Imagine you publish a new business poster on Instagram.
Someone downloads it.
It is then sent via WhatsApp.
It is passed on again by another person.
Within a short time, hundreds of people could have seen the poster.
That sounds good.
However, there is one issue.
A lot of those individuals may never come to your social media page, website, or business profile.
They only saw the picture.
The message travelled.
However, the audience didn’t always go back to your business.
For this reason, it is preferable to share the original post link or website link, rather than just the image.
An image can convey a message.
A link can help someone take the next step.
When you share the original social media post, people can:
A website link can take them even further.
They may explore your:
services, products, portfolio, team, contact page, enquiry form, blog, or business information.
The difference is simple.
An image can be viewed and left behind.
A link provides a way to move forward.
All promotional material should have a destination.
When promoting a service, product, offer, event, article, project, or announcement, ask yourself:
Where should someone go after seeing this?
If the answer is your Instagram page, LinkedIn post, website, booking page, or enquiry page, then share that destination whenever possible.
Don’t make people go through the trouble of searching for your business after they’ve already expressed interest.
Give them the direct route.
Once an image is downloaded and forwarded, it can travel far beyond the original post.
That can be useful for awareness.
But over time, the image may become separated from:
the caption, comments, profile, contact button, website link, and other business information.
Someone may see a poster and think:
“This looks interesting.”
However, if the phone number is difficult to read or the image does not clearly show the account name, they may not have an easy way to locate the business.
The original link keeps the content connected to its source.
If your business has something important to share, ask your employees, customers, partners, and supporters to share the original post where relevant.
For instance, instead of downloading an Instagram poster and forwarding only the image, they can share the link to the Instagram post.
The recipient may then:
open the post → visit the profile → explore the business → follow or contact you
That creates a more useful customer journey than a single graphic.
The same applies to posts on:
Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and other social media platforms.
If there is a dedicated webpage, article, service page, or landing page, provide a link to that page directly.
For example, if your business publishes an article called:
How to Select the Right Interior Designer
Don’t send just the cover image of the article.
Share the link to the article.
Now the reader can:
visit your website, read the full information, explore related services, understand your company, and contact you.
This is more useful than simply passing around a poster that says the article is available.
Sharing website links can help drive traffic to your website.
This creates additional opportunities for potential customers to:
read your content, understand your services, visit other pages, and make an enquiry.
One thing is very clear.
Simply getting clicks on social media does not mean your website will automatically rank higher on Google.
There are many factors that influence search visibility.
However, sharing useful website links can support:
discovery, readership, brand awareness, direct visits, and opportunities for other people to reference or share your content.
So the goal should not be to chase clicks alone.
The goal is to bring relevant people into your digital ecosystem.
Employees often receive a business poster in an internal WhatsApp group.
The usual instruction is:
“Please share this.”
Then everyone forwards the image.
A better approach can be:
“Here is the original post link. Please share it with anyone who may find it useful.”
This helps bring people back to the business, not just to the image.
This works particularly well for:
new services, job postings, event announcements, important updates, educational content, offers, and business milestones.
This does not mean you should never send an image.
Images are useful.
Sometimes people want a poster they can quickly view, save, or forward.
A more practical approach is:
For example:
“Here are the details. You can also view the original post here:”
Then include the link.
This gives the recipient both:
easy access to information and a clear path back to the business.
It’s not about stopping the sharing of images.
It’s about making sure the image is not the only connection to your brand.
The link only works if the page it leads to is helpful.
When you send someone to your social media profile, make sure it is:
clear, complete, active, and easy to understand.
If you send them to your website, ensure that the page is:
If you send them to your website, ensure that the page is:
There is little value in sending traffic to a page that creates more confusion.
The destination should continue the conversation started by the post.
Avoid simply posting a link without any context.
Give people a reason to open it.
Instead of:
“Check this link.”
you could say:
“See the complete project here.”
“Read the full guide.”
“View all service details.”
“Watch the complete video.”
“See the original announcement.”
“Find the enquiry details here.”
A clear call to action helps people understand what they will get after clicking.
This is where sharing the original link becomes powerful.
One person may open one post.
They may then visit your profile.
They may watch another video.
They may then visit your website.
They can explore your services.
And eventually, they may contact you.
It can all begin with one well-shared link.
That complete journey is much harder to create with only a forwarded image.
Your content should not only travel.
It should also make it easy for people to find their way back to your business.
When your business publishes something important, ask yourself:
Should we forward the image, or should we share the original post or page link?
Wherever possible, direct people to the source.
That’s where they can learn more about your business and understand what they should do next.
Send the message out.
Just make sure the audience can find their way back to your business as well.
A Webrandtech Education Series for Smarter Digital Growth.