A complete guide on how to link Instagram to TikTok
Instagram and TikTok are two of the most popular social media platforms in 2023, particularly for Gen Z and Millennial social media users. Oftentimes, users who are on one platform are also on another.
While TikTok and Instagram bear some similarities, they are also useful for different things. For example, while TikTok is a video-only platform, Instagram makes it easy to share both videos and still images like photos and infographics.
Because of these differences, it’s useful for businesses to build an audience on both platforms. Today, we’ll talk about how to link Instagram to TikTok and other useful hacks to build a cross-platform branding empire.
Read on to learn more about linking your Instagram account to your TikTok account and more.
Why Cross-Platform Social Media Marketing Matters
If both Instagram and TikTok are popular, why do you need both? Can’t you get the customer base you’re looking for by focusing on one or the other?
The truth is that if you aren’t using a multi-platform approach to social media marketing, you’re missing out on key demographics and losing an opportunity to boost your SEO. For example, you’re likely to find more Gen Z consumers on TikTok and more Millennial consumers on Instagram, though there is a crossover for both demographics. Plus, by building a following on multiple platforms using your brand name, you’re proving to search engine algorithms that your brand is valuable, which leads to a better ranking for your website.
Linking accounts is a simple way to make sure that all of your social media accounts develop a strong following. When such a simple step can play such an impactful role in your SEO strategy, it makes sense to go ahead and do it. The question is, how?
How to Link Instagram to TikTok
First, let’s talk about how to link your Instagram to TikTok. What we mean by that is embedding the link to your Instagram account somewhere on your TikTok profile. That way, anyone who is following you on TikTok or visiting your TikTok page can head over to your Instagram account with ease.
The TikTok creators already know that a lot of their users have a passion for Instagram, too. As a result, they’ve made it really easy to embed a link to your Instagram account on your TikTok profile. Keep in mind that this has to be completed on the mobile TikTok app and isn’t possible from the website, itself.
To link to Instagram on Tiktok:
- Open the TikTok app and navigate to your profile by tapping Profile in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
- Tap “Edit Profile,” which you’ll find underneath your Avatar photo.
- Scroll down until you find the Social section and tap “Add Instagram.”
- You will then be prompted to log into your Instagram account, which may also require two-factor authentication depending on your security settings.
- Once you’ve successfully logged in, you will be asked if you want to allow TikTok to access your Instagram information. Click “Allow.”
Now, there will be an Instagram icon beneath your Avatar on your profile. When users click on this icon, it will take them to the Instagram app and open up your Instagram profile.
How to Link TikTok to Instagram
Is Instagram TikTok-friendly? The answer is, “Sort of.”
As of 2023, Instagram has not made it as simple to link other accounts to your Instagram profile. In fact, you can only link your Facebook account to Instagram (thanks to the joint ownership of both platforms) and add one additional link. You can use this one additional link to plug your TikTok profile:
- Open Instagram and click the profile icon on the bottom-left corner of the screen.
- Click “Edit Profile” and then click “Links.” You can go ahead and add your Facebook account if you haven’t already as well as the link to your TikTok profile, which you will also need to take steps to retrieve.
To get the link for your TikTok profile:
- Select the “Me” section on the TikTok app and then click the three dots in the upper-right corner.
- Click “Settings and Privacy” and navigate to “Share Profile.”
- Select “Copy URL,” which will automatically copy your TikTok profile URL which you can now paste into the “Links” section of your Instagram profile.
There are third-party sites that do make it possible to share multiple links on your Instagram profile. A popular example is LinkTree, a website that provides one link that will take users to a menu of multiple links that you can plug in manually on your LinkTree account.
Can You Put Links in Posts?
Now that you’ve learned how to link your Instagram to TikTok and vice versa, you’re probably wondering what else you can do to link your various social media accounts. Can you start putting links in your individual posts?
The answer varies depending on what kind of post you’re sharing and more. Let’s take a closer look.
Linking in TikTok Posts
Can you put a link in a TikTok video? As of right now, you can’t add any functional URLs to a TikTok video, meaning the most that you can do is plug a website and encourage viewers to navigate to that website on their own.
Can you put a link in a TikTok video caption? While you could drop a URL in your TikTok captions, you’re going to face a similar problem as above: the link won’t be functional. In fact, it can leave your caption looking a little cluttered without providing any value, so we recommend leaving it out.
Linking in TikTok Stories
In addition to the TikTok videos you can post to your feed indefinitely, TikTok also offers the option to post what are called TikTok Stories. TikTok Stories are short videos (maxing out at 15 seconds, although you can post a continuous feed of 15-second videos on your story if you’re going for a longer video) that disappear after 24 hours. They provide an opportunity to post more on-the-fly or supplemental content that will make your followers feel like they know you and your brand identity more intimately.
Can you post links in TikTok stories? This one will depend on how many followers you have. If you have over 10,000 TikTok followers, you can provide live, clickable links to your TikTok stories that will take your viewers directly to the website you want them to visit, and this can include your Instagram page.
Linking in Instagram Posts
Can you put a link in your Instagram post or caption? Unfortunately, the answer here isn’t much better than above. In other words, you can’t add live, clickable links to either your Instagram posts or Instagram captions.
Once again, there are third-party websites that you can use to get around this limitation. Websites like linkin.bio create a mini website that perfectly mirrors your Instagram page and allows viewers to connect with links to the products, services, or additional content you want them to see. However, you’ll have to sacrifice your only Instagram profile link to take advantage of this workaround.
Linking in Instagram Stories
In a recent update to the Instagram app, all users can now add links to their Instagram stories. The best part is that Instagram hides the clickable link behind a more attractive and less cluttered sticker that you can customize to say whatever you want.
To add a link to an Instagram story, create your story by taking or uploading an image or video. Then, select the sticker tool from the menu at the top of the screen and locate the “Link” button. Click the button and paste the link you want to share into the text box to create your link sticker, which you can then resize to your liking and place anywhere on the post.
Tips for Building Instagram and TikTok Followings
Social media marketing is one of our top priorities and we’re always looking for ways to share our expertise. Now that you know how to link your Instagram and TikTok accounts, it’s time to talk about additional steps to take to build a real following. Let’s take a closer look at three of the most important things you can do to maximize your Instagram and TikTok marketing success.
Create Original Content
In response to TikTok’s growing success, Instagram developed a feature that bears a lot of similarities to TikTok. This feature is called the Reels feature, and it makes it quite easy to save your TikToks and post them on Instagram (and vice versa).
While we do recommend sharing the content you’ve worked hard on across platforms, you should also make sure you’re creating some content that is only for Instagram and some content that is only for TikTok. If the two platforms are identical to one another, you remove the incentive to give your brand a follow on both.
One way to create original content is to take advantage of Instagram’s image-sharing options that TikTok can’t match. Additionally, you can follow the latest TikTok trends (which don’t always make waves on Instagram) and post some fun videos of your brand hoping on the latest viral TikTok dance, joke, or format.
Provide Useful Information
Though TikTok started as a platform for lipsyncing and dancing, it has become a well-rounded platform for all sorts of content. It is now considered one of the most influential apps in that so many of its users give new things a try thanks to a video they saw on the app.
A recent survey reveals what, exactly, TikTok users are interested in learning about through TikTok videos. You’ll notice that TikTokers are influenced to follow a new brand, buy a new product, or even take up a new hobby thanks to the TikTok content they enjoy.
Don’t just go in for the direct sales pitch (even if your goal is to sell). Provide information about your products or services, show how they’re useful, and demonstrate the ways that they can make a task easier or more enjoyable. As your brand grows, call upon influencers (including local or micro-influencers) to boost your brand, as many TikTok users prefer to find out about new products or services from a trusted TikTok celebrity.
Make Buying Easy
At the end of the day, you’re not building up your social media platforms because the end goal is a big following. You’re building up your social media platforms to connect with potential consumers. The end goal is always to make a sale.
There are a lot of ways that you can impede sales and one of them is creating a difficult path from post to product. As we’ve already mentioned, neither of these platforms makes it simple to link to products (or any websites) in individual posts. That’s why it’s important to include clear and easy pathways any chance you get, including in your Stories.
This also includes taking a close look at your business website. If it’s hard to navigate to your product or service page or it takes too long to load an order, you’re going to lose what were otherwise promising customers.
Let 46Mile Build Your Social Media Strategy
Now you know how to link Instagram to TikTok and some other handy social media marketing tips. Still, you might be wondering if you have the time or resources to give these social media platforms the attention they deserve. If you’re not convinced you can make it a priority, you’re not alone.
Running a business makes you an expert in your products and services. It doesn’t mean that you have to master the art of marketing. 46Mile is here so that you can focus on what you love while we make sure that your business grows.
To learn more about our services, contact us today.
