domains-500If you use any social media, you probably noticed how all the big media companies have their own customized shortened links (and not the usual bit.ly, ow.ly or goo.gl). Examples of custom shortened link domains include: huff.to (Huffington Post), for.tn (Fortune Magazine) or nbcnews.to (NBC News). When you see these branded URLs, you know who posted them and if you are a regular reader, you’re probably more likely to click on them rather than on a more generic short link.

On a large scale, this can be an expensive undertaking, as social media management tools like HootSuite and link managers such as Bit.ly offer it for larger companies and agencies with social media teams – usually referred to as “enterprise” level service. Much of the time, the pricing isn’t even posted, and likely to be just too much for a small business.

However, if you’re willing to be more hands-on with creating links and not reliant on auto-generating links when you share on social media, you can custom-brand your own URLs for free or for very low cost. There are statistics that say that having a custom-branded shortened URL can increase click-throughs by as much as 30%. This makes sense, as seeing the company name within the link can increase click-trust for your readers.

Another benefit of custom short links is that most of the URL shortener tools also offer basic clickthrough analytics and link management, so you can see what click rate you’re getting and can change the redirection URL for a link if you need to.

Here’s a few custom link shortener tools to check out: 

I just created my own short links for free with Rebrandly. Here’s a few:

Don’t forget you will need to register a domain name (that you aren’t using elsewhere) for a custom shortener. If your primary goal is to stay as short as possible, you have a lot of options… but be sure to check details and renewal rates on the domain extensions. Some are pricey and most are actually country code domain extensions that sometimes have use restrictions.

Easy and cheap domain extension options:

.US (usually very cheap or on sale)
.ME (actually the country code for Montenegro, but promoted as a short personal domain option)
.CO (code for Columbia, but marketed as a .COM alternative)

Or, use a country code extension – these tend to be pricier, and there are a LOT to choose from. Just a few examples:

.IN (India)
.TO (Tonga)
.TV (Tuvalu)
.BZ (Belize)
.IO (Indian Ocean Region)
.IS (Iceland)
.CC (Cocos Islands – ??)
.TK (Tokelau – No, I did not know that existed either, but apparently it’s in the Pacific Ocean)

If you’re thinking that there’s probably other uses for custom branded links, be sure to check out Rebrandly’s list of ideas for using custom short links. Of course, I can help with getting the domain you want and help set up the shortener. :-)

Happy shortening!

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