Shortened URL's are pervasive in social media because they economize on space (especially in Twitter) and allow for more message and less link.

The real value in a shortened URL is that it enables you to track the reach and amplification of your messaging ("amplification" and "reach" are critical components of a social media strategy and I will address them in a future post). I'm partial to bit.ly and use it exclusively. It's a one-stop shop for shortening and then tracking my online link use. 

With it I get a panel that shows the number of times that my content is clicked, the geographic location of the viewer (never knew that I had so many viewers in Brazil!), and the referring site of my views (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, apps, etc.).

Here's a screenshot of my recent activity (looks like I need to amp up my productivity!)

bit ly clicks history

 

Maximizing your time and effort in social media is key and you want to be able to track your performance and see what kind of return you are getting on those efforts.

What are you doing to track your online engagement?

 
Posted by Mark Frederick on 07/26/2011 07:25 PM   Comments (6)   bit ly, social media  
Generate short URL

6 Comments on Short URL's

JUL
26
2011
160,547 Points 2 Featured Posts Attended Rain Camp

good post. I am still not sure I understand but I will try. keep up the good work
7:29pm • #1

Thank you, Bruce! If you're using a link as part of your content and you want to see how many times it has been clicked and from where, a service like bit.ly makes sense. For instance, if I send out an e-newsletter with links, I would like to see how many times the content was accessed. Also, a shortened URL looks nicer and is more compact than an orginal like (example: this (http://bit.ly/pb482g) vs this (http://www.readmyblogorsuffer.com/the-world-is-against-me))
7:38pm • #2
688,675 Points 22 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Thanks Mark, I also use the shorter URL's on postcards and snail mail to make it easier for folks to type in an address without making an error.
7:48pm • #3

Great idea Al and a nice synthesis of "old mail" and "new"! :)

One of the key principles in customer retention and long-term loyalty is making a customer's engagement with you easy. Water follows the easiest path...
7:53pm • #4
805,327 Points 1 Featured Post Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Hi Mark - Personally, I don't like the URL shorteners, especially if they are posted by unknown sources since you don't know where they link and if there is a virus or other problem at the other end.
8:32pm • #5

Marc, that's a good point. Links from any source, regardless of their configuration, should be taken with a grain of salt. It's like the old adage of not opening a door to strangers.

At least in social media we have a better idea of the message source since we've opted-in to connecting with a given person.

 
8:56pm • #6


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