Have you ever noticed that some brands use short URLs on social media, or other types of marketing, that aren’t their primary URL? Branded short links, sometimes referred to “branded short domains,” “custom short links,” “brand shorteners,” or “branded short URLs” help marketers track engagement from various sources. They’re short, easy-to-share, and according to a recent study, they get 34% more clicks!
Another great thing about branded short links, is they work for all types of media - digital, print, outdoor media, even commercials. Here are just a few ways you can use them:
Make The Links in Your Print Materials More Accessible
Whether you want patients to sign into your online portal or follow up on a topic featured in your brochure, short links are easier to type and remember.
Brand Your Social Links to Increase Engagement
Instead of using an extra long link in their social posts, the University of Miami Health System uses a branded short link for posts that lead to their own health content - and you can too!
Track Engagement for a Particular Ad Placement
Marketing teams are often asked to prove that a certain placement is working, and with a short link, you can track links specific to each placement without creating multiple landing pages!
Setting up a branded short link is easy.
Got 15 minutes? Let’s do it!
Step 1: Purchase Your Domain Name
While you may already be using a URL like metrocityhealth.com for your main website, a domain like metrocity.health is now available and easy to use as your branded shortener! Get your .health domain today, and if you want to use it as a branded shortener, choose one that is:
Step 2: Create a Bitly Account (If you don’t have one already.)
Bitly is one of the most popular URL shorteners. It’s easy to use, and you can add a branded short domain using their free plan!
Some things to consider:
Step 3: Update Your DNS Settings
Now that we have both sides of the equation set up — your .health domain and your URL shortener — it’s time to connect the two. To do this, you’ll need to log into the website where you bought your .health domain (a domain retailer like GoDaddy). We’ll provide the basic steps here, which may vary from retailer to retailer.
Step 4: Connect Your Domain to Bitly
Now that you’ve given your new domain the directions to Bitly, you need to go back to Bitly and give your new domain the green light. Here’s how:
Step 5: Start Using Your Branded Shortener!
Now anytime you sign into Bitly, you can transform all of your super loooong links into custom-branded, elegantly-truncated masterpieces that are easy to read and share. Just copy and paste a link into Bitly to shorten and customize! Now you can make a memorable brand impression with every link you create!
Note: The instructions above are based on using a new domain name with Bitly. Other link shortening services, and some social media posting services (like Hootsuite), offer similar services without using Bitly.
Additional Resources