You get a link, and you get a link!

This week Instagram announced that now all users will have access to the Link Sticker feature via Instagram stories. 

This feature was previously more “exclusive”, with Instagram users only having access once they had reached 10,000 followers or were verified. So why is it now available for everyone? A few reasons, but let’s think about the pros and cons of this release. 

Pros: Instagram explains that this is an effort to be inclusive of all users, specifically those owning small businesses. In an effort to support small/locally owned business owners, what better way than to let them link their products and grow their brand and audience via social media? We don’t all start off with thousands of followers. All users are also able to link any and all charity sites, possibly increasing the advocation of different causes. This all sounds great, so what could go wrong?

Cons: Anyone can now link anything to their stories…..I repeat. Anyone. We’d like to think that we all have good intentions on social media, but unfortunately, that is not always the case. This new feature available to all may cause an influx in negative sharing as well, such as inappropriate websites and misinformation. Instagram claims they will be monitoring this heavily, and any remotely negative information will be removed and blocked from using the Link Sticker feature in the future.

What do you think of this new feature?