The rules of social media are constantly evolving.

A recent rule that has been called into question is whether or not to use links in your social media posts. 

The verdict is in, and the answer is don’t. 

Despite the urge to drive traffic to a specific link, social media platforms have a different agenda. They want to keep users on their app.

Here’s why your content might perform better without direct links, and how you can still guide your audience to the link you would’ve included:

Various social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X have algorithms that are designed to increase the time spent on their sites. When your content includes a link, these algorithms decrease post visibility. This is because the platforms don’t want users going off their site. 

Posts with links often reach fewer people, resulting in lower engagement rates. Users on social media are typically looking for an uninterrupted experience. Clicking on an external link disrupts their browsing, leading to a drop in engagement. 

So, how do you still drive traffic to your link without directly putting it in your posts? The answer is, using a call-to-action strategy. 

By directing users to the link in your bio, you can guide them to the desired content without putting your post engagement at stake. Be sure that the link in your bio is easy to find and update it regularly to fit the content you are putting out.

Examples of a call-to-action can be: “Check the link in our bio for more details!”, “Discover more at the link in our bio!”, or simply “Link in bio!”. These phrases can effectively encourage users to take the extra step and keep your audience interested. 

By no longer attaching links to your posts and instead leveraging the call-to-action strategy, you can align with social media algorithms and keep your audience’s attention.