Instagram bin the influencer gold mine that was ‘swipe up’

Instagram is binning the influencer goldmine feature that is the ‘swipe up’ and replacing it with a sticker. The swipe up feature allowed users to directly access a shopping link from a creators story. The feature was only available to those with 10,000 followers or more. Creators use this feature to earn money from commissionable links, or to link to their websites or brand pages.

Courtesy Amelia Liana

The swipe up will disappear from 30th August, or when users decide to update their Instagram app.

The change comes as Instagram want to try a new way to link URL’s from the story in the form of a sticker. The sticker replaces the swipe up, and works as a hyperlink by redirecting users to the external website. The feature will still require the creator to have over 10,000 followers to have access to it. If a creator is verified they are also able to use the sticker link.

There are some differences between the swipe up and the newly introduced stickers, the main difference being the ability to customise the stickers, meaning the creator can make it personal and tailor it to the product they are linking.

Courtesy of Later.com

The change is hoping to introduce more style to Instagram stories. A swipe up can be a little boring, but with the personalisation of the stickers, the platform hopes the creators will become more creative with their links.