Overview
Adding your LinkedIn profile link to your Instagram bio is a great way to drive traffic and increase visibility across multiple platforms. Your Instagram and LinkedIn profiles can work together to showcase your skills, experience, and brand in a professional way. Connecting the two allows you to expand your reach, direct users to more information about you, and establish your authority in your industry. The process of adding your LinkedIn profile link to your Instagram bio only takes a few quick steps. In this article, we will walk through everything you need to do, from creating the link itself to optimizing your Instagram profile.
Benefits of Linking Instagram and LinkedIn
Here are some of the key benefits of including your LinkedIn link in your Instagram bio:
– Expanded reach and increased visibility. By linking the two profiles together, you make it easy for users on each platform to learn more about you and connect with you on the other network. This helps expand your overall audience.
– Establish professional credibility. The combination of Instagram and LinkedIn shows users that you have both a public persona and a professional reputation. This fosters trust in your abilities.
– Increased traffic and engagement. Directing Instagram followers to your LinkedIn profile can drive more views of your LinkedIn content. This added visibility results in more connections, endorsements, and engagement on both platforms.
– Showcase the full breadth of your skills and experience. Instagram gives you creative ways to demonstrate your talents visually, while LinkedIn allows you to highlight your resume, accomplishments, recommendations, and other career details. Linked together, they give followers a 360-degree view.
– Opportunity for targeted outreach. Having your LinkedIn link in your Instagram bio makes it easy for interested users, recruiters, and potential collaborators to connect with you professionally.
Step 1 – Create a Custom LinkedIn Profile URL
The first step is to create a custom LinkedIn profile URL to link to from Instagram. LinkedIn automatically assigns users a public profile URL that is a long string of numbers linked to their name. For example:
www.linkedin.com/in/jamesmichael120355789
While you can use this, creating a custom URL that is shorter and includes your name makes your profile much easier to promote across networks. Here is how to create a custom LinkedIn URL:
1. Go to your LinkedIn profile and click on the “View profile” link in the top right. This opens your public profile page.
2. Scroll down and click the “Edit public profile and URL” button on the right side of your introduction.
3. This opens your profile settings. Click the pencil icon next to your profile URL on the right side.
4. Delete the auto generated URL and enter your desired custom URL – this can include your name, company, or keywords related to your industry.
5. Click save.
Your new branded custom URL will now appear on your profile. For example:
www.linkedin.com/in/jamessmith
This is much cleaner and professional to link to from your Instagram bio.
Step 2 – Copy Your LinkedIn Profile URL
Once you have your new custom LinkedIn URL, copy it so you can paste it into your Instagram bio:
1. Go to your LinkedIn profile in a web browser and make sure you are viewing your profile while logged in.
2. Copy the URL from the address bar at the top of the browser.
3. On desktop, you can right click the URL and select “Copy” or press Control + C on your keyboard.
4. On mobile, press and hold on the URL and select copy.
5. The URL is now copied and ready to paste into your Instagram bio.
Step 3 – Paste LinkedIn URL into Instagram Bio
Next, paste your copied LinkedIn URL into your Instagram bio so it is clickable and optimized to drive traffic:
1. Open the Instagram app and go to your profile by tapping your profile picture.
2. Tap “Edit Profile” to edit your bio and other profile details.
3. Delete and replace any existing text from your bio with your full customized LinkedIn URL (ex: www.linkedin.com/in/jamessmith)
4. Add any other text or emoji around your link as you desire.
5. Tap “Done” in the top right corner to save your updated bio.
Your LinkedIn URL is now clickable in your Instagram profile. Users who see your bio can tap the link and will be directed to open your full LinkedIn profile in the browser.
Step 4 – Customize Link Appearance (Optional)
If you want to customize the appearance of the LinkedIn link text in your bio, you can use a link formatting tool. This lets you shorten the URL to display just your name instead of the full LinkedIn URL. Here is how:
1. Go to a link formatting tool like Pretty Links or Linktree.
2. Copy and paste your full LinkedIn URL into the tool.
3. Customize how you want the hyperlinked text to appear, such as just your first and last name.
4. Copy the new branded link that the tool generates.
5. Paste this shortened branded link into your Instagram bio.
6. Now just your name will show as the clickable URL instead of the long LinkedIn link.
This is completely optional but can give your bio a cleaner customized look. The link will still direct users to your LinkedIn profile when clicked.
Step 5 – Set Profile Photo and Description
With your LinkedIn URL now driving traffic from your Instagram bio, optimize your LinkedIn profile further so it looks professional when users visit:
– Profile photo – Upload a quality headshot style photo that matches your Instagram profile aesthetic. Consistent branding between the two profiles helps reinforce your identity and makes you more discoverable.
– Header photo – Your LinkedIn header photo appears at the top of your profile. Upload a banner that further complements your personal brand.
– Background photo – Set a background photo for the top section of your profile. This should visually relate to your industry and areas of expertise.
– Summary – Your LinkedIn summary is prime real estate for keywords related to your skills, experience, services, and more. Optimize this section to draw in users from Instagram who want to learn more about what you do.
– Experience – Flesh out your full work history, highlighting relevant positions and achievements. The more comprehensive your LinkedIn profile, the better.
– Recommendations – Ask colleagues, employers, clients, and others you’ve worked with to provide recommendations. This lends credibility.
Step 6 – Set LinkedIn to Public Viewing
For maximum visibility when users visit your profile from Instagram, be sure your LinkedIn privacy settings allow for public viewing:
1. Go to your LinkedIn profile settings.
2. Select “Privacy & Settings” in the left sidebar.
3. Under privacy controls, make sure “Profile viewing options” is set to “Your public profile is viewable by anyone”.
4. Double check that any sections you want visible are not set to private under content visibility settings.
With a public profile, anyone can now view your full LinkedIn profile when they click through from Instagram. If you have it set to private, the profile will not be accessible.
Step 7 – Add the LinkedIn Logo to Your Instagram Profile Photo
To make the link between your Instagram and LinkedIn profiles even more clear, consider adding the LinkedIn logo to your Instagram profile picture:
1. Download the official LinkedIn logo in PNG format.
2. Use photo editing software to overlay the logo on the bottom corner of your Instagram profile photo.
3. Ensure the logo placement and sizing follows LinkedIn’s brand guidelines.
4. Upload your updated profile photo with the added logo.
Now it will be obvious to your Instagram followers that you have an active LinkedIn profile they can view. Just be sure the logo integrates cleanly and does not obscure your headshot.
Step 8 – Share Your Instagram Posts on LinkedIn
You have optimized your LinkedIn profile and connected it to Instagram. Now complete the loop by sharing Instagram content directly on your LinkedIn feed:
– When creating an Instagram post relevant to your industry or work, choose the “Share Post” option.
– Select LinkedIn from the share menu and post it natively to your LinkedIn feed alongside a caption.
– Use relevant hashtags like #instagram and #socialmedia so the LinkedIn audience understands the post origin.
Cross-posting Instagram content gives followers yet another reason to click through to your LinkedIn profile. It shows your platforms work together.
Step 9 – Promote Your LinkedIn Link
With your LinkedIn URL added to your Instagram bio, promote it periodically so new and existing followers see it:
– Mention in your Instagram Stories that users can click your bio to connect with you on LinkedIn.
– Highlight it in an Instagram post caption or image.
– If you have an Instagram business account, list it under the website link in your professional accounts section.
– Add it to your email signatures and any online professional profiles beyond social media.
Broadcast the link across channels to maximize visibility and traffic.
Step 10 – Analyze Traffic and Engagement
The final step is to analyze the impact linking your Instagram and LinkedIn has on traffic and engagement across both platforms:
– Check your LinkedIn profile analytics to see the number of profile views. A spike may correlate to adding an Instagram link.
– Use UTM parameters on your LinkedIn URL in Instagram to track clicks and correlate them to conversions on LinkedIn.
– Look for an uptick in Instagram followers after exposure on LinkedIn.
– See if cross-posting Instagram content leads to more impressions and engagement on LinkedIn.
– Monitor your overall audience growth across both networks.
Continually optimizing based on performance data will help boost the ROI of connecting your Instagram and LinkedIn presence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I link Instagram and LinkedIn?
Linking Instagram and LinkedIn is beneficial because it allows you to expand your audience reach, showcase a more complete professional profile, establish credibility across networks, and drive more traffic between the two platforms.
Is a custom LinkedIn URL required?
No, you can use your default numeric LinkedIn URL. But creating a custom, branded URL that includes your name makes it much cleaner and more recognizable. This improves clickthrough rates when promoted.
Can I customize the link text?
Yes, using a link formatting tool you can customize the text that displays in your Instagram bio while still hyperlinking to your full LinkedIn URL. This allows you to shorten the displayed text.
Should my LinkedIn profile be public or private?
To maximize visibility from Instagram, your LinkedIn profile should be public. A private profile will not be visible to users coming from your Instagram bio link.
What’s the best way to promote my link?
Periodically mention that your Instagram bio has a link to LinkedIn. Cross-post Instagram content directly to LinkedIn. And include the link in any other professional profiles and online bios you have.
Conclusion
Connecting your Instagram and LinkedIn profiles is an impactful way to expand your personal brand and reach across networks. By featuring your LinkedIn URL in your Instagram bio, optimizing your LinkedIn profile content, cross-posting, promoting the link, and tracking performance, you can build an audience on one platform while driving them to learn more on the other. Linking two such major networks together makes it simpler for users to engage with you and creates a cohesive professional presence that showcases all you have to offer.
