Thirteen months ago, Linktree, the link-in-bio company that allows creators to collect links to different platforms on a single, easily digestible page, has announced its latest fundraising round. The $110 million investment from backers, including Index Ventures and Coatue Management, put Linktree in a fairly enviable position: It was valued at $1.3 billion.
A little over a year later, things look different. On his Instagram account, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, announced that Instagram users can now add up to five links to their bio on the application. “Probably one of the most requested features we’ve had,” he wrote.
Creators have responded with joy to the idea of being able to more easily integrate external links into their Instagram profiles: until now, they had to put them all on a Linktree page or one provided by a competitor, then place them in their bio . “For anyone struggling to prioritize which link they include in their Instagram bio, this is a much-needed update,” says Lia Haberman, social media marketing consultant and trainer at ‘UCLA.
But Meta’s decision may have just torpedoed Linktree and the broader organic economy. Some tech watchers reacted to the news by tweet clips Since The office of Michael Scott shouting, “No God!” No, God, please no. No, no, nooooo! »
But such a move was inevitable, some social media analysts say. “Meta was trying to experiment with people paying for things, on Instagram in particular – like their subscription and now verification features – so it seemed like a no-brainer to eventually allow multiple links and potentially even charge for them later,” says Greg Baroth, a Los Angeles-based digital marketing consultant who tweeted “RIP all links in organic companies” when the feature was announced. “So many people are using the many ‘link in bio’ companies that have popped up – and paying for them – that they have found it worth implementing them,” he adds. Meta, Instagram’s parent company, did not respond to a request for comment.
Instagram’s change has been tested with some users for several months, including Sandra Colton-Medici, a doctor and author. However, Colton-Medici decided she would stay with Linktree. “Finding new ways to attract audiences off the platform is one of the top priorities for businesses using social media,” she says. “Instagram’s introduction of the multi-link profile option requires the user to choose a link in the app and then return to the app if they want to view another link.” According to Colton-Medici, this added friction benefits Instagram, but not its audience.
