The link shortener Bit.ly has become a popular tool for social media marketing and promotion. But how can you use it as a link shortener for your own content or site?
Bit.ly is a powerful tool for marketers, as it helps you understand your audience and shows you when and where your content is being shared. And it’s not just for shortening links. In this post, we’ll look at 11 ways that you can use Bit.ly to help your own content marketing.
1. Use as a CTA
If you want to send people to a specific page but don’t want to use the tired “click here” link, you can shorten the URL and use the link to send people to your desired location.
For example, if you have a product you want to promote, you can use the link in your CTA.
2. Use as a Vanity URL
Vanity URLs are a great way to improve your brand’s credibility and trust with potential customers. They’re also a great way to make your links look clean and professional.
If you have a long, ugly URL that you want to share, you can use a link shortener to create a custom, branded URL that redirects to the original link. This will make your links look much more professional and will help you build trust with your audience.
3. Use to Track Geographical Location
If you are running a campaign that is targeting a specific geographical location, you can use a link shortener to create several different links that are all sending traffic to the same place.
The only difference is that each link will have a different geographical location in the URL. This makes it easy for you to track where your traffic is coming from and make sure that you are targeting the right people.
4. Use to A/B Test
A/B testing is a great way to determine which content resonates best with your audience. But you can also use link shorteners to test different landing pages and calls-to-action.
By creating two different short links for the same piece of content but leading to different landing pages, you can determine which one is more successful. You can also use different calls-to-action in your short links to see which one gets more clicks.
5. Use to Track Demographics
Some link shorteners, like Bitly, allow you to track the location of your link clicks. This is useful for understanding the demographics of your audience.
You can then use this information to create targeted content for your audience based on their location. This can help you increase engagement and drive more traffic to your website.
6. Use to Track Time of Day
If you are running a campaign and want to see what time of day is most popular for people to click on your links, you can use a link shortener to track that.
You can create a new link for each time of day and see which one gets the most clicks. This can help you schedule your social media posts and email campaigns for the best time of day.
It can also help you learn more about your audience and their habits.
7. Use to Track Device Type
Most businesses have websites that are mobile-friendly. However, many users are still using desktops and laptops to access the internet.
Use a link shortener to create links for your website calls to action and then use the tracking feature to see what types of devices your users are clicking from.
This can be a great way to see if your website is truly mobile-friendly and if your users are finding your website on mobile.
8. Use to Track Referral Source
If you are running a promotion or a campaign and want to know which website or social media platform is driving the most traffic to your website, you can use a link shortener to track the referral source.
This is a great way to get a better understanding of where your traffic is coming from and to see which of your marketing efforts are paying off.
9. Use to Track Social Media Platform
If you’re running a social media campaign, you’re probably sharing a lot of links to your website.
But how do you know which social media platforms are driving the most traffic to your site? And how do you know which links are the most popular?
That’s where link shorteners can come in handy. You can use link shorteners to track which social media platforms are driving the most traffic to your site, and you can also use them to track which links are the most popular.
By tracking this data, you can get a better idea of which social media platforms you should be focusing on, and you can also get a better idea of which types of content are the most popular with your audience.
10. Use to Track Social Media Campaign
If you’re running a social media campaign or influencer marketing campaign and you want to track the number of clicks, using a link shortener is the perfect way to do it.
This will give you an accurate count of the number of people who clicked on your link, and you can even see where they are coming from.
11. Use to Track Offline Marketing
Link shorteners are not just for digital marketing. They can also be used for offline marketing, such as direct mail or print ads. This is a great way to track the success of your offline marketing campaigns and see which ads are driving the most traffic to your website.
You can create a unique short link for each ad and then track the number of clicks it receives. This will give you an idea of which ads are performing the best and which ones need to be improved.
Why Should You Use a Link Shortener?
Using a link shortener can significantly enhance your digital marketing efforts. Here’s why:
1. Improved Aesthetics
Long URLs can look messy and unprofessional. A link shortener tidies up your links, making them more visually appealing and easier to share, especially on platforms with character limits like Twitter.
2. Enhanced Analytics
Link shorteners often come with built-in analytics tools. These tools allow you to track how many clicks your links receive, the geographic location of your audience, and the times of day your links are most popular. This data is invaluable for refining your marketing strategies and understanding your audience better.
3. Better Branding
Custom short links can include your brand name, which helps in building brand recognition and trust. For instance, a link like bit.ly/YourBrandOffer is more likely to be clicked than a random string of characters.
4. Increased Click-Through Rates
Short, customized links are easier to remember and share, leading to higher click-through rates. People are more likely to engage with a clean, branded link than a long, unwieldy URL.
5. Simplified Management
Managing a large number of links can be overwhelming. Link shorteners often provide dashboards where you can organize and manage your links in one place, simplifying your workflow and saving time.
6. Enhanced Security
Some link shorteners offer security features such as link expiration dates and password protection. These features ensure that your links remain secure and are only accessible to the intended audience.
Incorporating a link shortener into your marketing toolkit is a smart move that can boost your efficiency, improve your analytics, and enhance your brand’s online presence.
Conclusion
We all know link shorteners are great for saving space and making content more shareable. But, as you can see, they can be used for so much more. From driving traffic to your site to tracking engagement, the possibilities are endless. So, give these tips a try and start getting more out of your links.
