How To Add A WhatsApp Link To Instagram Bio and Instagram Story?

Learn how to add WhatsApp links to Instagram bio and Stories. ‍

Instagram has become one of the most popular social media platforms for ecommerce businesses to promote their brand, products, collections, deals and discounts on. But so has WhatsApp. 

From what used to be all about sending a DM to place an order, newer brands can now be seen requesting customers to send a message on WhatsApp instead to keep conversations streamlined and not miss out on purchase details as the business scales. 

But you know what’s even more efficient and effective? Leveraging the WhatsApp Business API and WhatsApp Business features to create a more seamless connection between the two channels. 

This is where a WhatsApp link comes in handy. 

In this article, we’re going to cover how to create WhatsApp link, WhatsApp link generator for Instagram, adding WhatsApp link to Instagram and Instagram stories, and scaling consumer conversations for more sales. 

Let’s start with a few basics and recap of WhatsApp links. 

What is a WhatsApp link? 

A WhatsApp link is essentially a simple, shareable link created using the number you’re making use of on the messaging platform. When clicked on, this link opens the messaging app, letting a person straight type in the message they want to send instead of having to type in a phone number, add it to contacts and then message the business. 

‍Also read: How to convert your WhatsApp account into a WhatsApp Business account

How to create a WhatsApp link? 

Creating a WhatsApp link is extremely simple. All you need to do is follow the steps below to get a shareable link for your business: 

• Open the WhatsApp Business app 
• Navigate to Settings 
• Head over to Business Tools 
• Click on Short Links 
• View and copy the WhatsApp link for sharing 

There are also a number of free WhatsApp link generator tools available online that you can make use of. They typically ask you for your country code and phone number, which creates a WhatsApp link similar to the one generated from the steps above. 

A WhatsApp link is typically in the format: 

‍https://wa.me/XXXXXXXXXXX

‍Also read: WhatsApp Business vs WhatsApp Business API: What does your business need?

How to add WhatsApp link to Instagram profile bio and Stories? 

Now that  you have your WhatsApp link created, it is time to proactively promote it on Instagram so that your audience knows you’re available on the messaging platform. To do this, you’re going to have to make your WhatsApp link extremely visible. 

Here are some ways to add WhatsApp link to Instagram: 

1. Add it to your Instagram profile bio 

Now you can add a link to your Instagram profile if you have switched to a professional account. Simply head over to your profile, click on edit, go to the website field and add your WhatsApp link there. 

We also recommend optimizing your bio description a little to say that the link added is for chatting with you on WhatsApp to enquire about products or make a purchase. The more actionable and straightforward you keep things, the clearer are the next steps for your audience. 

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2. Link your WhatsApp Business with the Instagram account 

Another way to link your WhatsApp Business account to Instagram is to add it as a Contact Option. This requires you to head to your profile, click on edit, and add your WhatsApp Business number to the contact options. 

It is important to note that once you add your number, Instagram will verify the same. Once approved, it gets displayed on your profile as a button to ‘contact’ you. Please note that this button does not explicitly say ‘message on WhatsApp’. 

3. Add WhatsApp link to Instagram Stories 

Want to make your WhatsApp link even more visible? A smart way to do so is by adding it to your Instagram stories whenever you share a new post, Story content, a product or a sale/ discount update. The idea is to offer viewers an easy way to click through content they are interested in and start a conversation with you on WhatsApp instantly. 

To do this, you will need to head over to your Instagram stories, add the content and then click on Stickers. Look for the ‘link’ sticker and then paste your WhatsApp link into the field. 

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4. Set up Instagram DM automation 

If you’re a business owner that tends to receive a lot of messages in your DM, we recommend leveraging Instagram automation to redirect the incoming queries to your WhatsApp Business account. You can do this by setting up an auto-responder on your Instagram account. 

To do this, you will need to open Meta business Suite inbox and click on Automations. Then navigate to Instant Reply and turn on the toggle; selecting Instagram as the channel. Compose your message and click on the Sparkles icon to personalize the reply, adding your WhatsApp link to the same. 

5. Set up click to WhatsApp ads 

Another way to direct Instagram audience to WhatsApp is to run click to WhatsApp (CTWA) ads. These are the regular social media ads, but instead of directing to a website page, they link the targeted audience to your WhatsApp Business account. The ad clearly states ‘send a message’ as the call-to-action button. Learn more about it here. 

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Automate WhatsApp Business messages to turn Instagram followers into customers 

When you start actively sharing your WhatsApp Business link on Instagram and encouraging messages from your followers and customers, it’s important to ensure you don’t leave any conversation unanswered. This is where the importance of leveraging the WhatsApp Business API for automations comes into play. 

To make the most of your Instagram to WhatsApp traffic deflection, we encourage setting up the following WhatsApp automations: 

1. Welcome automation 

For a business to revert on specific queries, it can take some time. But that does not mean you leave a conversation unanswered. This is where setting up a welcome message automation becomes helpful in keeping the customer engaged. The message could simply state when to expect a response from your business or further provide them with options to explore more details about the product or your collections using interactive messages. 

2. WhatsApp opt-in confirmation 

A lot of your Instagram audience may click through your WhatsApp link to make a one-off query. This query may result in a sale or not; either way, you need to establish a way to stay in touch with them. That’s why you need to set up an automation to get a WhatsApp opt-in confirmation; this is like taking their permission to send them WhatsApp promotional broadcasts for sales, discounts and offers in the future. 

Also read: How to build a large WhatsApp list for your ecommerce business 

3. Cart recovery automation  

As you make promotions on Instagram to take orders on WhatsApp, you may see some consumers dropping off without making a purchase. In this case, we recommend setting up an abandoned cart recovery sequence on WhatsApp to bring back these high intent buyers. Follow up with a reminder, offer an additional discount, offer help in making a purchase decision, send product recommendations or even seek feedback from them to understand their needs better. Learn more about it here. 

Also read: How to use WhatsApp checkout links to shorten the sales cycle 

4. Shipping/ delivery automation 

For consumers who have purchased from you and those that haven’t, shipping and delivery information is often important. They want to know how long it will take for their order to get delivered, until when it is eligible for returns, exchanges, refunds and cancellations, and similar. To answer these repetitive questions, we recommend setting up WhatsApp automations and leveraging interactive messages that let them browse through information with ease on a conversational channel. Learn more about it here. 

5. IVR deflection

Despite setting up the above WhatsApp Business API automations, there may be some consumer queries that require live agents to step in. But answering these complex queries still requires timeliness and that’s where consumers may reach out to you on phone calls to seek answers. Leveraging WhatsApp IVR deflection, you can nudge consumers to resolve issues on messages and vice versa. Learn more about it here. 

Have you added a WhatsApp link to Instagram? 

Social commerce and conversational commerce are the two trending terms for the ecommerce industry in the years to come. Creating easier online shopping journeys has become a crucial part of succeeding at ecommerce and the two trends are targeted at enabling the same. 

When you integrate your Instagram and WhatsApp marketing strategies, you make the two trends work in tandem for your business, leading to higher customer engagement and conversion rates. 

Ready to tap into WhatsApp Business and Instagram? 

Generate your WhatsApp link today and set up automations using QuickReply.ai. 

Do you have a Shopify store? 

Install the QuickReply WhatsApp Business API today to get started.