Facebook’s algorithm has always been a bit mysterious, especially when it comes to links. Common wisdom tells us that including links in Facebook posts reduces their reach. But I’ve noticed something interesting that challenges this belief – at least when it comes to Instagram links.
As the manager of the Illinois Wesleyan University art alumni and student Facebook group (186 members strong), I regularly share content from the Art department’s Instagram account. This helps bridge the gap for those who aren’t on Instagram and gives our school’s creative work broader exposure – something our faculty appreciates.
Initially, I followed the conventional approach: post the photos without links and bury the Instagram source URL in the comments to avoid the dreaded “link penalty.” But recently, I started taking a more straightforward approach by including the Instagram links directly in the posts. Part of this was simply convenience, but it also felt more ethical to provide proper attribution upfront.
Here’s where it gets interesting: These posts with Instagram links are actually receiving more engagement than their link-free counterparts. While my sample size is admittedly small, this makes some logical sense – Facebook and Instagram are part of the same company, so the algorithm might favor cross-platform content sharing between their properties.
This observation, while preliminary, could be valuable for other social media managers. Have you noticed similar patterns with Instagram links on Facebook? I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments.
By the way, I’d like to say I really, really don’t like Instagram. I hesitate to give any links to Instagram because I don’t want to promote their service. But IWU’s art department posts exclusively on Instagram. I repost the images on Facebook, because I don’t want to spend time on Instagram. And anyone else who doesn’t want to be on Instagram shouldn’t have to be on Instagram either.