Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past decade, you probably already know that social media plays a vital role in building your brand.
When used strategically, social media can help you build meaningful connections with your audience, allows you to engage with your customers, and provides valuable information about what consumers are looking for in your brand.
Social media can also help to drive more traffic to your company website and increase exposure for your brand. Furthermore, having a strong social media presence for your brand can help to generate business partnerships, increase sales, and reduce ad spend. But cutting through the noise and reaching your ideal customers through social media can be tricky.
Social media algorithms are constantly changing, ad spend is getting more and more expensive, and competing with all the other noise on the internet is challenging. So what’s a savvy business owner to do? The answer might surprise you.
There is a marketing tactic that has been around for a long time, and yet it is still highly under-utilized. What’s this tactic you ask? It’s branded links on your social media channels.
But what are branded links or shortened links?
Branded links (or shortened links) are links you use in your social media that contain your branded domain name. The branded short link in the copy of your social media posts provides a bridge between your social media profile and your website or landing page. These links typically increase your click-through-rate by up to 39%.
When used correctly, shortened links or brand links can be a powerful way to build your brand. That’s why in this article, we’ll be discussing the benefits of branded urls, how you can use the shortened links you share, and how to create branded links.
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Why should you care about branded short links?
Let’s start by covering why you should even bother with branded short links. As I mentioned previously, this is a marketing tactic that has been around for a long time, and yet not many businesses seem to be deploying it in their social media strategy.
But shortened links and branded urls are a simple way to build your online brand. Some of the benefits include an increase in brand name recognition, an increase in the visibility of your content, and an increase in trust with your audience. Let’s explore each of these benefits a little more deeply.
Branded links increase brand name recognition
It’s a subtle change, but powerful nonetheless. A branded link is a link you own, unlike a generic short link. By simply having your brand name in your link, your audience will automatically develop more positive feelings about the content you’re sharing on social media and your brand.
Branded links increase the visibility of your content
Building a credible brand is all about using your branded urls at every opportunity. When it comes to social media, sharing branded urls makes you look more professional to prospective clients and customers.
For instance, let’s say you want to share your LinkedIn profile with somebody. Instead of sending them a long and unappealing URL, with a shortened link you’ll be able to send them a simple link like this: yourname.yoursite/linkedin
Branded links increase trust with your audience
Branded URLs automatically increase trust between you and your audience. Let’s face it, people are wary of dodgy looking links that could be spam websites or accounts. But if your link has your name or brand in it, it’s as good as being endorsed by you. And less hesitation for your audience equals more clicking on that link!
How can you use branded short links?
So now that we’ve covered the benefits of using shortened links and branded URLs, where are the best places to use these links?
In short, you can use them in place of anywhere you would normally share a link! Social media is the first place that comes to mind, along with promotional materials and webinars.
Social media
Branded short links can be used across all of your social media channels when sharing content. By doing so, you’ll be able to promote your brand or company name with every single link that you share.
For example, if you want people to visit your instagram page you can share a link that looks like this: yourname.online/instagram. Alternatively, let’s say you’ve just published a new blog article on your website about market trends. On your social media, you could share a shortened link that looks like this yourname.online/markettrends to redirect your audience to your website.
Promotional material
Does your business have promotional materials such as packaging, brochures, or other paper marketing? Including a shortened link in your advertising makes it easier for customers to remember your branded URL and makes it more likely for them to look up your website to find out more about your products and services.
Webinars
Links to webinars and video calls are often long and difficult to remember. But not with shortened links! Using branded URLs ensures that your link is simple and easy to remember, helping to communicate what the webinar is about and contributing to higher attendance rates.
How can you create a branded short link on Rebrandly?
Now that you know about all the benefits of shortened links as well as the places you can utilize them in your marketing efforts, it’s time to learn how to actually create branded links! And don’t worry, the process is very straightforward and simple. Follow the steps below to create branded links in a snap.
Steps
- Create a free Rebrandly account
- Register a new branded domain name on Rebrandly’s domain registrar
- Create your branded links, for example “Brand.Link/Marketing”
- Start sharing them anywhere you would typically use a link!
Examples of influencers using branded short links
Brad Colbow
Brad Colbow shares reviews of tablets and gadgets on his website and also helps illustrators find the best tools for their artwork. He built his brand using the branded URL www.brad.site
Lilach Bullock
Lilach Bullock was voted one of the top 20 Women Social Influencers by Forbes and the Number 1 Digital Marketing Influencer by Career Experts. Lilach uses www.lilach.online as a branded short link to build her own unique brand online.
Leonard Kim
Leonard Kim has been recognized by Forbes as a Top Marketing Influencer, and in Inc. Magazine as a Top Digital Marketer and by Entrepreneur as a Top Personal Branding Expert. Leonard uses www.leonard.site to share his thoughts on social media.
Wrapping it up
Branded links (or shortened links) are links that contain your branded domain name and can be shared across your social media platforms and in other marketing materials. Shortened links typically increase your click-through-rate by up to 39%, so it’s a strategy worth utilizing!
Setting up branded links is simple, easy and free. So why not create some branded links today?
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The post How Branded Short Links can Help You Build a Great Online Brand appeared first on Jeffbullas's Blog.
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