Why I Stopped Saying Link in Bio And What I Do Instead

Every Instagram post I see ends with "link in bio." Every Twitter thread. Every LinkedIn post. It's become the default call-to-action for online creators and solopreneurs.

And it's terrible. Conversion rates on "link in bio" are abysmal. I know because I tracked them for three years.

The moment I stopped saying it, my conversions doubled.

Why Link in Bio Fails

Let me be specific about the problem. When you tell someone "link in bio," here's what actually happens:

1. They finish reading your post
2. They have to navigate away from the platform
3. They have to scroll to your bio (a non-obvious place, depending on the platform)
4. They have to find the link among however many you have there
5. They have to click it
6. They have to wait for the page to load
7. They have to figure out what to do next

That's 7 friction points. Most people drop off after step 2 or 3.

But there's a deeper issue: "link in bio" treats everyone the same. Whether someone's interested in your newsletter, your product, your case studies, or just more of your content—they all get sent to the same place. That's a missed opportunity.

What I Do Instead: Email First

I stopped using link in bio and started using email addresses. Here's the shift:

Old approach: "Check out my latest tool - link in bio"

New approach: "I help solopreneurs ship faster with AI. DM me or reply to my newsletter for specific help with your project."

Notice the difference? The second one tells people exactly what value they get by engaging, and it gives them a direct way to reach me. Not through a general website. Through a direct communication channel.

Here's why this works:

Lower friction. Send me an email or DM is easier than finding a link in a bio.

Direct conversation. They're reaching out to me directly, which creates a connection immediately. It's not "visit my website." It's "we might have a real conversation."

Self-filtering. The people who email or DM are usually serious. They're not just curious—they actually want to engage. That's a much higher-quality lead.

Flexibility. I can respond differently based on what they actually want. Someone asking about AI tools gets a different response than someone asking about my framework.

The Email Newsletter Strategy

But here's the thing: email addresses alone aren't enough. You need to build an actual asset—an email list.

I invite people to my newsletter constantly. Not "subscribe for updates." Specific value: "Get the RACE Framework template I use for every AI prompt." Or "Get my weekly breakdown of what's actually working in AI adoption right now."

In my posts, I say: "I write about AI strategy every Tuesday. Reply to this post with your email if you want to get them directly."

That converts way better than "check out my newsletter (link in bio)" because:

• It's specific about what they'll get
• It's a direct interaction (they reply to the post)
• They're opting in to something with clear value, not a generic newsletter

What Actually Converts

Let me be super direct about what actually works:

Offer something specific in exchange for their email. Not "subscribe to stay updated." This: "Download my 20-prompt AI template library." Or "Get the budget template I use to track AI ROI." Specificity matters.

Make it easy for them to engage with you directly. Email me. DM me. Reply to this post. Don't make them hunt for a link and navigate to a signup form.

Follow up immediately and personally. When someone emails or DMs you, respond within hours. Not a bot. You. This creates a relationship, not a transaction.

Give people multiple ways to engage. Some will email. Some will DM. Some will reply to your newsletter. Support all of them.

Why This Works for Solopreneurs

If you're a solopreneur, you don't have a big marketing team or conversion optimization budget. You have something better: you. A real human that people can connect with.

Stop pretending you're a faceless corporation with a landing page. You're a person with expertise. Act like it. Let people reach you directly. Respond personally. Have conversations. Some of those conversations become customers.

The companies winning right now aren't the ones with the best "link in bio." They're the ones being present, responsive, and real with their audiences.

I used to get 2-3 leads per month from my "link in bio" strategy. Since I switched to the email-first, direct-conversation approach, I'm getting 15-20 per month. And they're higher quality because they're self-selecting. They reached out because they actually want to work together.