thirteen months ago Linktree, the link-in-biography company that allows creators to collect links to different platforms on a single, easy-to-digest page, announced its latest round of funding. The $110 million investment from financial backers, including Index Ventures and Coatue Management, puts Linktree in quite an enviable position: It was valued at $1.3 billion..
Just over a year later, things look different. On his Instagram account, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Instagram users can now add up to five links to his bio on the app. “Probably one of the most requested features we’ve ever had,” he wrote.
Creators have been delighted to be able to more easily integrate external links into their Instagram profiles; Until now, you had to put them all on a Linktree page or one provided by a competitor, and then place it on your timeline. “For anyone who’s had trouble prioritizing the link you include in your Instagram bio, this is a much-needed update,” says Lia Haberman, a social media marketing consultant and instructor at UCLA.
But Meta’s move may have torpedoed Linktree and the broader biolink economy. Some tech watchers reacted to the news as follows: tweeting clips of The office of Michael Scott screaming: “No god! No, god, please don’t. No, no, nooooooo!”
But a move like this was inevitable, argue some social media analysts. “Meta was trying to experiment with people paying for things, on Instagram in particular, like their subscription features and now verification, so it seemed like a no-brainer to eventually allow multiple links and potentially even charge for it in the future,” he says. Greg Baroth, a Los Angeles-based digital marketing consultant who tweeted “RIP all links in biocompanies” when the feature was announced. “So many people use and pay for the many ‘link-in-bio’ companies that have come along that they thought they were worth implementing,” he adds. Meta, Instagram’s parent company, did not respond to a request for comment.
The Instagram change has been tested with some users for several months, including with Sandra Colton Medici, physician and author. However, Colton-Medici has decided that he will stay with Linktree. “Finding new ways to drive audiences away from the platform is a top priority for companies using social media,” he says. “Instagram’s introduction of the multiple profile link option forces the user to choose a link in the app and then return to the app if they want to view another link.” Colton-Medici believes that added friction benefits Instagram, but not its audience.
She calls Instagram’s change in link numbers “admirable,” but says the features it provides are sparse. Linktree allows users to customize the page an audience member lands on. When Colton-Medici tested the Instagram feature, she displayed a link, plus a clickable “see more” link that she would display the other four. “This hidden aspect of the five links didn’t easily scream, ‘Choose me, choose me, love me,'” she says. she content strategy versus letting users wander without a clear focus.”