Imagine it: You’re tapping through your Stories, and an influencer you follow posts something you want to react to. You swipe up to hit it with that Lit emoji and all of the sudden, poof, you’re on some product page. We’ve all been there and it’s not great. But change is in the air, dear reader: Instagram has begun the removal of the infamous swipe-up feature and is replacing it with a link sticker.
This feature will still be available to users with 10k+ followers for now but according to The Verge, IG is currently evaluating expanding access to all users in the future. Some already have access to the link sticker, while other accounts can still use the swipe-up. The feature started rolling out on 8/30 and will slowly be reflected across all eligible users throughout the next month.
So What Does This Mean?
Increased Interaction
Instagram’s main reason of transitioning the link feature was due to the inability to engage, emoji react and reply to any story that had a swipe up link. Previously, the only action you could take on a swipe-up story was the swipe-up. Now, with the sticker, viewers can respond regularly by swiping up to ask questions, react with emojis, etc.
Allows for More Creativity
From the creative eye, this change is an advantage. Even the experts at Social Media Today predict that the change will bring added creator control.
Link stickers allow creators to format the links however they’d like (toggle between colors, resized and move around). Its abilities will be consistent with the other available stickers (location, tag, etc).
The goal here is to maximize the impact of a story. Link stickers give creators the ability to place a link wherever and put a visual focus on the CTA.
Harder to Get Clicks
Nothing is as easy as swiping up. Although clicking a button seems easy as well, it is just another step to get to the link. Some are predicting that this will minimize the amount of traffic to a link. However, a way to successfully get viewers to click through is to be more strategic in sticker placement and create emphasis around the CTA.
Saying Goodbye to the “Swipe Up” Term
Asking followers to swipe up has become a staple IG term, and now creators will have to change their verbiage to “click the sticker/link”.
Overall Best Practices to Adapt
1. Add the sticker to the story in a way that visually complements it.
2. Get creative with its flexibility – color, size, placement.
3. Encourage viewers to ask questions about the product/link via swipe up instead.
4. Engage by responding back to emoji reactions, as this is the main reason for the change.
5. Remember that the algorithm loves you when you use IG features (especially new ones)!
It’s a bold new day on Instagram — but social media is all about embracing the ever-evolving nature of the platforms. Looking to see how you can amplify the effectiveness of your IG Stories or overall digital strategy? Reach out and one of our social media mavens will be in touch!