How to Use the Swipe Up Feature In Your Instagram Stories

Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms. As of 2022, there are approximately 1.28 billion Instagram users worldwide, and this number is expected to continue to grow in upcoming years. The vast majority of users are between the ages of 18 and 34, which means that the majority of Instagram users are typically more tech-savvy than other age demographics.

Moreover, on a daily basis, there are approximately 500 million active users that are on this social network viewing Instagram stories. For businesses, brands, influencers, artists, and musicians, Instagram stories are an incredible way to increase potential customer engagement, create and disperse content, spread brand awareness, and generate more leads and sales.

In fact, approximately 800,000 people go onto Instagram to shop every month, and like the number of people currently using Instagram, this number is expected to continue to raise over the upcoming years, making it incredibly important for brands to pay attention to this social media platform as a platform with great potential for social media marketing.

One of the most powerful tools available to people in Instagram marketing is the Instagram swipe-up feature. However, Instagram has attempted to make the swipe-up feature somewhat exclusive, only allowing Instagrammers with 10 thousand followers or more to have access to this functionality.

The swipe-up feature can be an extremely powerful tool for Instagram users that have access to it. However, many might believe that this tool simply does not apply to them. In this article, we will explain what the swipe-up feature is, how to use it, and some of the many benefits of using this tool.

Moreover, we will explain how people with less than 10 thousand followers can gain access to this tool, as well as some other tricks that enable users with no access to the tool to still benefit from link sharing in Instagram stories.

What is the Swipe Up Feature?

The Instagram swipe-up feature allows Instagram users and brands to embed a link in their Instagram stories that can be accessed directly when a user swipes up on the post. This is truly a big deal, and it is certainly a bigger deal than might seem at first.

Instagram only allows that there be a single link in an Instagram user’s bio. This rule is the same for people with no followers to people with hundreds of thousands of followers. Of course, influencers, artists, and brands often want to share the link to more than a single landing page.

For example, a clothing brand might have a link to their new spring collection home page. But what if they want to direct users to a single item in that spring collection or a review in a fashion magazine about their collection? One way that people have gotten around the single link in bio problem is by using services like Linktree.

A link from a service like Linktree (and there are many great services out there) takes the user that clicked on the link to a landing page with any number of links. So for example, an artist might have a Linktree link in their bio that takes users to a landing page with a link to paintings on sale, another link to exhibition photos, another link to commission request, etc. Services like this can be very helpful, but there is a lot to gain from having access to the swipe-up functionality.

With swipe up links, brands and influencers can promote specific products, content, or signup pages that followers can access right from Instagram Stories instead of going to the bio screen to click a link there. Moreover, you can change the link from Story to Story, if desired.

To see how useful this can be, let’s use the example of a clothing brand again. The link in the brand’s bio may take users to the landing page for the spring collection, but it is certainly more work for the user to see a post about the link in the bio and then to actually go to the link and click on it.

With the swipe-up feature, however, the brand can post a specific piece of clothing, and direct the viewer to swipe up to get a link directly to the page for that piece of clothing. This is far more streamlined than any other method, and for that reason, it will often drive greater traffic to the brand’s website than any other method.

Of course, there are many things a brand can do on Instagram to increase website traffic and sales, and the swipe-up feature is just one of many useful tools. But it really is a tool that has the potential to be a game-changer for influencers, businesses, brands, and artists, as long as it is used correctly.

Using Instagram’s Swipe Up feature can boost traffic to your webpages, increase conversions, and build customer loyalty, among many other benefits, so if you are ready to seize the opportunity to take advantage of this tool, keep reading!

How to Get the Instagram Swipe Up Feature

Instagram wants to keep the Swipe Up feature exclusive. As such, there are restrictions on who can get one. To get access to this powerful feature, you have to have an Instagram Business Account and at least 10,000 followers. Alternatively, you can get the feature if you have a verified account.

That means if you’re a public figure, brand, or artist, who has gone through the trouble of getting verified on Instagram, you can get the Instagram Swipe Up feature even without 10 thousand followers.

How to Use the Instagram Swipe Up Feature

Step 1: Start Your Instagram Story

• Start your Instagram story any way that you normally would. Simply upload a picture or a video, or take a picture or video directly in the Instagram app. Alternatively, there are many great apps that can help you create amazing Instagram stories.

Step 2: Tap the Link Icon and Enter Link

• Tap on the “Link” icon at the top of the screen. This icon looks like two links in a chain connected to each other. If you have access to the link functionality, then this will be easy to find.
• Once you click the “Link” icon, a new page will appear with a text box where you can type in or paste the external link.
• Type in the URL and tap Done (iOS) or the checkmark (Android). Now you should see that the image or video is linked and the hyperlink icon in the top right corner of the screen should be white.
• For best results, make sure you’re using a specific link related to your post. Don’t just send your followers to your website and leave them wandering around. You want them to do something, right? You need to make it really easy for them to get to the product or service that you are trying to lead them to.

Step 3: Add a Call-To-Action 

• Once you’ve added your link, it’s time to add a call-to-action (CTA). Most creators use a GIF or text that says “swipe up” to let viewers know they can swipe up and take action. It’s important to make your call to action eye-catching without taking away from the image of the product or service that you are offering.
• Both the call-to-action and the content displayed in the story are very important, so it can be somewhat of a balancing act to make sure that both receive the optimal amount of attention that will lead a viewer of the story to actually swipe up and go to the link.

How to Add Links to Stories Without the Swipe Up Function

In 2021, Instagram decided that it would expand the ability to add links to Instagram stories to all Instagram users. The Swipe Up function is still available only to business profiles with 10K subscribers or more and verified Instagram accounts, but that no longer means that accounts without these credentials cannot take advantage of direct links in their stories.

This is a welcome accommodation by Instagram, recognizing that there are many small businesses, micro-influencers, brands, and artists that can greatly benefit from this feature and that the success of these demographics is no less important than the success of more established brands and influencers.

How to Add Links to Stories with the New Link Sticker

Step 1: Add Content to Story 

• The first step is the same as when attaching links with the Swipe Up feature. You simply need to upload images or videos to your story or capture images and videos through the Instagram app or reels and igtv video.

Step 2: Select the “Sticker Tool” from the Navigation Bar

• The sticker icon looks like a square with a smiley face, and this icon is available to all Instagram user accounts. Once you click on the sticker icon, a pop-up page comes up, giving you the option of choosing what type of sticker you want to add to your story.
• Types of stickers include “Location stickers,” “Instagram mention stickers,” “Poll stickers,” and most importantly for our task at hand, the “Link sticker,” which looks like two links in a chain connected to each other.

Step 3: Tap the Link Sticker

• Once you tap the link sticker, you will be able to type in or paste the desired URL. Then tap “Done.”

Step 4: Place and Customize Link Sticker

• Once you press done, the Instagram clickable link sticker will be on your story, superimposed over your image or video. You can edit the sticker by clicking on the sticker and changing its size. By clicking on the sticker, you can also edit the color of the sticker. Finally, you can choose the location of your Instagram story link on your story.
• As with the swipe up function, it is important to keep in mind that both the content in the story and the link are important. The link sticker should be visible and eye-catching, but it should not take away too much attention from the content of the story. This is especially important if the product or service displayed in the story is the product or service that your Instagram followers will be directed to by the link.

Best Practices for the Instagram Swipe Up Feature

Now that we know some of the ways that you can embed links in your Instagram stories, we can now move on to some of the best practices for using this tool to increase customer engagement, spread brand awareness, and increase conversions.

1. Post a Teaser on Your Main Feed

Some people don’t pay attention to Instagram Stories. To make sure that your followers aren’t missing your Story, make an Instagram post about it and share it on your main feed. By posting a preview or teaser on your main feed you’ll generate interest and curiosity. Moreover, this will build a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out) since Instagram stories are only available for 24 hours unless you save them to a highlight.

2. Save Your Story as a Highlight

Story Highlights are a great method for driving traffic to your products or services. Instead of disappearing after 24 hours, highlights stick around. Highlights only feature stories, so after you have posted a story, feel free to add it to your story highlights. That means your followers can continue to access your story and follow your calls-to-action to boost your engagement, conversions, and sales.

3. Create Interactive Stories

Interactive content gets engagement. This could mean running a contest or Q&A on Instagram—anything that encourages your followers to participate and share your content. When you give your followers opportunities to engage and interact with your brand, they’re more likely to check out your Stories again and again for more ways to connect.

Using Instagram Stories to Boost Your Brand

As we have seen in this article, Instagram is an extremely popular social media platform, and more and more, it is becoming a place where people find items that they would like to buy. The swipe-up function is an incredible way for brands, artists, influencers, and content creators to drive traffic to their sites in an easy and streamlined way.

Moreover, Instagram has expanded the ability of all users to be able to add links with the sticker function, meaning that smaller brands and micro-influencers can now take advantage of this great tool.