The last few decades have seen marketing evolve into a whole new form. Today, we are in the midst of an era that not only focuses on what you say and how you say it, but also how it looks when you present it. Every fragment of a message can be used to improve branded awareness.
The use of short branded links in all your online (and offline) communication is one such tactic. The URL that you share on your social channels and email communication can be branded to better your visibility.
A short link is a long URL that is crunched to redirect visitors from one web page to another. For example:
- This is a long link: www.yourtravel.space/things-to-know-when-traveling-abroad/detailed-checklist
- This is a generic short link: https://bit.ly/6u2IxX1
A generic short URL contains a random slug that does not give any hint about the website or the content that it’s pointing to and therefore, does nothing for your branding.
A better approach here would be to create a short, branded link. What it implies is, to have a domain name that represents your brand and a relevant keyword that explains where the link might lead. This way you promote your own brand and content instead of some other service.
For the example stated above, a relevant short link could be travel.space/abroad-checklist
What are some good examples of branded short links?
– On Facebook
– On Twitter
– On LinkedIn
What are the benefits of short branded links?
1. Branded links increase brand name recognition
Unlike a generic short link, a branded one is your own. It explicitly communicates who is sharing the content and also tells what the reader might see on the landing page. Not only is it a great branding tack, but it also keeps the communication between the brand and its user transparent. This helps build a positive affinity towards the brand and the content shared.
2. Branded links give better visibility to your content
When you share a Bit.ly link, you are using an external service. However, when you use your own domain name, you claim full responsibility of the brand and the content being shared. These intricate details go a long way in building a credible brand.
For instance, Leonard Kim, one of the top marketing influencers named by Forbes and the co-author of Ditch The Act identified the importance of branding his short links to better promote his content and himself. He uses .SITE domain name to brand all his short links.
3. Branded links help build trust with your audience
A URL that highlights your brand is as good as it is “signed” by you. This allows for more link clicking and less link fluttering. And this is where online marketing gets exciting—you can create branded domain names highlighting your brand and the content and share it across social media and other mediums.
Consider having a domain name www.socialmediatips.online and every time you share something on social media, you could use a branded short link such as socialmediatips.online/10hacks or socialmediatips.online/insta to better promote your content.
How to create a short-branded link?
1. Choose an appropriate domain name
Your domain name should reflect the industry you belong to or the kind of work that you do. Most businesses/freelancers specialize in selected categories. If you’re one of them, then consider buying domain names that have keywords centered around your specialty/industry.
For example, if you’re a tech business, use a .TECH domain such as www.[name].tech, or you could go with a more versatile domain extension such as .ONLINE, .WEBSITE, .PRESS, etc.
2. Sign up for a link-shortening service
Multiple online platforms such as Rebrandly allow you to create meaningful and brandable short links to better promote your work. Sign up on their platform to create your own short links.
Conclusion
Online marketing experts are honoring the significance of using branded links in their digital communications. These links have become a staple in all their social media posts. Next time when you share a link, opt for a branded option and then see your click rates go through the roof.
