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Navigating the Great Link Debate: Social Media Platforms and External Links in 2024

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Social media platforms have become essential tools for small businesses and content creators to connect with audiences and grow their brands. But there’s a catch: not all platforms treat external links equally. Some embrace them, while others seem to view them as uninvited guests. Let’s break down where the major platforms stand on external links and how businesses can craft their strategies to thrive within these guidelines.

The Link Wars: Platform by Platform

  1. X (formerly Twitter): A “Rival-Free Zone”
    Since Elon Musk’s acquisition, X has tightened its policies on external links, especially those leading to rival platforms like Instagram, YouTube, or Mastodon. Posts with such links are often deboosted, reducing their visibility. Even Linktree-style tools face restrictions, making it tougher for creators to cross-promote. Pro Tip: Instead of linking out, focus on engaging content that keeps the conversation within X. Try using multimedia posts, like polls or short videos, to share your story. When you must share a link, keep it subtle and test for engagement.
  1. Facebook and Instagram: Links, but with Limits
    Meta platforms allow external links, but they don’t come without a price. Posts with links often see lower organic reach, as the algorithm prioritizes content that keeps users on the platform.. How to Win: Leverage Stories and Reels for link stickers or use “link in bio” calls to action. In-feed posts should focus on engagement, with links reserved for comments or follow-up conversations.
  1. TikTok: Dancing in Its Own World
    TikTok prefers to keep users engaged on its platform. External links in captions or comments? Not a fan. TikTok even limits the clickable bio link to drive revenue through its ecosystem. Workaround: Use content to build intrigue. Spark curiosity with storytelling or hints that direct viewers to your bio link. Your TikTok profile is prime real estate—optimize it to make that single link work overtime.
  1. LinkedIn: The Most Link-Friendly Player
    Professional yet practical, LinkedIn is more open to external links, especially when they add value to the audience. However, native content such as PDFs or articles still tends to outperform link-heavy posts. Optimization Idea: Share links sparingly and consider uploading resources directly. For example, convert a blog post into a native article or PDF with actionable tips.

Why Do Platforms Dislike External Links?

Social media platforms thrive on user attention. When you link externally, users leave the platform—taking their engagement and ad-viewing potential with them. Platforms like X and TikTok tighten link policies to maximize retention, while LinkedIn focuses more on value-driven interactions.

How to Thrive Despite the Restrictions

The key to success in this “link-limiting” landscape lies in adaptability. Here’s how small businesses and creators can maximize their reach without falling foul of platform algorithms:

  1. Prioritize Native Content:
    Craft posts that deliver immediate value—infographics, videos, or mini-tutorials. This keeps your audience engaged and boosts your content’s algorithmic reach.
  2. Use Links Strategically:
    When platforms restrict links, work around them. Embed links in bio sections, Stories, or comments. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram allow creative placements that feel less intrusive.
  3. Build Curiosity:
    Instead of outright linking to a product or blog, tease it. Phrases like, “You’ll never believe the 3rd tip…” drive interest and engagement.
  4. Experiment with Content Types:
    Try using interactive content like polls, quizzes, or Q&A sessions. These not only boost engagement but also keep your audience on the platform longer.
  5. Leverage Analytics:
    Pay close attention to what works. Test different strategies—native posts, subtle link mentions, and bio redirects—and measure engagement.

Conclusion: Play by the Rules to Beat the Game

The evolving landscape of external links on social platforms can feel restrictive, but with a strategic approach, small businesses and creators can thrive. By focusing on native content, creative engagement strategies, and thoughtful use of links, you can navigate the algorithms’ quirks while growing your online presence.

Ready to revolutionize your social media strategy? Let’s connect and create a customized plan that works for your business. Whether it’s building a TikTok bio that pops or crafting LinkedIn PDFs that convert, our team is here to help! Reach out today.

What’s working on Instagram in April 2023

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Don’t call it a comeback, but … gasp … pictures may actually be returning from the dead on Instagram! Crazy right? The social media site that built its foundation on pretty pictures that soothed our souls and gave us the escape from our judgemental Facebook peers has finally realized that they’ve been screwing everything up and ruining why people liked them in the first place.

I get it … TikTok got all popular and stuff. So then Instgram panicked and decided that they had to copy all of the success of our Chinese overlords in order to hold the attention spans of busty influencers and 13 year olds everywhere, and they gave Reels a boost. OK … they gave Reels a BIG boost and basically threw everything else in the trashcan and assumed nobody wanted it anymore.

Well guess what? Reels are REALLY annoying to have to constantly create, especially if you’re a small business owner who has 647 other daily tasks and jobs to deal with. Now, instead of being able to produce some well-curated photographs that were on brand, you had to spend hours trying to come up with 60 second sizzle Reels all the time just to keep up with the stupid algorithms. And that ended up creating a large group of brands that started doing Reels because they HAD to, and not because they actually WANTED to, thus flooding the landscape with a whole lotta crappy Reels that nobody wanted to look at in the first place (or create).

Thankfully the team at Instagram finally came to their senses and admitted they had gone overboard on pushing Reels in the past year. Now I’m not going sit here and act like everything in world has been healed and crafting an Instagram page for your business that has solid reach and engagement is by any means “easy,” but at least we’re returning to a more competitive balance of content.

So what’s the big takeaway from all of this? I see two things …

1. Always always ALWAYS grab content in as many forms as possible. If you’re taking a picture, don’t just take that one picture and move on. Take a vertical picture. Take a horizontal picture. Take a quick vertical video. Take a quick horitonzal video. Take a LONGER video. Then save ALL of it. Never ever assume that whatever is “working” right now in social media is what will still be the standard in six months … or a year … or six hours from now for that matter. You’re spending the time to grab the content … take the extra minute to grab it in multiple forms.

2. Never ever EVER try to copy somebody else just because something seems to be “working” for them. This goes for a small business trying to copy another brand on social media just as much as it goes for the multi-billion dollar social media company themselves that tried to copy another one. They didn’t do it becuase they genuinely believed in the process, they did it because they were merely following something that looked like it was working for a competitor.

Personally, I don’t understand why all of these gigantic tech companies feel like they need to monopolize EVERY market. Why can’t they do one thing really well and serve their customers instead of feeling the need to be a retail outlet, streaming service, game hub, health care provider, social media network, and whatever the heck else they can try to control?

When you try to please everybody, you end up pleasing nobody.

Keep that in mind when working to grow your business. Do what’s genuine to you and what you do well. The rest will follow!

Are you afraid of the Metaverse?

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Personally I think the metaverse (or VR/AR in general) has a ton of potential to do great things, but I don’t blame the people in this study one bit who said it made them “more scared” about the future. I’m not exactly excited to trust Zuck as our virtual leader either.

Here’s the reality (or maybe it’s the VIRTUAL reality … ba-dum-tss) … VR/AR will absolutely continue to grow and become a bigger part of our lives. There’s simply too many billions of dollars being sunk into it for it to not happen. So as a brand you need to start asking yourself, “How are ways that my brand can use this avenue for the GOOD of my business and my customers?” It about finding new ways to engage with your people on a personal level, and that can always be made into a positive thing when done properly.

Nearly a third of U.S. adults are more ‘scared’ of the metaverse than ‘excited’

Approach Your Business With “Little Dog Attitude”

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I have a little dog named Francy.  She’s a muttley rat terrier(ish) sort of dog that weighs all of about 14 pounds (we have a cat that’s bigger than she is).  She spends most of her life curled up on a pillow, a lap, or a blanket … to the point that I’ve always said she’d be perfectly content if she was a dog with no legs that had to be carried around everywhere she went.  She’s super sweet, cuddly, and friendly to just about anyone and anything on earth … until she sees a big dog.

Then … “little dog attitude” kicks in and Francy ain’t gonna take no crap from nobody.

I’ve seen this little dog launch herself into the air, land on top of a dog four times her size, and pin them to the ground in a growling fit of unexplained rage.  Why? I honestly have no clue.  I don’t know why this dog spends 98% of her life perfectly content to be in some sort of snuggle position, only to turn into a rabid beast with more attitude than Conor McGregor’s pre-fight interview.

But what I do know is this … that’s “tiny dog attitude,” and that’s how every small business owner should operate.  Don’t be afraid of the big guys … attack them!  Better yet … COPY THEM!!!!

These large corporations can spend millions (or billions) of dollars on marketing, advertising, and branding on a level that a small business will never be able to equal.  However, what a small business can do is study the big dogs, and then emulate these practices for their own brand.

Before Wal-Mart was … well … Wal-Mart … Sam Walton built his empire by doing one thing amazingly well … studying his competition.  He walked around other stores, paid attention to how things looked, where items were located, how shoppers behaved, etc etc. He then took this data back to his own store and used it to improve his own customer experience to a level that nobody else was even considering.  He had “tiny dog attitude” back then that allowed him to grow into one of the biggest dogs of them all.

Soooo … that brings us to the present, where we can see what the big dog is up to, and that my friends, is first-party data collection.  That’s right, the JPG Agency mantra of OWNING YOUR AUDIENCE is in full effect! (Excuse me while I sprain my shoulder patting myself on the back for a minute.)

Wal-Mart knows that the key to their continued dominance is to know, first hand, everything they possibly can about their customer, their wants and needs, their purchasing patterns, their lifestyle interest, their moods, and just about anything else they can get their hands on.  And while this data leads to an enhanced shopping experience for their customers, what it also does is give them an additional cash cow that they can use with others.

Did you know Wal-Mart made $2.1 billion dollars in ad REVENUE last year?  That’s right, other brands are paying Wal-Mart to get access to the data they’ve collected, and the home of “Everyday Low Prices” is poised to become one of the top ten ad agencies in the country within the next five years.

So how do we apply this to our “tiny dog attitude” lesson for the day?  It’s simple … we OWN OUR AUDIENCE.  We don’t rely on some social media algorithm to reach our customers or PPC ad spend or whatever.  We develop ways to obtain the contact information of our customers in a way that allows us to directly engage with them without having to depend on anybody else to do it for us.  Nobody … and I repeat … NOBODY is going to understand your business better than you, so why in the world would we put all of our reliance onto somebody else to do it for us?

Is there a place within our success path to do things like social media marketing, digital ad spends, and things like that?  Absolutely!  And we here at the JPG Agency are happy to help you do that, but we also believe very strongly in helping you develop ways to grow your direct data streams with your customers, because we know that is the true key to growth and long term success.  Don’t let the big dogs strut around like they control everything … launch yourselves into the air and pin them to the ground yourself!

Here’s some additional articles/resources for the details discussed in this article today:

Walmart made $2.1 billion in advertising last year—here’s how

Walmart Media Group Rebrands to Walmart Connect in Bid to become a Top 10 US Ad Biz

Walmart moves further into livestream shopping

Meta vs. TikTok: The Short-Form Video War

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In the past year, TikTok has put a significant dent in Meta’s world of social media dominance of Facebook and Instagram. Facebook’s user numbers shrunk for the first time in the history of the company, and the brand identity of “Facebook is for old people” and “Instagram isn’t as good as it used to be” has continued to grow sentiment with younger demographics.

In retaliation, as outlined by Social Media Today, Meta is turning up the heat on TikTok and going all in on short form video. Facebook and Instagram Reels are rapidly adding monetary incentives for content creators and pushing their content out organically in an effort to get more and more users hooked on the short form video format. If you’ve made any kind of “regular” post recently on FB/IG (especially IG) and then made a Reels post as a reach comparison, the numbers aren’t even close. Meta is putting their eggs in the short-form video basket and doing so in a way that they hope will bury TikTok, or at the very least swing the pendulum of new growth back to their platforms.

Here’s a crazy idea … maybe had they not squashed the hell out of organic engagement in an effort to force people to buy more ads, this never would’ve happened in the first place?

I don’t know about you, but in the “good old days” of FB/IG when you could simply post good content on a regular basis and have organic growth, it actually made me WANT to spend money on ads to spread that content even further. Now I feel like I’ve gone to a restaurant where I’ve ordered a meal and they’ve served me a bunch of hot garbage on a plate, but tell me “well if you pay us a little bit more, then MAYBE we’ll bring you some better food. We probably won’t bring you the whole dish or exactly the food you wanted, but we’ll be happy to take your money and throw you a few more crumbs.” Doesn’t give me the warm fuzzies on the inside.

We’ve seen this pattern before … when Facebook first starting crushing organic growth, people started gravitating to Instagram. They could post nice pictures, get a bunch of likes, grab a handful of new followers with every post. Things felt fun and positive, and you felt like you could grow your brand in a simple and effective way. So what did Facebook (or Meta or Darth Zuckerberg or whatever you want to call it) do? They bought the company of course! Because while the old adage may be, “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em,” the mantra in a trillion dollar tech world is more “if you can’t beat ’em, copy ’em, steal their market share, crush their growth, and then buy ’em out.”

So that’s what Facebook did, and then began to apply the same practices to Instagram. Oh you actually want someone to SEE your post? Give us money and then MAYBE we’ll let our algorithm robot overlords expose it to a couple new people. Or maybe we won’t, but we’ll take your money either way. Pleasure doing business with you!

The battlefield is set yet again … this time against TikTok. So what will happen next? Will Meta win this battle too? Will TikTok be able to weather the storm? Social Media Today has some observations on how this could be a total disaster for TikTok, so it will interesting to see how it all shakes out.

Regardless of how this all shakes out, the real message here for the growth and success of YOUR brand is one that we preach over and over here at The JPG Agency … OWN YOUR AUDIENCE!!!!! Social media platforms certainly have a place in your branding and marketing strategies, but they should be a supplement to your primary objective of creating a direct line of communication with your audience that allows you to engage with them on YOUR terms.

Sure … you can make a post on Facebook, or Instagram, or TikTok, or [insert next big thing here] but you’ll always be relying on that platform to actually deliver that content to people. Meanwhile, when YOU are the one who owns your audience and has a way to reach them directly, you can do exactly that and not rely on someone else’s algorithm to do it for you. Yes … this method takes TIME to achieve, but once you have that direct line of communication, you own it FOREVER, no matter what new trend or delivery system emerges.