If you’ve ever wondered why some of your social media posts perform really well while others barely get noticed, you’re not alone. One major factor might be something surprisingly simple: whether or not your post includes a link.
After listening to Buffer’s Science of Social Media podcast episode, “Why You Shouldn’t Add Links to Your Social Posts,” one thing became very clear: social media platforms want users to stay on their apps for as long as possible. And if your post includes a link that takes someone away from the platform, the algorithm may limit how many people see it.
Honestly… it makes sense. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and X (formerly Twitter) are designed to keep users scrolling, engaging, and consuming content. External links interrupt that.
What the Research Says
Buffer shared research using consumer intelligence data from 174 million tweets comparing posts with links versus posts without links.
Here’s what they found:
More specifically:
The podcast also highlighted major performance differences on LinkedIn:
That’s a pretty big difference.
So… Should You Avoid Links?
In most cases, yes, especially if your goal is reach, visibility, and engagement.
If you want people to see your content, interact with it, and help boost it in the algorithm, avoiding direct links in your post can be a smart strategy.
Instead, many marketers recommend:
This works particularly well on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, where external linking is already limited.
But Links Aren’t Always Bad
Here’s the catch: sometimes clicks matter more than engagement.
If your goal is to drive traffic to:
…then including a link may still be worth it.
Yes, reach might drop, but if your post gets in front of the right audience and drives meaningful traffic, that tradeoff could make sense.
This is why there’s no one-size-fits-all rule. It depends on your goals.
My Take
I agree with Buffer’s findings. Social platforms clearly prioritize content that keeps users engaged within their ecosystem, so avoiding direct links often improves performance.
That said, I think strategy matters more than rigid rules.
If your goal is awareness, engagement, or growing your audience, avoid links in the post itself.
If your goal is conversions or website traffic, links still serve an important purpose.
The best approach is simple: test both methods and track your results. Social media is constantly changing, and what works best can vary by platform, audience, and content type.
At the end of the day, the algorithm may play favorites, but smart strategy wins.
GIVE IT A LISTEN
References
Buffer. (2023, March 14). Why you shouldn’t add links to your social posts. In Spotify and Apple Podcasts. https://open.spotify.com/show/3Loaoam1FqP2YH9RnB8GMV
West, C. (2025, July 4). Link in bio: How to set up and optimize your bio links. Hootsuite. https://blog.hootsuite.com/link-in-bio/
Hill, C. (2023, April 26). Sprout Tested: The answer to why you put links in the comments on LinkedIn. Sprout Social. https://sproutsocial.com/insights/linkedin-link-in-comments
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