Tag: custom url shortener

Your brand identity is the heartbeat of your business, the visual and emotional essence that sets you apart in a crowded market. 

In this short guide, we’ll outline actionable steps that go beyond aesthetics, ensuring your brand not only stands out but becomes a memorable and trusted presence in the minds of your audience. So, let’s get started!

What is brand identity and why is it crucial?

Brand identity is the visual and conceptual representation of a brand. It encompasses various elements that communicate the brand’s personality, values, and characteristics to its audience.

This identity serves as the face of the brand, creating a distinctive and memorable image in the minds of consumers.

Key components of brand identity:

• Logo: A unique visual symbol that represents the brand.
• Color palette: A consistent set of colors associated with the brand.
• Typography: Specific fonts used in brand communications.
• Visual style: The overall aesthetic, including imagery and design elements.
• Brand voice: The tone and style of language used in communication.
• Tagline or slogan: A concise phrase that encapsulates the brand’s essence.

Why brand identity is crucial?

Your brand identity is more than just a logo or a color scheme; it’s the heartbeat of your online persona. It encapsulates the essence of your brand, conveying its personality, values, and promises. Beyond the visual elements, a robust brand identity is the key to unlocking several critical objectives in the digital realm.

Key objectives:

• Memorability: A strong brand identity helps a brand stand out and be remembered in a crowded market. Consistent visuals and messaging create a lasting impression. 
• Differentiation: In competitive industries, a distinctive brand identity sets a brand apart from competitors, making it easily recognizable. 
• Authority and Trust: A well-crafted brand identity communicates professionalism and builds trust. It establishes the brand as an authority in its industry. 
• Consistency: Brand identity acts as a guide for maintaining consistency across all marketing channels. Consistency reinforces brand recognition and credibility.
• Scalability: A flexible brand identity can adapt and evolve with the brand’s growth. It remains relevant across various stages of business development.

Link Management Made Easy

Your go to link management tool for CTAs, branded and bio links, QR Codes, tracking and retargeting.

Get Started for FREE!

How to create a brand identity: 5 essential steps

1. Define your brand purpose:

Mission and values:

• Clearly articulate why your brand exists, the values it stands for, and the problems it aims to solve.

Differentiation:

• Identify what sets your brand apart from competitors.

2. Research the competition:

Competitive analysis:

• Study competitors’ brand strategies to understand the market landscape.

Identify gaps:

• Look for opportunities to differentiate your brand from others.

Also read: Top 22 Personal Branding Tools To Upscale Your Marketing

3. Research your target audience:

Detailed personas:

• Develop detailed profiles of your target audience, including their preferences, behaviors, and expectations.

Appeal to your audience:

• Tailor your brand identity to resonate with your specific audience.

4. Develop your brand voice and personality:

Define brand persona:

• Decide on your brand’s personality traits (e.g., friendly, professional, innovative).

Consistent communication:

• Develop a unique brand voice and maintain consistency across all communication channels.

5. Develop your visual identity:

Design a memorable logo:

• Create a visually striking logo that encapsulates your brand essence.
• Ensure simplicity and scalability for various applications.

Consider symbolism:

• Leverage symbols and visual elements that reinforce your brand message.
• Explore the psychological impact of colors and fonts.

Choose a color palette and typography:

• Establish a cohesive color palette that aligns with your brand personality.
• Select fonts that convey the right tone for your brand.

Also read: Branded Link Management: Your Key to Online Success

Link Management Made Easy

Your go to link management tool for CTAs, branded and bio links, QR Codes, tracking and retargeting.

Get Started for FREE!

Integrating your brand identity: A strategic imperative for business success

Creating a compelling brand identity is a pivotal step toward establishing a distinctive presence in the market. However, the true power of a brand identity lies in its seamless integration into various facets of your business. This integration ensures that your brand is not just a visual entity but a cohesive and recognizable force that extends across all touchpoints. 

Let’s explore how you can effectively integrate your brand identity into different aspects of your business for maximum impact.

1. Website integration:

Your website is the digital storefront of your brand. Ensure that your brand identity is reflected in every pixel. From logo placement to color schemes and typography, the website should be a consistent extension of your brand personality. 

Take cues from successful brands like Dollar Shave Club, whose website design perfectly complements its bold and irreverent brand identity.

2. Physical storefronts and packaging:

Even in the era of digital dominance, physical touchpoints matter. Extend your brand identity to your physical locations and product packaging. Whether it’s the layout of your store, the design of your storefront, or the packaging of your products, ensure a uniform visual experience. 

Apple exemplifies this by translating its minimalist and sleek brand identity seamlessly into its physical stores and product packaging.

3. Social media presence:

Social media is a dynamic platform for engaging with your audience. Align your brand identity across all social media channels. Consistent use of visuals, language, and tone reinforces brand recognition. 

For inspiration, look at how Spotify maintains a vibrant and music-centric brand identity across its social media platforms.

4. Content marketing efforts:

Your content is a direct reflection of your brand voice. Whether it’s blog posts, videos, or infographics, infuse your brand identity into every piece of content. This not only enhances brand consistency but also creates a unique and memorable brand narrative. 

Mailchimp maintains a friendly and consistent brand voice across various content channels.

5. Packaging and presentation:

The way you present your products or services speaks volumes about your brand. Ensure that your packaging aligns with your brand identity. Whether it’s the color scheme, logos, or overall design, packaging should reinforce your brand’s visual language. 

Think about how Coca-Cola’s iconic red and white branding extends seamlessly to its packaging, creating a strong and consistent visual impact.

6. Utilizing a custom URL shortener:

In the digital age, even your online links contribute to your brand identity. Leverage a custom URL shortener like Replug to create branded links. By doing so, you not only enhance brand visibility but also build link trust. 

This small yet impactful step allows you to put your brand on every link you share, increasing brand awareness in every digital interaction.

Closing note:

Integrating your brand identity into various aspects of your business is not just a choice; it’s a strategic imperative. Consistency across digital and physical touchpoints not only strengthens your brand’s recognition but also builds trust and loyalty among your audience. 

Regularly reassess and refine your brand integration strategies to stay in sync with evolving market trends and consumer expectations.

Branded Short Links

Create and track branded short links for your business for better conversions.

Brand Your Links Now!

FAQs

What are the key elements of a successful brand identity?

The key elements include a distinctive logo, a cohesive color palette, consistent typography, a unique visual style, a defined brand voice, and a memorable tagline or slogan.

How can I develop a memorable and distinctive logo for my brand?

To create a memorable logo, focus on simplicity, scalability, and symbolism. Ensure it aligns with your brand’s personality and values, making it instantly recognizable.

How can I integrate my brand identity into my website effectively?

Integrate brand identity into your website by aligning colors, typography, and logos with your brand. Ensure a consistent tone in content and imagery to create a unified online presence.

Arslan Jadoon

Meet Arslan, a skilled website blog and content writer who combines creativity and expertise to deliver engaging and informative pieces that captivate audiences.

A URL shortener converts a long URL into a shorter, more manageable one that can be easily shared and clicked. 

The main advantage of using a URL shortener is to make sharing easier, especially on platforms with limited space, like social media. By shortening a URL with a custom URL shortener, companies or organizations can associate links companies or organizations can include their brand name, making associating a link with a particular entity easier. 

Another advantage of using a URL shortener is the ability to track clicks and view essential metrics like how many clicks a link receives, where they are coming from, and more. 

Long URLs can be confusing, especially if they contain complex parameters or multiple variables. A short URL makes it easier to understand where a link will take you, making it a clearer and more user-friendly experience.

Also Read: How to Disguise a Link Using a URL Shortener?

Here’s how to mask a URL link:

How to mask a URL link using Replug?

You can mask a long URL using Replug before sharing it on social media, making it more visually appealing and easier to share with your followers. Just follow the steps below:

Step 1: Sign in to Replug, or create an account for free. (You’ll be redirected to the main dashboard page).  

Step 2: On the main dashboard page, select a campaign or create a new campaign if you’re a new user. 

Step 3: Paste the URL (you want to hide) in the “URL to shorten” section just below the “select your campaign” section and click create. 

Also Read: How to Shorten a link using a URL shortener?

Step 4: Your URL will be shortened and masked. Click the edit icon to customize the URL. 

Increase your CTR with a Branded Link Now!

Get Started for Free

Step 5: Once edited, click the update button, and you’re done. 

Also Read: How to create a QR code for a URL?

How does Replug track shortened URLs?

Replug track clicks on shortened URLs by redirecting clicks on the short URL to the original long URL and collecting data on the click. This data can include the number of clicks, the location of the clicks, the device used, the referral source, and more. This information can be viewed in real-time or exported for further analysis. 

Replug also offers to track features such as UTM parameters, link grouping, and click heat maps. 

Read Now: How to Build a Custom Audience through URL Tracking

FAQs

How do you mask a link in HTML?

You can mask a link in HTML by using the following code:

<a href=”http://example.com” target=”_blank”>Link Text</a>

This will display the text “Link Text” as a clickable link that will open in a new tab when clicked. The actual URL “http://example.com” is hidden behind the text “Link Text.”

Can you mask URLs in affiliate tracking links?

There are several ways to mask affiliate tracking links in HTML:

Using a URL Shortener: You can use a URL shortening service like Replug to shorten the affiliate tracking link and then use the shortened link in your HTML code.

Using a Redirect Script: You can create a redirect script on your server to forward the visitor from your masked link to the affiliate tracking link.

Using a Plugin: If you’re using a content management system like WordPress, you can use a plugin to manage your affiliate links, such as ThirstyAffiliates, PrettyLinks, or Easy Affiliate Links. These plugins allow you to create a friendly, memorable link that redirects to your affiliate tracking link.

Trending: 

What Is A Vanity URL &#038; How To Track It?

How to make a call to action using a link shortener?

All About OpenAI: What To Expect From Chat GPT4?

How to change YouTube URL name using a URL shortener tool?

Arslan Jadoon

Meet Arslan, a skilled website blog and content writer who combines creativity and expertise to deliver engaging and informative pieces that captivate audiences.

UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) parameters are tags that you can add to the end of a URL to track the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns. When someone clicks on a link with UTM parameters, they are sent back to Google Analytics, allowing you to see how many people clicked on the link and where they came from.

Several common UTM parameters are used to track marketing campaigns in Google Analytics:

utm_source: This parameter specifies the source of the traffic, such as “google,” “Facebook,” or “newsletter.” 

utm_medium: This parameter specifies the medium through which the traffic was acquired, such as “CPC,” “banner,” or “email.”

utm_campaign: This parameter specifies the specific campaign that the traffic is associated with, such as “spring_sale” or “new_product_launch.”

utm_content: This parameter is used to differentiate between different versions of an ad or link, such as “banner_a” and “banner_b.”

utm_term: This parameter tracks the keywords used in paid search campaigns.

How to add UTM parameters using Replug?

There are two simple methods to add UTM parameters in Replug:

1. Add UTMs while creating a CTA campaign
2. Add UTMs while creating a Link  

We’ll discuss each method individually.

Method 1:

Add UTM parameters while creating a CTA campaign:

Follow these simple steps to create a UTM through Replug CTA campaign:

Step 1: Create an account or sign in to Replug to access the main dashboard and select campaigns under the manage section. 

Step 2: In the campaigns section, click create a new campaign. 

Step 3: To create a new campaign, you must select a brand first. You may choose an existing brand or create a new one if necessary.

Step 4: Click the next button once you’ve selected or created a brand. 

Step 5: You will now see a page for choosing a campaign type. Choose a name for your call-to-action campaign here. 

Step 6: Select the call to action option from the campaign type page and click the next button.

Increase your CTR with a Branded Link Now!

Get Started for Free

Step 8: Next, select your CTA type; here, we’ve selected a Link CTA.

Step 7: After selecting the CTA type, you need to select the theme for your CTA. 

Your CTA’s appearance depends on your CTA’s purpose. As for this case, we have chosen a Social (classic) CTA theme to appear after clicking the link.

Note: Read more about the use cases for different theme types to understand which CTA theme is perfect for you.

Step 8: Enter your URL, upload an image for the CTA, and click Next.

Step 9: You are now in the CTA message section. 

Write your headline, message, and CTA button text. 

Step 10: Enter the URL of your CTA  in the last block, and this is the stage where you add UTM parameters to your link. Click add UTM to add UTM parameters. 

Step 11: Now, the UTM section will open, where you can select from saved UTM parameters or create a new UTM preset. 

Step 12: Click create a new UTM preset and fill in the sections you intended to cover in your CTA campaign. 

Once finished filling in, click apply and move to the next step.

Step 13: As you can see, your URL now contains UTM parameters, so click next and finish setting up your CTA campaign.

You can now share the link, examine who clicked on your link, and more!

Let’s move towards method 2 of creating UTM with Replug.

Method 2:

Add UTMs while creating a Link:

Here’s how to add UTM parameters with Replug links.

Step 1: Sign in to Replug to access the main dashboard and select Replug links under the manage section. 

Step 2: Click create new link in the Replug links section.

Step 3:  To create a new link, you’ll need to select a campaign. 

Note: Create a new campaign if you haven’t done so already. 

Step 4: Enter the link to which you wish to add UTM parameters.

Step 5: Now click add UTM to add UTM parameters to your link.

Step 6: Click select from the saved UTM parameter or create a new UTM preset. 

Step 7: Fill in the UTM parameters you want to track and click Apply. 

Step 8: You will see UTM parameters at the end of your link; check them and click save.

Step 9: Your link will automatically shorten. Edit your link, copy it, and share it directly on given platforms or download your link as a QR code.

Your link with UTM parameters is ready to share and track engagements and clicks.

FAQs

How do I add custom UTM parameters for google analytics in the campaign UTM builder?

To add custom UTM parameters using the Google Analytics campaign URL builder, you can follow these steps:

1. Go to the Google Analytics campaign URL builder page: https://ga-dev-tools.web.app/ga4/campaign-url-builder/
2. Enter the URL of the page you want to link to in the “Website URL” field.
3. In the “Campaign Source” field, enter the traffic source (e.g., Google, Facebook). This will be used to populate the utm_source parameter.
4. In the “Campaign Medium” field, enter the medium of the traffic (e.g. CPC, banner). This will be used to populate the utm_medium parameter.
5. In the “Campaign Name” field, enter a name for the campaign (e.g. summer_sale). This will be used to populate the utm_campaign parameter.
6. Click the “Generate URL” button to generate the campaign URL with the UTM parameters included.

You can then use this URL in your marketing campaigns, and the traffic from these campaigns will be tracked in Google Analytics using the UTM parameters you specified.

Can you add a UTM code to a QR code?

Yes, it is possible to add a UTM code to a QR code. A UTM code is a set of parameters that can be added to a URL to track the source, medium, and other marketing campaign details. By adding a UTM code to a QR code, you can track the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns and understand how visitors are interacting with your website through the QR code.

To add a UTM code to a QR code, you will need to create a URL with the UTM parameters included and then generate a QR code using that URL. There are several online QR code generators that allow you to create a QR code by entering a URL, such as QR Code Monkey or QR Code Generator.

Arslan Jadoon

Meet Arslan, a skilled website blog and content writer who combines creativity and expertise to deliver engaging and informative pieces that captivate audiences.

Creating a call to action using a URL shortener can effectively drive conversions and encourage users to take a specific action. Using a URL shortener to create a call to action has a few key benefits.

First, it can make long and complex URLs easier to share and more visually to appeal. Sharing a link in a social media post or on a platform with limited space for long URLs can be beneficial. 

Second, URL shorteners can help to track clicks on a link, which can help understand the effectiveness of your call to action. 

Finally, URL shorteners can make creating custom and branded links easier, which can help build brand awareness and make your link more memorable.

How to create a call to action using Replug?

Use these simple steps to create a call to action that inspires users to take action that will benefit your business or organization.

Step 1: Sign in to Replug or create an account if you’re new.

Step 2: Go to the manage section on the main dashboard page and select campaign. 

Step 3: Click on the “create new campaign” button in the campaign section.

Step 4: To create a new campaign, you must select a brand first. You may choose an existing brand or create a new one if not already been created.

Step 5: Click the next button once you’ve selected or created a brand. 

Increase your CTR with a Branded Link Now!

Get Started for Free

Step 6: You will now see a page for choosing a campaign type. Choose a name for your call-to-action campaign here. 

Step 7: Select the call to action option from the campaign type page and click the next button.

Step 8: Next, select your CTA type; here, we’ve selected a button CTA.

Step 9: After selecting the CTA type, you need to select the theme for your CTA. Your CTA’s appearance depends on your CTA’s purpose. As for this case, we have chosen a popup CTA theme to appear after clicking the shortened link.

Note: Read more about the use cases for different theme types to understand which CTA theme is perfect for you.

Step 10: Enter your URL, upload an image for the CTA, and click Next.

Note: Recommended size: Width = 920, Height = 1080

Step 11: You can view your CTA side-by-side.

Step 12: You are now in the CTA message section. Write your headline, message, and CTA button text. 

Step 13: Enter your CTA button’s URL or phone number in the last block, and click Next. 

Step 14: You’re now in the CTA customization section, where you can add colors. (Background colors, text colors, CTA button background colors, CTA button text colors). Choose your colors and click next. 

Step 15: In the final step, you will select the seconds, after which the CTA will be displayed to the user. Alternatively, you can select the “On exit-intent” option, which will display the CTA when the user wants to exit the page.

Step 16: Save the campaign; now, you can share it across other platforms. Ensure that your newly created campaign appears in the campaigns section. 

Did You Know?

Replug can also help to track the effectiveness of the CTA, as it offers analytics tools that allow you to track how many clicks the CTA receives. This can help you determine which CTAs are most effective and optimize your marketing efforts accordingly.

FAQs

What are the 3 features of a strong call to action?

Any CTA should have these three key features:

Clarity: A strong call to action should be clear and straightforward so that the reader knows exactly what they are being asked to do. This means using actionable language, such as “click here” or “sign up now,” and avoiding vague or confusing phrases.

Urgency: A sense of urgency can be a powerful motivator, and a strong call to action should convey a sense that the reader needs to take action immediately. This can be achieved through time-sensitive language, such as “limited time offer,” “act now,” or by highlighting the benefits of taking action immediately.

Relevance: A strong call to action should be relevant to the reader and the context in which it appears. This means that it should be tailored to the specific needs and interests of the audience and should align with the overall goals and message of the campaign or piece of content. By focusing on the reader and their needs, a strong call to action can increase the chances of conversion.

What elements are in CTA?

There are a few key elements that are typically included in a CTA:

Action verb: The CTA should include an action verb that tells the reader what to do. Some common action verbs used in CTAs include “click,” “sign up,” “download,” and “register.”

Button or link: The CTA should include a button or link that the reader can click to take the desired action. The button or link should be prominently placed and easy to find.

Benefit: The CTA should include a benefit or reason for the reader to take the desired action. This could be a discount, exclusive content, or a chance to win a prize.

Sense of urgency: The CTA should convey a sense of urgency or time sensitivity to encourage the reader to take action immediately. This can be achieved through time-sensitive language or by immediately highlighting the benefits of taking action.

Popular Topics:

Out Of The Box Christmas Marketing Ideas &#038; Deals

Call To Action For Social Media : 15 Best Examples

Why Your Business Needs a Custom URL Shortener?

How To Build Brand Recognition using Short Links

Remarket your brand with a click of a button &#8211; Replug Chrome Extension

Arslan Jadoon

Meet Arslan, a skilled website blog and content writer who combines creativity and expertise to deliver engaging and informative pieces that captivate audiences.

Link shortener services can create a more memorable and professional-looking URL for your store. A link shortener tool can help shorten the URL of your store’s home page and also help shorten the URLs of individual product pages, making them easier to remember and share.

A link shortener can help create custom URLs with your domain, making them easier to remember and share. They also provide analytics to track your links’ performance and make your store more secure by hiding the link’s true destination.

Here’s how to change the shopify URL, shorten it, share it with the audience, and track its performance using Replug’s link shortener tool.

How to change Shopify URL using a URL shortener 

Step 1: Sign in to your Replug account or create a new one if you don’t have one.

Step 2: Choose a campaign from your dashboard, or create a new one.

Note: For help creating a new campaign, visit this guide: “Create a campaign in seconds.” 

Increase your CTR with a Branded Link Now!

Get Started for Free

Step 3: Enter your Shopify URL as the destination URL in the “URL to shorten” section below “Select your campaign.”

Step 4: Simply click the create button to create a shortened URL for your Shopify store.

Step 5: Now you have your new URL, which will look like the one below in the picture. You can customize this URL by clicking on the edit icon.

Step 6: Enter the new URL you want to use, and your custom Shopify Store URL is ready for sharing on social media. Click on the update button to save the new URL. 

FAQs

Can I change my Shopify store name? 

Yes, you can. You must be the store owner to change your Shopify store name. Log in to your Shopify store, go to the Settings page, and click Store Details. You can enter a new store name into the ”Store name” field.

How do I find a Shopify URL? 

Follow these steps to find any Shopify URL.

Log in to your Shopify store admin. The URL will be in the browser address bar. 

Go to Online Store > Domains in the leading left menu. This will give you an overview of your store domains.

Popular Reads:

Why Your Business Needs a Custom URL Shortener?

Instagram URL Shortener Tools To Elevate Your Marketing

Bio Links From Replug: Create a Stronger Marketing Impact while Social Sharing

YouTube URL Shortener-A Must Have For Every YouTuber

Arslan Jadoon

Meet Arslan, a skilled website blog and content writer who combines creativity and expertise to deliver engaging and informative pieces that captivate audiences.

Despite the availability of free URL shortening services, a paid URL shortener offers a lot more features.  When you are paying for something that means you are going to get some value out of it. But the question is which paid URL shortener provides the best value for money.

Any URL shortener can shorten links, while only the best URL shorteners can brand and customize your messy links. Apart from this, they can do a lot more. From providing tracking insights about who is clicking your link to testing which marketing campaigns perform better through URL tracking.

Here are the top 5 paid URL shorteners to make your link visually appealing. 

1.Replug.io

This is an all-in-one link management tool and all-around URL shortener. It is simple and easy to use. Replug has a comprehensive dashboard where you can track 200k links in real-time. Traffic routing is also available. You get to know which channels are driving the maximum leads. A/B testing will help you know which links are performing better and why. 

Replug Features

Replug is a full-service URL shortener and stands out in its business offering such as: 

Branded short links: You can create unlimited branded links with your customized domain. They are visually appealing and build the brand’s credibility. Branded short links promise to link readers that they will lead to the brand’s site. They are unique, genuine, and easy to understand. Moreover, branded links are memorable, trackable, and sharable. 

Increase your CTR with a Branded Link Now!

Get Started for Free

CTA: You can add a catchy call to action in the URL to promote an immediate response or encourage a sale.

Deep links: These links send the user directly to an app instead of the store or website. It saves users energy and time, locating specific pages themselves. Deep links significantly improve users’ experience.

Retargeting Pixels: Replug.io helps you add a unique set of retargeting pixels for every social channel. It helps you show ads to people who have shown interest in your content. It amplifies the chances of conversion from prospected leads. 

Bio Links: Replug.io offers multiple options to create & customize your profile landing page. You can style and reorder any element easily using bio links. Furthermore, you can drive traffic from your social media channels to a single page that contains all useful info and links for your product and services. 

Replug Pricing:

Replug.io is genuinely the easiest tool with a friendly interface. It believes that every company or person gets the value of customizing links and tracking them to see how their marketing campaigns are performing. 

Replug.io offers top-class services as payback for every cent you spend on it.

It has three flexible pricing plans but this paid URL shortener also offers a free trial. 

• Basic: $19
• Professional: $49
• Agency: $79

How do I make a long URL shorter?

Here is an example of an Amazon link shortened using Replug

We have streamlined a long messy link of Airpods into a short URL with fewer characters. 

Related: Amazon Link Shortener

2. Rebrandly

It is a powerful story editor for your URL. It has all the key features from link retargeting to deep linking that helps you to reach your audience and change them into prospected leads. 

Features: 

• Pre-designed templates
• Offer customization
• Add CTA
• Offer detailed Analytics
• Multiple integrations and much more

Pricing:

• Basic $29/month
• Pro 89/month
• Related: Rebarndly Alternative

3. Sniply

Sniply is also a link-shortening tool for blog posts/ articles/ webpages. It offers in-depth analytics to track your target audience. When you click a link created by Sniply, they lead to relevant content but also displays the snip you created along with your CTA. Depending on the plan, you can make form, text, or even image CTA. 

Features: 

• Custom URL shortener
• Catchy CTA on every URL shortened
• Monitor user’s interaction
• Integrate with other marketing tools

Pricing:

• Basic $29
• Pro $79
• Business $149
• Agency $299

4. Bitly

A famous paid url shortener to connect your content and call for immediate action. If you aren’t looking for monthly use, Bitly’s free version will let you shorten long, messy URLs into a simple short ones. However, only its paid version will allow you to customize the URL with the brand name. It also has retargeting pixels to track your prospected leads. It also captures insight and data with every click. 

Features: 

• Retargeting Pixels
• Integration with Zapier
• Analytics and monitoring
• Branded links

Pricing:

• Starter $8/month
• Basic $29/month
• Premium $199/month
• Enterprise custom package

Related: : Bitly Alternative

5.RocketLink

Rocketlink.io is another paid URL shortener in our list. You can create and manage branded links with it. Rocketlink.io is an all-around link shortening tool with retargeting pixels. It optimizes marketing effort, drives traffic to the website, and tracks all links on social media platforms. Furthermore, users can create a custom audience based on leads who already showed interest in your content and clicked the URL. Detailed analytics track your marketing progress. 

Features:

• Password protected links
• QR codes and UTM tags
• Custom Domain
• Analytics

Pricing:

• Liftoff $19/month
• Space $29/month
• Galaxy $69/month
• Related: Bitly competitor 

Final Verdict: Which is the best URL shortener?

At this point, you are familiar with the benefits of using link management tools. Moreover, we have also mentioned the top paid URL shorteners. However, Replug.io is an all-around platform that  offers a very handful of reliable factors. From branded links to analytics, bio links to UTM, and QR codes to traffic routing, it is a full-package tool. 

Replug.io acts as a product marketing assistant at affordable pricing. So, its safe to say there is no Replug alternative when it comes to top paid URL shorteners.

If you need further assistance, we are always here for extra help. 

Khadija Anwar

I am Khadija Anwar, B2B Copywriter. I started my career as a freelance writer in 2019 and built a strong portfolio. I have crafted multiple blogs, website content, fashion magazines, news outlets, SEO content, and technical documentation. Last but not least, my favorite cartoon character is Dopey Dwarf, resembling my real-life character- calm, happy, and lively.

Now and then we get to see URLs that are either too long or carries random characters. However, URL shorteners is the magical way to not only shorten a long URL but also to change the URL name and to use the URL as a powerful marketing tool.

Link shorteners do way more than disguising a link, as times have changed, and so does product marketing. Long URL shortener is a reliable tool to change URL length, edit characters, add a call to action, and much more. We can also track and analyze how links perform across all social channels. 

For example, global businesses are now thoroughly based on online marketing and URL sharing. However, with a nasty URL, it is hard to describe what it is about. Unknown and random characters in the URL are suspicious enough not to stray away the receiver from clicking on it.

Hence, custom URL shorteners come in to play. 

Long URL shortener: Use cases and examples 

A good URL shortener will help in two main objectives, simplifying the link with fewer characters and measuring analytics for it. Anyone with internet availability can use a link shortener, from product marketers to small business owners, from Tiktokers to individuals. Everyone can use it anywhere!

Here are some reasons why a link shortener should be an important part of your marketing aspect.

#1:Tesla Incorporating Branded Links

Any URL with your brand name will assure the link reader that it will lead to your page. Link shortening tools make URLs visually appealing and legitimate. 

It has been reported that branded links increase CTR so the companies that go with the changing trends and technologies are adapting.

Elon Musk’s multinational automotive company, Tesla, incorporates branded links when they run social media campaigns. 

Look at the example below.

Increase your CTR with a Branded Link Now!

Get Started for Free

#2: Fail Army promoting video content

Youtubers are also realizing the power of bio links. 

Fail Army is a popular Youtube channel known for curating funny videos. They also have a massive Instagram following. Their strategy is to use bio links to promote their latest content. These links directly take the user to their promoted content.

#3: Pewdiepie’s merchandize marketing

Here’s an example of how Youtubers are utilizing bio links to promote other content on their socials.

Famous Youtuber Pewdiepie, has a massive social following on Youtube and Instagram. He has monetized his Instagram following by promoting its merchandize store through Instagram bio links.

When any one clicks the bio link it takes them to his online store.  He also share pictures of himself wearing his latest clothing to promote on Instagram.

Related: How To Add Instagram Link In Bio?

#4: G Fuel’s bio link strategy

Gfuel is a famous energy drink and often collaborates with Ninja and Pewdiepie. It is also the official drink of Esports. If you visit their Instagram, they have multiple pictures of their products. Every product description says, “link in the bio.” 

Here is the bio link of Gfuel. 

If you click the link, you will go to the landing page showing exact pictures as on Instagram. You further tap on your target product picture and land on the purchase page. 

This is an easy way of capturing leads to the product page and changing them into conversions.  

#5: Digital branding and marketing

Branded links increase trust and credibility of the URL. 

Below is an example of an unreliable link.

There are ways to make the links more appealing. Create short URLs, in return that can also bring more conversions. 

Instead, this is what you should do.

Editing random and untrustworthy links through shortening tools becomes more genuine and authentic. It is important to edit messy links, especially if you are running digital and social media marketing campaigns.

Related: Bio Links From Replug: Create a Stronger Marketing Impact while Social Sharing:

#6: Podcast marketing

Above image is an example of Jack Paxton’s account. He mentions his bio link, which will be redirected to a page filled with all podcast links. 

Like this: 

Bio links are the best strategy to take your Instagram audience to the podcast library. This is also helpful in collecting emails by adding the “email me” button. 

Use case #7: Amplify your music following

Another feature of the URL shortening tool is a deep link. Deep links redirect you from the URL to the specified screen page of a particular app.  

Spotify is a well-known audio streaming and media provider company. They recently tweeted about a new album and shared a customized link. If you click the link, you will directly go to wizkhalifa’s new album on Spotify.

Related:How to Build a Custom Audience through URL Tracking

#8: Myfix Cycles retargeting strategy to reduce cart abandonment 

Retargeting is a great feature that can bring back visitors that have bounced from your websites. Along with other great features, Replug also gives you the control to retarget visitors through retargeting pixels.

Retargeting has proved to be a great source of converting potential buyers to customers. Link retargeting allows users to target the people who have already visited your social or website.

Most of the eCommerce companies face cart abandonment issues where users leave without completing the purchase. With retargeting, users can remind customers through ads or emails to complete their purchase. Retargeting has proven to be a far more successful strategy to increase conversions.

Myfix Cycles uses retargeting smartly and resells their product that didn’t make the purchase the product the first time around. Below is the image of their retargeting.

Related: How To Utilize Replug for Facebook Retargeting Ads?

#9: A/B test your marketing campaigns

Link analytics plays a very important role when it comes to creating tracking URLs. One of the exclusive features of link shortening tools is A/B testing.

Imagine you are running a specific sales campaign and creating two or more special offer web pages to test which content performs well. 

A/B testing allows you to split traffic and compare performance of each URL on the base of weightages that you set. Finally, choose the page that performs well or optimize the content that underperforms. 

This feature is very handful for designers to test their designs, for content creators to evaluate their content and for every marketer as a whole package. 

Related: Conversion Rate Optimization Tips – 8 Easy Ways to Boost Sales

#10: Deep linking example of text marketing to increase conversion

Deep links in SMS marketing motivate users to install the app. Take the example of a shopping app. Use a deep link with a bonus point which will be rewarded after users install the application. Once the user clicks the deep link, it will launch the app on the relevant system. If it is not installed, a relevant store will be opened. When the user initiates the app, the product page and offer will appear. Without deep linking, these steps require manual processing.

Let’s say you are making an online shop and promoting a certain item; deep links help you direct visitors to relevant content. In case the app is not installed it will take you relevant play store

Deep links are very helpful when it comes to online user experience. Suppose, you are a seller on Amazon, Shopify or any other ecommerce platform and you want to direct the user to specific products rather than search the product on the app or web. With deep linking, no unnecessary steps will be required and you will directly land on the relevant content as shown in the below image.

You don’t need to advertise the app as a whole. Only the relevant content that you want to target and the user that clicks that link will reach the appropriate location without any hurdles. This not only increases the rate of conversions but also improves the overall experience.

Related: How to Use Short Links for SMS & SMS Marketing

#11: Short links are best for Tweets

You have only 280 character limits for tweets to express opinions, use captions, add captions, call out a person, and much more. You can do anything under Twitter’s specified character limit. Brands use URLs while announcing any update, sale, or mega deal. 

Generally, links are overly long, and they tend to cover all Twitter character space. Therefore, people tend to use URL shortening tools to change messy long URLs into branded URLs. 

Here are some brands that have used short & customized links in their tweets. 

Example#Disney

Disney is also making a new series announcement with a customized link in their tweet. 

https://twitter.com/DisneyD23/status/1554150408695586816?s=20&t=mnN3JZJn8pBTfZofu8q7Yw

Here is Disney’s example of using a short & customized links in their tweets. 

Disney is also making a new series announcement with a customized link in their tweet. 

Disney’s customized link is not short only but has the brand’s slogan in it. There are higher chances for the audience to visit links, check new promos, and subscribe to a streaming platform if they haven’t already.

#12: Turning USP realizes the power of bio links for brands

Link shortening tool can change a single link into a beautiful, mobile-friendly, flexible landing page. You can offer the services you want. Pre-designed layouts are available to create a landing page. 

Moreover, you can add videos, images, text etc. to showcase your brand. Drag and drop editor can make everything easy and efficient. 

Here is an example of Turing USP that mentioned their bio link in the Instagram bio. 

#13: Engage more QR code marketing

QR codes are new scannable marketing sources. You can generate a new smart QR code with every branded link you customize with a link shortening platform. 

Download it and use it in your every visual content, such as visiting cards, flyers, or discount codes, as a marketing opportunity to build brand authority. QR codes are a powerful way of amplifying your brand’s slogan.

QR codes promote engagement and interaction. This type of business strategy enables businesses to share information with users.

The calamities like the pandemic and global warming initiatives have pushed us more towards creating a contactless and paperless green environment. While QR Codes are playing a vital and supportive role towards it yet they are also proving to be a great tool for marketing.

From banking payments to promotion or any information and material, it is proving a useful tool for analytics aswell as to improve user experience. 

Here are some ways how you can maximize QR codes to monitor the performance of your marketing campaigns properly. 

• Lands customers directly on the website
• Dial your business number
• Send message/ email
• View business locations
• Download app
• Direct customers to social media pages

#14: Make your social links count!

Similarly length is important for all your social links. A domain name adds more plus points. They provide a clean look. 

Any URL with your brand name will assure the link reader that it will lead to your page. Link management tools make URLs visually appealing and legitimate. 

Look at Gary Vee’s bio link

He uses the bio link to drive users towards his Apple podcast.

Similarly, you can share your favorite content with friends without the installation of a particular app. Let’s say if somebody shared a TikTok video link with you, and you don’t have a TikTok account, you can click the URL and still watch it without installing TikTok. This is the power of deep links. 

You can share your favorite content with friends without the installation of a particular app. Let’s say if somebody shared a TikTok video link with you, and you don’t have a TikTok account, you can click the URL and still watch it without installing TikTok. This is the power of deep links. 

Related: How To Get More TikTok Views?

#15 Perfect Call to Action buttons

Every Marketer’s end goal is to earn high revenue. It gets possible when your product reaches the right audience. It improves your impression and ad rank. 

High CTR means more people seeing, clicking, and engaging with your services. It is all possible with link shortening URL platforms. You can create, edit, and advertise links that have a custom domain name or brand’s slogan. They will be considered authentic and genuine and will attract the right customer. 

#16 Example of media companies using Vanity URLs

Several major media companies and publications use vanity URLs when sharing links:

• Netflix = movi.es
• Time = ti.me
• TechCrunch = tcrn.ch
• Engadget = engt.co
• Huffington Post = huffp.st
• Economist= econ.st
• New York Times = nyti.ms

Related: What is a Vanity URL and How to Track it?

#17: Track, analyze & convert

URL shortening tools empower to make informed decisions by providing vital data points. You can track what content is working best for you and what needs to improvise. 

URLs are trackable and give insights about clicks and engagements. You can also retarget your prospected clients who have already shown interest in your content. 

Campaign analytics help you optimize your marketing efforts. It helps you understand your audience better. You can observe which social media channels drive maximum traffic and design strategies accordingly.

How do I shorten a URL length?

It is a pretty simple process to shorten your links using a URL shortener.

Step 1
Login to your Replug account

Step 2
Navigate to “create quick Replug link”. Enter the campaign and the long URL to shorten. 

1. Now click “Create”

Step 3
In the next step, you can edit the link or change the slug. You can add or remove existing tags. Click the update button and you are done.

FAQs

What is a long URL?

A long URL is a long and nasty address to a particular document or file. They are difficult to remember. Sometimes they are long enough that after copying them on social channels, you don’t have any space left to write details. 

Here is an example: 

All the above URLs have one thing in common, they are long, messy, and have random characters. Therefore, they may look suspicious to some people when forwarded in DM, which makes them avoid clicking it. 

What is too long for a URL?

A URL is considered too long if it has above 100 characters. An overly long URL causes search engine and usability issues. It may also lead to lower CTR (click-through rate). 

Long URL doesn’t display better on the web. An extra-long URL might have symbols and characters. Google doesn’t support an overly long URL with random characters. 

Is it okay to have a long URL?

It doesn’t matter how long the URL length is.  However, with respect to marketing and SEO, the leading brands try to keep them shorter than 100 characters. It makes monitoring easy.
For example:

This URL is 118 characters long, and Twitter has 280 characters limit. So the above link is long enough in itself that it doesn’t leave any space to say anything about it. Furthermore, such link are unappealing and unattractive to share.

Long URL Problems Solved
Shortening long URLs is pretty simple and easy. Brands and celebrities have realized the powerful features that come along with URL shorteners. The use cases and examples have highlighted just. If you are still not convinced, I recommend taking time for an online meeting just might change your thoughts towards URL shorteners. One thing is for sure. a long URL just sucks and drains your online marketing!

Khadija Anwar

I am Khadija Anwar, B2B Copywriter. I started my career as a freelance writer in 2019 and built a strong portfolio. I have crafted multiple blogs, website content, fashion magazines, news outlets, SEO content, and technical documentation. Last but not least, my favorite cartoon character is Dopey Dwarf, resembling my real-life character- calm, happy, and lively.