of money, but that’s like two coffees people! Make it on your website and save yourself the money.
By creating a special Instagram landing page on your website, you have complete control over how it looks, and you’re directing people to where you really want them to be!
