- With the rise of TikTok and Instagram reels,
bio links are more important than ever.
Links are essential on social media,
for promoting your websites, products and events.
You can tell users to go to the link in your bio,
but what if you need to have several links,
for them to click?
That's where apps, like Linktree come in.
You can put your Linktree in your bio,
then you can link out, to as many places as you'd like,
from your Linktree.
It's kind of like a link, to a page of links.
Smart, right?
And everyone uses Linktree,
so you should just use Linktree too, right?
Actually, Linktree may not be the best option.
Let me tell you why.
Here's the thing about Linktree.
Instagram and TikTok users, are using Linktree,
just because it's popular.
I mean, it's become a noun at this point.
Oh, go to the Linktree in my bio.
It's everywhere.
But just because a platform is popular,
doesn't mean it's the best option.
I've talked about Linktree in the past
and how it was far behind the competitors
and a lot of the features are hidden behind a pay wall.
Fast forward to now,
and Linktree has seriously upped their game.
They've added an app Marketplace,
with deep integrations to platforms,
like TikTok, and Cameo and Typeform.
And now you can accept payments,
directly from users on your Linktree.
You could add a tip jar,
or accept donations for your favorite cause.
But even with all these improvements,
Linktree still lags behind the competition
and a lot of the features are still behind a paywall.
You have to pay $9 a month, just to enable access
to the email list, opt-in form
and their paid plans, go as high as $24 a month.
So, if Linktree is such a common choice,
due to its popularity, what are the alternatives?
I've got some great options to look at,
after I tell you about Mailjet,
the sponsor of today's video.
So, here's the thing.
Bio link apps are all about getting your audience
to engage with a call to action.
And one of the most valuable calls to action
you can give to your audience,
is to ask them to subscribe to your email list.
Once you build your email list,
well, you've gotta send out nice looking emails
and that's where a Mailjet can help.
Mailjet, is an easy to use, email marketing platform,
for designing, sending and monitoring email campaigns.
Mailjet's editor, makes it easy to create
engaging email campaigns, newsletters
and automated emails, in minutes.
There's no coding.
Everything is drag and drop, and you can take advantage
of beautiful, pre designed templates, to save you time.
Mailjet has some amazing features,
like automated email workflows,
so you can send emails to your customers
at just the right time, without having to remember
when to send the emails.
Mailjet also gives you a ton of statistics.
You can track email performance, in real time
and get actionable insights, for future campaigns.
Mailjet is the best way to connect with your customers,
whether you're a solo entrepreneur or a team.
Thanks to Mailjet, for sponsoring this video.
Head on over to mailjet.com/craylormade,
to try Mailjet for free, today.
So, when I say there are endless alternatives
to Linktree, I mean it.
There's more options than I can keep track of,
but I've rounded up some of the most common ones,
to see how they compare to Linktree.
First, let's start with Solo.
Solo.to, is a simple, intuitive Linktree alternative,
that allows you to add up to 25 custom links, for free.
They do still offer paid plans
but I think Solo cares much more
about the individual user, than Linktree.
I've always gotten the feeling,
that Linktree is just trying to get
as many subscription signups as possible,
but Solo has been known to listen
to user feedback in the past
and implement changes that I've recommended.
They definitely are falling behind these days though,
they don't have any option to accept payments,
directly from users,
and they're lacking a lot of the interactive features,
that Linktree and competitors, have added recently.
I think it's really a shame,
that Solo is still charging $10 a month,
just to enable email list opt-ins.
I wish they would either make this feature free
or maybe in their $1 a month plan.
And overall, I don't recommend Solo, for most use cases.
If you're looking for a really simple,
really basic, free link system,
Solo could be a good option, but in general,
I think there are way better options out there.
And that brings me to my personal favorite
bio link app, Koji.
Listen, Koji is the innovator in this space.
They've added the tip jar and the interactive features,
before Linktree or any of the competitors.
Heck, the competitors have added these features
because Koji added them and they went,
oh, we gotta get our hands on these features.
It's been really cool to see
what Koji has been doing, over the years.
It's a bio link app, on steroids.
You can have a tip jar,
you can have a cameo booking service,
you can even host NFTs or have AMAs,
all on your bio link app.
And the best part is, it's a hundred percent free.
There are no monthly subscriptions, with Koji.
You don't have to pay $5 a month for these features
or $10 a month for those features.
You can do email list opt-ins, you can have a tip jar,
all these cool things, for free.
What's the catch?
Koji does charge transaction fees,
for any apps where you're accepting payments.
The fee is between five and 15%, but it usually is 5%.
This does include the card processing fees, so it's just 5%,
but still, these fees could add up.
I think it's more than fair, if you're just starting out
and you're paying $0 a month, to access the service,
what's a 5% fee for a couple donations through your tip jar
or a couple cameos that are booked on your page.
But what if you start to blow up?
What if you start to get bigger?
That 5% fee starts to equate to a big chunk of change
and there's no way to negotiate that rate down
or pay a monthly fee, in exchange
for a lower transaction fee, as you scale.
So, I could see that becoming a problem for big creators.
But I think the thing I love most about Kogi,
is the fact that none of the the features
are hidden behind a paywall.
If you're not concerned about blowing up,
into the next Mr Beast
and having all these transaction fees, Koji is awesome.
You can connect to custom domain,
you can style your page however you want,
all without a single monthly fee.
And that is really cool
and it makes Koji the best overall option,
for anyone looking for an amazing bio link app.
But what if you're looking to change it up?
What if you're saying,
" Christian I don't want my bio link page
to look like everybody else's."
'Cause let's be real, they all look the same.
They all have the profile picture at the top
and the rectangle links under it.
Yeah, very unoriginal.
Well, that's where linkin.bio comes in.
Linkin.bio, is a platform, by Later,
a social media management service.
The whole idea behind Linkin.bio,
is it mirrors your Instagram feed,
so you can see all of your recent posts
and users can tap each post,
to get to the corresponding link.
The idea is, if you're constantly having links
associated with your Instagram posts,
they see one that's maybe three days old.
They go to your bio, they tap the same post thumbnail
and they get to the link
that you are referring to, in that post.
Pretty cool, right?
It's sort of like an Instagram profile,
within an Instagram profile.
Some people think it's cluttered.
I kind of fall into that opinion,
but it is something that's different, as far as layout.
However, the biggest catch to linkin.bio, is the cost.
So many things are hidden behind a paywall.
If you want to have Instagram reels
show up in your feed, you gotta upgrade.
If you want to have an email list opted, you gotta upgrade.
If you want to even change the theme or colors or fonts,
you gotta upgrade.
And okay, they've gotta make money somehow.
But in order to use any of these features,
you have to pay $18 a month, for their starter plan.
If that seems really expensive,
it's because that's actually the starter plan
for Later, the social media management platform.
So, you're getting two for one.
You're getting premium access to Later,
where you can schedule social media posts on a calendar
and a bunch of other features.
And linkin.bio, is sort of a feature of Later.
So, if you're gonna use the two tools together
and you're interested in using Later anyway,
then $18 a month is a reasonable cost,
for what you're getting.
But if you're only interested in linkin.bio,
paying $18 a month, just for the premium features
on your bio link page, is a hefty price.
Now, I wanted to take a look at a new bio link app,
that's recently popped up.
It's called Linkpop, by Shopify
and it's being heavily marketed to influencers and creators.
Linkpop is Shopify's way of, sort of,
offering a light version, of their platform,
at a cheaper price point.
It's a link in bio app, that has a free version,
but the free version is extremely basic.
You can add links, embed YouTube videos
and that's basically it.
There's no email list opt-in offered,
you can't track metrics,
with Facebook Pixel or Google Analytics.
It's extremely basic and no frills.
The main sell to Linkpop,
is that if you already use Shopify,
you can link your store and sell products,
directly from Linkpop.
So, if you are an e-commerce brand,
this could be really desirable,
to convert more customers, from social media.
They can just go to the link in your bio
and make a purchase, without having to go to another link
or a full store or anything like that.
However, if you're not already using Shopify,
then Linkpop is not gonna make sense, for a lot of people.
It's extremely basic, like I've already mentioned.
And I think the only way it makes sense,
is if you're looking into starting to sell products
and you want to start small.
The thing I do like about Linkpop,
is that you can connect it to Shopify,
starting at $5 a month.
Shopify has a plan they call, Shopify Basic.
And for $5 a month, plus a 5% transaction fee,
you can start selling products, through your Linkpop
and directly on social media sites.
This is a good start, for a lot of people,
who are wanting to launch a product.
Maybe you've got merch you want to sell
or you're hand making something
and you want to see how your audience responds.
You can sell it starting at $5 a month,
through your Linkpop, and it's powered by Shopify,
which is a very reputable, online selling platform,
but it's definitely niche.
It applies, if you're looking to get into selling
or already have a Shopify store.
For everyone else,
Linkpop doesn't have much to offer right now.
Okay, so what is the best bio link app, for your needs?
Well, I think for most people,
Koji is going to be the obvious fit.
There's no denying the innovation
that they've brought to the market,
with all the interactive features.
And a $0 a month price tag, is pretty sweet.
So, I think it's a fit, for the average user.
It's definitely my pick and my personal favorite.
But what if you're wanting something different
and Instagram is your primary social media?
Well, I definitely think you could consider, Linkin.bio,
if you like how that UI functions,
where it mirrors your Instagram feed.
Linkin.bio, is the main app offering this type of interface.
So, it's a no brainer.
Just keep in mind, that $18 a month fee is pretty steep,
but it makes sense, if you're just gonna use Later anyway.
And finally, if you're an avid Shopify user,
or you're looking to start selling products online,
try Linkpop.
You can start selling stuff, for as low as $5 a month.
And if you're already paying for your Shopify
then Linkpop is effectively free to use.
You can just connect your store and start selling products,
directly from your bio link page.
And regardless of the calls to action,
you like to include in your social media posts,
don't forget to collect emails from your audience,
so you can communicate with them, regularly.
Here's the thing about email marketing,
you will reach your audience.
With social media, your posts can get buried,
with the algorithm and all that,
but if you send an email to your audience,
it's going to land in their mailbox.
I like to use Mailjet to do this,
and you can try Mailjet, for free,
at mailjet.com/craylormade.
And if you want to know the best place to buy a domain name,
so you could do things, like have a custom bio link,
well, I've got a whole video on that,
that you could check out, right here.