Custom short links are more than just shortened URLs—they are a powerful tool for enhancing your brand’s visibility and credibility. Instead of using random strings of characters, creating custom short links can help make your links more memorable, professional, and aligned with your brand identity.
In this article, we’ll show you how to create custom short links using URLShortly and how they can help strengthen your brand’s presence online.
Step 1: Why Use Custom Short Links?
Before we dive into how to create custom short links, let's first understand why they are important:
Brand Visibility: Custom short links include your brand’s name or keyword, making it easier for users to recognize and trust your link.
Improved Click-Through Rates (CTR): Studies show that branded short links tend to receive higher click-through rates compared to generic short links.
Professional Appearance: Custom short links look cleaner and more professional, especially for marketing and business purposes.
Better Tracking: Custom short links often make it easier to track which specific campaign or channel the traffic is coming from.
Step 2: Log in to URLShortly
To create custom short links, you’ll first need to log in to your URLShortly account. Once you’re in, go to the Short Links section of the dashboard.
Step 3: Enter Your Long URL
Next, you’ll want to enter the long URL that you want to shorten into the provided field. This could be any website, blog post, product page, or anything you want to share.
Once you have your long URL ready, paste it into the link field.
Step 4: Create Your Custom Slug
This is the step where you make the short link customized. After entering the long URL, you’ll see an option to create a custom slug. The slug is the part that comes after the domain name in the URL.
For example:
Regular short link:
https://urlshortly.com/abc123Custom short link:
https://urlshortly.com/summer-sale
Here’s how to create a custom slug:
Choose a keyword or brand name: Pick a relevant and catchy keyword that reflects the content or campaign. This could be your brand name, a product name, or something specific to your campaign.
Keep it short and memorable: The more concise and easy to remember, the better. Avoid using complicated words or long strings of characters.
Make it relevant: Ensure that the custom slug accurately reflects the purpose of the link. This will improve user trust and increase click-through rates.
After typing your custom slug, URLShortly will check if it’s available. If the slug is already taken, you’ll be prompted to choose a different one.
Step 5: Generate the Custom Short Link
Once you’ve chosen your custom slug, hit the Shorten button to generate your custom short link.
The link will now look like this:https://urlshortly.com/your-custom-slug
You can now share this link anywhere—social media, emails, newsletters, or advertisements. It will appear professional and branded, which helps improve your brand's presence.
Step 6: Track Your Custom Short Link
Just like regular short links, custom short links also come with tracking features. You can monitor how well your custom short link is performing in terms of clicks, unique visitors, referrers, geographical data, and more.
This data is invaluable for campaigns, helping you understand which audience is interacting with your brand and how your links are performing across different platforms.
Step 7: Use Custom Short Links in Marketing Campaigns
Custom short links can be a game changer for your marketing efforts. Here are some ways you can use them effectively:
Promotions and Discounts: Share custom short links for limited-time offers, product launches, or special deals.
Social Media: Use branded short links for social media posts and campaigns to increase brand visibility and trust.
Email Campaigns: Include custom short links in your newsletters and email marketing for a more professional and clickable look.
Affiliate Marketing: If you’re an affiliate marketer, custom short links can help you track which products or services are getting the most attention.
Step 8: Best Practices for Custom Short Links
To ensure that your custom short links are effective, follow these best practices:
Keep the Slug Short and Simple: Make your custom slug easy to type and remember. Avoid complex phrases or long words.
Use Keywords: If possible, use relevant keywords in the custom slug to improve SEO and make the link more intuitive.
Avoid Special Characters: Stick to alphanumeric characters and avoid special symbols or punctuation that may confuse users.
Track Performance Regularly: Continuously monitor how your custom short links are performing to see what’s working and what needs adjustment.
Step 9: Use Custom Short Links for SEO
Custom short links can have a positive impact on your SEO efforts. Here’s how:
Better Click-Through Rates: Since custom short links are more recognizable, they can lead to higher click-through rates. More clicks mean more traffic to your website.
Branding Signals: Search engines may consider branded short links as more trustworthy, which can indirectly boost your rankings.
By using short links that include your brand name or relevant keywords, you’re sending a clear signal to both users and search engines that your content is high-quality and trustworthy.
Conclusion
Custom short links are an essential tool for anyone looking to boost their brand’s visibility, improve marketing efforts, and increase engagement. With URLShortly, you can easily create branded short links that not only look professional but also provide valuable tracking insights.
Start using custom short links today to enhance your brand’s presence and take your marketing campaigns to the next level!