JUST IN: the 'link in reply' workaround is aging — compare your placements

JUST IN: the 'link in reply' workaround is aging — compare your placements
Confirmed: outbound links in the main post still carry a reach penalty; the ranker discounts posts that send users off-platform.
Rumored: the first-reply link trick is now partially deboosted too as of recent weeks — the system reads the reply as part of the same unit.
Your options, ranked by current cost:
— Link in bio: zero penalty, lowest click-through
— Link in a pinned reply added 10+ min later: low penalty, moderate clicks
— Link in the post itself: highest penalty, hits affiliate posters hardest
What it means for your reach: treat the link as a second action, not part of the hook.