How short links can boost your Black Friday sales

Black Friday 2023 was a game-changer, with $9.8 billion in online sales—a 7.5% increase from the year before. With sales climbing every year, cutting through the noise and grabbing your audience’s attention is more important than ever.

If you want to stand out in the crowd, you need a solid marketing strategy and the right tools. Every little detail counts, even down to the links you share with your audience. Yes, you heard that right.

Each link you share should clearly indicate what your audience will find when they click. But how can you achieve this? 

Don’t worry; we’ve got you covered. Branded short URLs are the perfect solution. Not only do they make your promotions more shareable, but they also enhance tracking, boost click-through rates, and improve brand recognition.

In this blog, we’ll show you how branded short links can boost your Black Friday reach and help you make the most of this holiday shopping season.

06 major benefits of using short links as part of your Black Friday marketing campaigns

Here’s a quick rundown of some of the most common benefits of using branded short URLs for your Black Friday campaign. 

1. Boost CTR with sleek, Clickable short links

Short links are visually appealing and less cluttered than traditional URLs, making them more clickable. This simplicity can directly increase CTR and drive more traffic to your deals for a time-sensitive shopping event like Black Friday.

Imagine you’re promoting a Black Friday sale on your website. Instead of using a long, cluttered URL like:

You use a sleek, branded short link like:

This clean, easy-to-read URL stands out in emails, social media posts, and ads.

2. Track smarter, Sell faster with advanced link insights

Advanced link-shortening services offer detailed link tracking, giving you detailed insights into what matters the most. Especially if you’re using UTM parameters with your short links, it can help you track traffic sources more accurately. 

This extra layer of data will provide insight into which platforms or campaigns are delivering the best results, helping you adjust your strategy accordingly. For example

• Which campaign is driving the highest traffic?
• Which country contributes the most visitors?
• Which landing page or product resonates the most with your audience?
• Which channels generate the highest engagement?

Understanding these insights allows you to make real-time adjustments to optimize performance during the Black Friday rush.

3. Turn clicks into customers with advanced retargeting

Some link shorteners offer retargeting features that can capture the data of people who click on your links. You can then use this information to create custom retargeting ads, helping you reach back out to shoppers who showed interest but didn’t convert initially.

Also read: Retargeting – A comprehensive guide for beginners

4. Easy sharing across all channels 

Short links make sharing your Black Friday deals simple and effective across all platforms. Their compact size ensures they fit perfectly in social media posts, email campaigns, and even SMS marketing. 

On platforms like Instagram, where character limits matter, these sleek links keep your messaging concise while grabbing attention. They’re your go-to solution for seamless, cross-channel promotion!

5. Utilzie bio links, Your all-in-one gateway to Black Friday deals

Instead of cluttering your social media profiles with multiple links, you provide a single branded link that directs customers to a mini landing page.

This page can host links to your best discounts, product categories, and even limited-time offers. Plus, bio-links are perfect for platforms like Instagram and TikTok, where sharing multiple links isn’t natively supported. 

6. Link rotators for smarter traffic distribution

Let’s say you’re running several offers and want to test which landing page or product converts best. With a link rotator, you can evenly distribute traffic across multiple pages, change destination URLs, or prioritize certain deals. 

This not only helps you gather valuable data on shopper preferences but also ensures no opportunity is missed. For instance, if one promotion sells out, the rotator can automatically redirect users to an active deal, maintaining their interest. 

Also read: Convert more with traffic routing

Where can you add short links for maximum Black Friday impact?

To make the most of short links, it’s important to place them strategically across your marketing channels. Here are some effective areas to leverage them:

Channel	Why use short links?
Social media posts/ads	Easy access to deals and a professional look for your campaigns on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Email campaigns	Use short links to make your CTAs clear and compelling.
Paid ad campaigns	Use branded links to reassure shoppers your offers are legitimate, especially in PPC campaigns.
SMS marketing	Saves character space while making text messages clean and clickable.
Influencer promotions	Provide custom short links for influencers to track the engagement their campaigns generate.
QR codes	Link short URLs to QR codes for flyers, posters, or in-store signage, creating a smooth customer journey.
Website banners	Use short links in prominent website banners to guide visitors to sales or limited-time offers quickly.
Affiliate marketing	Affiliates can share promotions that feel more authentic and professional, which increases the likelihood of conversions.

How to create the perfect Black Friday link for your marketing campaign?

The easiest and most efficient way is to use a link-shortening service with advanced features. These tools help you shorten your URL, allow for customization, and much more.

We’d suggest you use Replug, a top-tier link management platform for marketers, offering a range of powerful features like branded link shortening, traffic routing, QR codes, A/B testing, retargeting pixels, deep linking, and more.

Here’s how to shorten a link with Replug:

Step 01: If you don’t have an account yet, sign up for Replug. If you already have one, simply sign in.

Step 02: Head to the Replug Home section and enter the URL you want to shorten in the designated field.

Step 03: Click the arrow button to start the shortening process. You’ll be redirected to the next step.

Step 04: Use the top bar to customize the URL, creating a branded or disguised link to suit your campaign.

Step 05: Once you’re satisfied with your customization, click “Save Shortened Link,” and you’re done.

You may also like: How to make a link clickable: Step-by-step guide

Best practices for optimizing Black Friday short link performance

Now that you know where to use short links and how to create them, here are some key practices to ensure they perform optimally on Black Friday:

1. Use a custom domain: Choose a short, branded URL with your business name. This increases trust and brand recognition. 
2. Keep it short and sweet: Use a link shortener to create concise, easy-to-share links. This reduces the clutter, making it easier for customers to click, especially on platforms with character limits.
3. Add UTM parameters: For better tracking, append UTM parameters to your links. This helps track which channels or campaigns are driving traffic.
   Here’s an example:
   
   Turns into:
   
4. Make it action-oriented: Use words that encourage action, like “shop-now,” “limited-time,” or “deal-of-the-day.” This creates urgency and entices clicks.
5. Test the link: Always test the customized link to ensure it redirects correctly and works across devices. A broken link can hurt your credibility and sales. Besides that, when running multiple Black Friday offers, A/B testing helps identify which strategy performs best.
6. Set link expiration: Use a link shortener that allows you to set an expiration date for your Black Friday links. This ensures outdated links don’t confuse customers after the promotion ends, keeping your campaigns professional.

Conclusion

Short links may seem minor in your Black Friday strategy, but they can have a major impact on your campaign’s success. 

From increasing click-through rates to enhancing brand recognition and improving tracking capabilities, short links give you the power to create a seamless, cohesive, and data-driven shopping experience.

By using branded, optimized short links across all your channels, you’ll be well on your way to boosting Black Friday sales and driving maximum engagement.

You may also like: 17 proven Black Friday marketing strategies

FAQs on Black Friday short links

What are short links, and why are they important for Black Friday marketing?

Short links are branded, compact URLs that simplify sharing, boost click-through rates, and improve tracking and retargeting during Black Friday.

What are the advantages of tracking and analytics with short links?

Short links offer detailed tracking, helping you identify successful channels and optimize your campaign in real time.

Are short links mobile-friendly for Black Friday promotions?

Absolutely! Short links are ideal for mobile users, as they’re compact and easy to share across SMS, social media, and email.

How can I track the performance of my Black Friday short links?

Use UTM parameters with your short links to track traffic sources, allowing you to analyze which campaigns drive the most engagement.

Which marketing channels benefit most from using short links?

Short links are effective on social media, email, paid ads, SMS, and offline promotions like QR codes.