Lindsey Komson

Photo by BM Amaro

To add links or not to add links, that is the question.

Honestly, if you asked me this question 15 minutes ago, I would’ve said it varies by platform. I would’ve said yes on Facebook, LinkedIn, and X since they allow for clickable links on their posts, but I would’ve said no on platforms like Instagram and TikTok where people would have to put links in their bios.

So why did my mind change?

I just listened to a podcast called The Science of Social Media – the episode called “Why you shouldn’t add links to your social posts.”

After hearing the host explain his research, I have a totally different outlook on including links in my social media posts.

According to the third-party research cited from agorapulse.com and socialinsider.io, my initial judgement was proven wrong.

• On X, posts with a link achieve 7.2% fewer reposts and 28% less reach
• On LinkedIn, impressions on posts with a link decrease by 3 times, and posts without a link receive a 70% higher engagement rate
• As I mentioned, Instagram and TikTok don’t allow for link sharing, but I also learned that you can’t include a link in a TikTok bio until the account has reached a certain number of followers.

The podcast host also conducts first-party research on X, and here were his findings which I found super interesting:

Posts that refer to a link in bio receive…

• 8.98% more reposts
• 21.24% more impressions
• 40% more reach
• A general increase in engagement and views

…compared to those that include a link in the post.

If a company wants to drive consumers to a certain destination, it’s essential to set up a customizable landing page for social media bios, using a platform such as Linktree.

After hearing all of the host’s research, I agree with his stance – it’s better to not include links in social media posts.